diff --git a/src/app/item-page/field-components/metadata-uri-values/metadata-uri-values.component.html b/src/app/item-page/field-components/metadata-uri-values/metadata-uri-values.component.html
index 9091beb6c7d..73356397cf5 100644
--- a/src/app/item-page/field-components/metadata-uri-values/metadata-uri-values.component.html
+++ b/src/app/item-page/field-components/metadata-uri-values/metadata-uri-values.component.html
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
+<!-- From upstream DSpace 7 https://github.com/DSpace/dspace-angular/pull/2866/files -->
 <ds-metadata-field-wrapper [label]="label | translate">
-    <a class="dont-break-out" *ngFor="let mdValue of mdValues; let last=last;" [href]="mdValue.value">
+    <a class="dont-break-out" *ngFor="let mdValue of mdValues; let last=last;" [href]="mdValue.value" [target]="linkTarget">
        {{ linktext || mdValue.value }}<span *ngIf="!last" [innerHTML]="separator"></span>
     </a>
 </ds-metadata-field-wrapper>
diff --git a/src/app/item-page/field-components/metadata-uri-values/metadata-uri-values.component.spec.ts b/src/app/item-page/field-components/metadata-uri-values/metadata-uri-values.component.spec.ts
index f869ab8aaf8..09160d773ba 100644
--- a/src/app/item-page/field-components/metadata-uri-values/metadata-uri-values.component.spec.ts
+++ b/src/app/item-page/field-components/metadata-uri-values/metadata-uri-values.component.spec.ts
@@ -72,6 +72,14 @@ describe('MetadataUriValuesComponent', () => {
     const separators = fixture.debugElement.queryAll(By.css('a span'));
     expect(separators.length).toBe(mockMetadata.length - 1);
   });
+  // From upstream DSpace 7 https://github.com/DSpace/dspace-angular/pull/2866/files
+  it('should contain the correct target attribute for metadata links', () => {
+    const links = fixture.debugElement.queryAll(By.css('a'));
+    for (const link of links) {
+      expect(link.nativeElement.getAttribute('target')).toBe('_blank');
+    }
+  });
+  // END of upstream addition
 
   describe('when linktext is defined', () => {
 
diff --git a/src/app/item-page/field-components/metadata-uri-values/metadata-uri-values.component.ts b/src/app/item-page/field-components/metadata-uri-values/metadata-uri-values.component.ts
index e070eccf2d5..cdc2e281787 100644
--- a/src/app/item-page/field-components/metadata-uri-values/metadata-uri-values.component.ts
+++ b/src/app/item-page/field-components/metadata-uri-values/metadata-uri-values.component.ts
@@ -37,4 +37,12 @@ export class MetadataUriValuesComponent extends MetadataValuesComponent {
    * The label for this iteration of metadata values
    */
   @Input() label: string;
+
+  // From upstream DSpace 7 https://github.com/DSpace/dspace-angular/pull/2866/files
+  /**
+   * The target attribute for the metadata links.
+   * Defaults to '_blank' to open links in a new window/tab.
+   */
+  @Input() linkTarget = '_blank';
+  // END of upstream additions
 }