diff --git a/__tests__/unit/client/theme-default/support/utils.test.ts b/__tests__/unit/client/theme-default/support/utils.test.ts
index 880d4232..aefc9b8e 100644
--- a/__tests__/unit/client/theme-default/support/utils.test.ts
+++ b/__tests__/unit/client/theme-default/support/utils.test.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,7 @@
-import { ensureStartingSlash } from 'client/theme-default/support/utils'
+import {
+  ensureStartingSlash,
+  isLinkExternal
+} from 'client/theme-default/support/utils'
 
 describe('client/theme-default/utils', () => {
   describe('ensureStartingSlash', () => {
@@ -9,4 +12,22 @@ describe('client/theme-default/utils', () => {
       expect(ensureStartingSlash('/path/nested')).toBe('/path/nested')
     })
   })
+
+  describe('isLinkExternal', () => {
+    test('it detects external links by default', () => {
+      expect(isLinkExternal('https://vite.dev')).toBe(true)
+      expect(isLinkExternal('/guide/')).toBe(false)
+    })
+
+    test('it treats _blank targets as external by default', () => {
+      expect(isLinkExternal('/guide/', '_blank')).toBe(true)
+    })
+
+    test('it allows callers to override external detection', () => {
+      expect(isLinkExternal('https://cn.vite.dev', undefined, false)).toBe(
+        false
+      )
+      expect(isLinkExternal('/guide/', undefined, true)).toBe(true)
+    })
+  })
 })
diff --git a/src/client/theme-default/components/VPLink.vue b/src/client/theme-default/components/VPLink.vue
index f57e3328..f087a88c 100644
--- a/src/client/theme-default/components/VPLink.vue
+++ b/src/client/theme-default/components/VPLink.vue
@@ -1,21 +1,19 @@
 <script lang="ts" setup>
 import { computed } from 'vue'
-import { normalizeLink } from '../support/utils'
-import { EXTERNAL_URL_RE } from '../../shared'
+import { isLinkExternal, normalizeLink } from '../support/utils'
 
 const props = defineProps<{
   tag?: string
   href?: string
   noIcon?: boolean
+  external?: boolean
   target?: string
   rel?: string
 }>()
 
 const tag = computed(() => props.tag ?? (props.href ? 'a' : 'span'))
-const isExternal = computed(
-  () =>
-    (props.href && EXTERNAL_URL_RE.test(props.href)) ||
-    props.target === '_blank'
+const isExternal = computed(() =>
+  isLinkExternal(props.href, props.target, props.external)
 )
 </script>
 
diff --git a/src/client/theme-default/components/VPNavBarTranslations.vue b/src/client/theme-default/components/VPNavBarTranslations.vue
index e6850d4c..fe3bfe96 100644
--- a/src/client/theme-default/components/VPNavBarTranslations.vue
+++ b/src/client/theme-default/components/VPNavBarTranslations.vue
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ const { localeLinks, currentLang } = useLangs({ correspondingLink: true })
       <template v-for="locale in localeLinks" :key="locale.link">
         <VPMenuLink
           :item="locale"
+          :external="false"
           :lang="locale.lang"
           :hreflang="locale.lang"
           rel="alternate"
diff --git a/src/client/theme-default/components/VPNavScreenTranslations.vue b/src/client/theme-default/components/VPNavScreenTranslations.vue
index 02722fdc..108ac60c 100644
--- a/src/client/theme-default/components/VPNavScreenTranslations.vue
+++ b/src/client/theme-default/components/VPNavScreenTranslations.vue
@@ -28,7 +28,10 @@ function toggle() {
         <VPLink
           class="link"
           :href="locale.link"
+          :external="false"
           :lang="locale.lang"
+          :hreflang="locale.lang"
+          rel="alternate"
           :dir="locale.dir"
         >
           {{ locale.text }}
diff --git a/src/client/theme-default/support/utils.ts b/src/client/theme-default/support/utils.ts
index d615e703..e7d713a9 100644
--- a/src/client/theme-default/support/utils.ts
+++ b/src/client/theme-default/support/utils.ts
@@ -20,6 +20,18 @@ export function ensureStartingSlash(path: string): string {
   return path.startsWith('/') ? path : `/${path}`
 }
 
+export function isLinkExternal(
+  href?: string,
+  target?: string,
+  external?: boolean
+): boolean {
+  if (external !== undefined) {
+    return external
+  }
+
+  return (!!href && isExternal(href)) || target === '_blank'
+}
+
 export function normalizeLink(url: string): string {
   const { pathname, search, hash, protocol } = new URL(url, 'http://a.com')