diff --git a/src/app/plugins/react-custom-html-parser.tsx b/src/app/plugins/react-custom-html-parser.tsx
index 961131d9..97e2c99a 100644
--- a/src/app/plugins/react-custom-html-parser.tsx
+++ b/src/app/plugins/react-custom-html-parser.tsx
@@ -474,14 +474,10 @@ export const getReactCustomHtmlParser = (
         }
 
         if (name === 'img') {
-          const htmlSrc = mxcUrlToHttp(mx, props.src, params.useAuthentication);
-          if (htmlSrc && props.src.startsWith('mxc://') === false) {
-            return (
-              <a href={htmlSrc} target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">
-                {props.alt || props.title || htmlSrc}
-              </a>
-            );
-          }
+          const isMxc = typeof props.src === 'string' && props.src.startsWith('mxc://');
+          const htmlSrc = isMxc
+            ? mxcUrlToHttp(mx, props.src, params.useAuthentication)
+            : props.src;
           if (htmlSrc && 'data-mx-emoticon' in props) {
             return (
               <span className={css.EmoticonBase}>
diff --git a/src/app/utils/sanitize.ts b/src/app/utils/sanitize.ts
index c199f69a..d9b7867b 100644
--- a/src/app/utils/sanitize.ts
+++ b/src/app/utils/sanitize.ts
@@ -105,26 +105,12 @@ const transformATag: Transformer = (tagName, attribs) => ({
   },
 });
 
-const transformImgTag: Transformer = (tagName, attribs) => {
-  const { src } = attribs;
-  if (typeof src === 'string' && src.startsWith('mxc://') === false) {
-    return {
-      tagName: 'a',
-      attribs: {
-        href: src,
-        rel: 'noreferrer noopener',
-        target: '_blank',
-      },
-      text: attribs.alt || src,
-    };
-  }
-  return {
-    tagName,
-    attribs: {
-      ...attribs,
-    },
-  };
-};
+const transformImgTag: Transformer = (tagName, attribs) => ({
+  tagName,
+  attribs: {
+    ...attribs,
+  },
+});
 
 export const sanitizeCustomHtml = (customHtml: string): string =>
   sanitizeHtml(customHtml, {