diff --git a/lib/html-proofer/element.rb b/lib/html-proofer/element.rb
index 6d1229fd..dffb6b96 100644
--- a/lib/html-proofer/element.rb
+++ b/lib/html-proofer/element.rb
@@ -150,7 +150,7 @@ def internal_absolute_link?
     def relative_link?
       return false if remote?
 
-      hash_link || param_link || url.start_with?('.') || url =~ /^\w/
+      hash_link || param_link || url.start_with?('.') || url =~ /^\S/
     end
 
     def link_points_to_same_page?
@@ -234,12 +234,14 @@ def base
     end
 
     def html
-      # If link is on the same page, then URL is on the current page so can use the same HTML as for current page
+      # If link is on the same page, then URL is on the current page. use the same HTML as for current page
       if link_points_to_same_page?
         @html
-      elsif relative_link?
+      elsif internal?
         # link on another page, e.g. /about#Team - need to get HTML from the other page
         create_nokogiri(absolute_path)
+      else
+        raise NotImplementedError, 'HTMLProofer should not have gotten here. Please report this as a bug.'
       end
     end
   end
diff --git a/spec/html-proofer/fixtures/links/relative_hash.html b/spec/html-proofer/fixtures/links/relative_hash.html
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..8263bbab
--- /dev/null
+++ b/spec/html-proofer/fixtures/links/relative_hash.html
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+<ul class="dropdown-menu">
+  <li><a href="/broken_link_internal.html#safeHash">Forums</a></li>
+</ul>
diff --git a/spec/html-proofer/links_spec.rb b/spec/html-proofer/links_spec.rb
index 45a3a353..aa786fe0 100644
--- a/spec/html-proofer/links_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/html-proofer/links_spec.rb
@@ -134,6 +134,12 @@
     expect(proofer.failed_tests.first).to match(/linking to internal hash #25-method-not-allowed that does not exist/)
   end
 
+  it 'should understand relative hash' do
+    link_with_https_filepath = "#{FIXTURES_DIR}/links/relative_hash.html"
+    proofer = run_proofer(link_with_https_filepath, :file)
+    expect(proofer.failed_tests).to eq []
+  end
+
   it 'properly resolves implicit /index.html in link paths' do
     link_to_folder = "#{FIXTURES_DIR}/links/link_to_folder.html"
     proofer = run_proofer(link_to_folder, :file)