diff --git a/src/Orchard.Tests/Mvc/Html/HtmlHelperExtensionsTests.cs b/src/Orchard.Tests/Mvc/Html/HtmlHelperExtensionsTests.cs
index ff50b7d0f..fbaca012f 100644
--- a/src/Orchard.Tests/Mvc/Html/HtmlHelperExtensionsTests.cs
+++ b/src/Orchard.Tests/Mvc/Html/HtmlHelperExtensionsTests.cs
@@ -35,6 +35,20 @@ namespace Orchard.Tests.Mvc.Html {
             Assert.AreEqual(@"<a href=""http://example.com"">&lt;br /&gt;</a>", result.ToString());
         }
 
+        [Test]
+        public void LinkHtmlAttributeEncodesHref() {
+            //arrange
+            var viewContext = new ViewContext();
+            var viewDataContainer = new Mock<IViewDataContainer>();
+            var html = new HtmlHelper(viewContext, viewDataContainer.Object);
+
+            //act
+            var result = html.Link("test", "<br />");
+
+            //assert
+            Assert.AreEqual(@"<a href=""&lt;br />"">test</a>", result.ToString());
+        }
+
         [Test]
         public void LinkHtmlAttributeEncodesAttributes() {
             //arrange
@@ -49,6 +63,62 @@ namespace Orchard.Tests.Mvc.Html {
             Assert.AreEqual(@"<a href=""http://example.com"" title=""&lt;br />"">linkText</a>", result.ToString());
         }
 
+        [Test]
+        public void LinkOrDefaultReturnsIHtmlString() {
+            //arrange
+            var viewContext = new ViewContext();
+            var viewDataContainer = new Mock<IViewDataContainer>();
+            var html = new HtmlHelper(viewContext, viewDataContainer.Object);
+
+            //act
+            var result = html.LinkOrDefault("test", "http://example.com") as IHtmlString;
+
+            //assert
+            Assert.IsNotNull(result);
+        }
+
+        [Test]
+        public void LinkOrDefaultHtmlEncodesLinkText() {
+            //arrange
+            var viewContext = new ViewContext();
+            var viewDataContainer = new Mock<IViewDataContainer>();
+            var html = new HtmlHelper(viewContext, viewDataContainer.Object);
+
+            //act
+            var result = html.LinkOrDefault("<br />", "http://example.com");
+
+            //assert
+            Assert.AreEqual(@"<a href=""http://example.com"">&lt;br /&gt;</a>", result.ToString());
+        }
+
+        [Test]
+        public void LinkOrDefaultWithoutHrefHtmlEncodesLinkText() {
+            //arrange
+            var viewContext = new ViewContext();
+            var viewDataContainer = new Mock<IViewDataContainer>();
+            var html = new HtmlHelper(viewContext, viewDataContainer.Object);
+
+            //act
+            var result = html.LinkOrDefault("<br />", null);
+
+            //assert
+            Assert.AreEqual(@"&lt;br /&gt;", result.ToString());
+        }
+
+        [Test]
+        public void LinkOrDefaultWithHrefHtmlAttributeEncodesHref() {
+            //arrange
+            var viewContext = new ViewContext();
+            var viewDataContainer = new Mock<IViewDataContainer>();
+            var html = new HtmlHelper(viewContext, viewDataContainer.Object);
+
+            //act
+            var result = html.LinkOrDefault("test", "<br />");
+
+            //assert
+            Assert.AreEqual(@"<a href=""&lt;br />"">test</a>", result.ToString());
+        }
+
         [Test]
         public void SelectOptionHtmlEncodesText() {
             //arrange
diff --git a/src/Orchard.Web/Modules/Orchard.Comments/Views/ListOfComments.ascx b/src/Orchard.Web/Modules/Orchard.Comments/Views/ListOfComments.ascx
index 308e7cabd..7e93f370e 100644
--- a/src/Orchard.Web/Modules/Orchard.Comments/Views/ListOfComments.ascx
+++ b/src/Orchard.Web/Modules/Orchard.Comments/Views/ListOfComments.ascx
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@
 foreach (var comment in Model) { %>
     <li>
         <div class="comment">
-            <span class="who"><%=Html.LinkOrDefault(Html.Encode(comment.Record.UserName), Html.Encode(comment.Record.SiteName), new { rel = "nofollow" })%></span>
+            <span class="who"><%: Html.LinkOrDefault(comment.Record.UserName, comment.Record.SiteName, new { rel = "nofollow" })%></span>
             <%-- todo: (heskew) need comment permalink --%>
             <span>said <%: Html.Link(Html.DateTimeRelative(comment.Record.CommentDateUtc.GetValueOrDefault()), "#")%></span>
         </div>
diff --git a/src/Orchard.Web/Themes/Contoso/Views/ListOfComments.ascx b/src/Orchard.Web/Themes/Contoso/Views/ListOfComments.ascx
index 30c41d925..c8096dcf6 100644
--- a/src/Orchard.Web/Themes/Contoso/Views/ListOfComments.ascx
+++ b/src/Orchard.Web/Themes/Contoso/Views/ListOfComments.ascx
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ foreach (var comment in Model) { %>
 </div>
         
 <div class="commentauthor">
-<span class="who"><%=Html.LinkOrDefault(Html.Encode(comment.Record.UserName), Html.Encode(comment.Record.SiteName), new { rel = "nofollow" })%></span>&nbsp;<span>said <%: Html.Link(Html.DateTimeRelative(comment.Record.CommentDateUtc.GetValueOrDefault()), "#")%></span>
+<span class="who"><%: Html.LinkOrDefault(comment.Record.UserName, comment.Record.SiteName, new { rel = "nofollow" })%></span>&nbsp;<span>said <%: Html.Link(Html.DateTimeRelative(comment.Record.CommentDateUtc.GetValueOrDefault()), "#")%></span>
 </div>       
         
     </li><%
diff --git a/src/Orchard.Web/Themes/Corporate/Views/ListOfComments.ascx b/src/Orchard.Web/Themes/Corporate/Views/ListOfComments.ascx
index 30c41d925..c8096dcf6 100644
--- a/src/Orchard.Web/Themes/Corporate/Views/ListOfComments.ascx
+++ b/src/Orchard.Web/Themes/Corporate/Views/ListOfComments.ascx
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ foreach (var comment in Model) { %>
 </div>
         
 <div class="commentauthor">
-<span class="who"><%=Html.LinkOrDefault(Html.Encode(comment.Record.UserName), Html.Encode(comment.Record.SiteName), new { rel = "nofollow" })%></span>&nbsp;<span>said <%: Html.Link(Html.DateTimeRelative(comment.Record.CommentDateUtc.GetValueOrDefault()), "#")%></span>
+<span class="who"><%: Html.LinkOrDefault(comment.Record.UserName, comment.Record.SiteName, new { rel = "nofollow" })%></span>&nbsp;<span>said <%: Html.Link(Html.DateTimeRelative(comment.Record.CommentDateUtc.GetValueOrDefault()), "#")%></span>
 </div>       
         
     </li><%
diff --git a/src/Orchard.Web/Themes/Green/Views/ListOfComments.ascx b/src/Orchard.Web/Themes/Green/Views/ListOfComments.ascx
index 30c41d925..c8096dcf6 100644
--- a/src/Orchard.Web/Themes/Green/Views/ListOfComments.ascx
+++ b/src/Orchard.Web/Themes/Green/Views/ListOfComments.ascx
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ foreach (var comment in Model) { %>
 </div>
         
 <div class="commentauthor">
-<span class="who"><%=Html.LinkOrDefault(Html.Encode(comment.Record.UserName), Html.Encode(comment.Record.SiteName), new { rel = "nofollow" })%></span>&nbsp;<span>said <%: Html.Link(Html.DateTimeRelative(comment.Record.CommentDateUtc.GetValueOrDefault()), "#")%></span>
+<span class="who"><%: Html.LinkOrDefault(comment.Record.UserName, comment.Record.SiteName, new { rel = "nofollow" })%></span>&nbsp;<span>said <%: Html.Link(Html.DateTimeRelative(comment.Record.CommentDateUtc.GetValueOrDefault()), "#")%></span>
 </div>       
         
     </li><%
diff --git a/src/Orchard/Mvc/Html/HtmlHelperExtensions.cs b/src/Orchard/Mvc/Html/HtmlHelperExtensions.cs
index 6ed2c19b7..ba6c95122 100644
--- a/src/Orchard/Mvc/Html/HtmlHelperExtensions.cs
+++ b/src/Orchard/Mvc/Html/HtmlHelperExtensions.cs
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ using Orchard.Services;
 using Orchard.Settings;
 using Orchard.Utility;
 using Orchard.Utility.Extensions;
+using System.Web;
 
 namespace Orchard.Mvc.Html {
     public static class HtmlHelperExtensions {
@@ -241,53 +242,54 @@ namespace Orchard.Mvc.Html {
 
         #region Link
 
-        public static MvcHtmlString Link(this HtmlHelper htmlHelper, string linkContents, string href)
+        public static IHtmlString Link(this HtmlHelper htmlHelper, string linkContents, string href)
         {
             return htmlHelper.Link(linkContents, href, null);
         }
 
-        public static MvcHtmlString Link(this HtmlHelper htmlHelper, string linkContents, string href, object htmlAttributes)
+        public static IHtmlString Link(this HtmlHelper htmlHelper, string linkContents, string href, object htmlAttributes)
         {
             return htmlHelper.Link(linkContents, href, new RouteValueDictionary(htmlAttributes));
         }
 
-        public static MvcHtmlString Link(this HtmlHelper htmlHelper, string linkContents, string href, IDictionary<string, object> htmlAttributes)
+        public static IHtmlString Link(this HtmlHelper htmlHelper, string linkContents, string href, IDictionary<string, object> htmlAttributes)
         {
             TagBuilder tagBuilder = new TagBuilder("a") 
                 { InnerHtml = htmlHelper.Encode(linkContents) };
             tagBuilder.MergeAttributes(htmlAttributes);
             tagBuilder.MergeAttribute("href", href);
-            return MvcHtmlString.Create(tagBuilder.ToString(TagRenderMode.Normal));
+            return new HtmlString(tagBuilder.ToString(TagRenderMode.Normal));
         }
 
         #endregion
 
         #region LinkOrDefault
 
-        public static string LinkOrDefault(this HtmlHelper htmlHelper, string linkContents, string href)
+        public static IHtmlString LinkOrDefault(this HtmlHelper htmlHelper, string linkContents, string href)
         {
             return htmlHelper.LinkOrDefault(linkContents, href, null);
         }
 
-        public static string LinkOrDefault(this HtmlHelper htmlHelper, string linkContents, string href, object htmlAttributes)
+        public static IHtmlString LinkOrDefault(this HtmlHelper htmlHelper, string linkContents, string href, object htmlAttributes)
         {
             return htmlHelper.LinkOrDefault(linkContents, href, new RouteValueDictionary(htmlAttributes));
         }
 
-        public static string LinkOrDefault(this HtmlHelper htmlHelper, string linkContents, string href, IDictionary<string, object> htmlAttributes)
+        public static IHtmlString LinkOrDefault(this HtmlHelper htmlHelper, string linkContents, string href, IDictionary<string, object> htmlAttributes)
         {
-            if (!string.IsNullOrEmpty(href))
-            {
-                TagBuilder tagBuilder = new TagBuilder("a")
-                {
-                    InnerHtml = linkContents
-                };
-                tagBuilder.MergeAttributes(htmlAttributes);
-                tagBuilder.MergeAttribute("href", href);
-                linkContents = tagBuilder.ToString(TagRenderMode.Normal);
+            string linkText = htmlHelper.Encode(linkContents);
+            
+            if (string.IsNullOrEmpty(href)) {
+                return new HtmlString(linkText);
             }
 
-            return linkContents;
+            TagBuilder tagBuilder = new TagBuilder("a")
+            {
+                InnerHtml = linkText
+            };
+            tagBuilder.MergeAttributes(htmlAttributes);
+            tagBuilder.MergeAttribute("href", href);
+            return new HtmlString(tagBuilder.ToString(TagRenderMode.Normal));
         }
 
         #endregion
@@ -336,15 +338,15 @@ namespace Orchard.Mvc.Html {
 
         #region AntiForgeryTokenValueOrchardLink
 
-        public static MvcHtmlString AntiForgeryTokenValueOrchardLink(this HtmlHelper htmlHelper, string linkContents, string href)  {
+        public static IHtmlString AntiForgeryTokenValueOrchardLink(this HtmlHelper htmlHelper, string linkContents, string href)  {
             return htmlHelper.AntiForgeryTokenValueOrchardLink(linkContents, href, (object)null);
         }
 
-        public static MvcHtmlString AntiForgeryTokenValueOrchardLink(this HtmlHelper htmlHelper, string linkContents, string href, object htmlAttributes)  {
+        public static IHtmlString AntiForgeryTokenValueOrchardLink(this HtmlHelper htmlHelper, string linkContents, string href, object htmlAttributes)  {
             return htmlHelper.AntiForgeryTokenValueOrchardLink(linkContents, href, new RouteValueDictionary(htmlAttributes));
         }
 
-        public static MvcHtmlString AntiForgeryTokenValueOrchardLink(this HtmlHelper htmlHelper, string linkContents, string href, IDictionary<string, object> htmlAttributes)  {
+        public static IHtmlString AntiForgeryTokenValueOrchardLink(this HtmlHelper htmlHelper, string linkContents, string href, IDictionary<string, object> htmlAttributes)  {
             return htmlHelper.Link(linkContents, htmlHelper.AntiForgeryTokenGetUrl(href), htmlAttributes);
         }