diff --git a/src-gwt/org/opencms/gwt/client/ui/input/tinymce/CmsTinyMCEHelper.java b/src-gwt/org/opencms/gwt/client/ui/input/tinymce/CmsTinyMCEHelper.java
index 237df57c8fd..fcdce7c1d98 100644
--- a/src-gwt/org/opencms/gwt/client/ui/input/tinymce/CmsTinyMCEHelper.java
+++ b/src-gwt/org/opencms/gwt/client/ui/input/tinymce/CmsTinyMCEHelper.java
@@ -151,7 +151,9 @@ public static native JavaScriptObject generateOptionsForTiny(String configuratio
 				options.valid_elements = "*[*]";
 				options.allow_script_urls = true;
 			}
-
+			if (config.link_default_protocol) {
+				options.link_default_protocol = config.link_default_protocol;
+			}
 			if (config.toolbar_items) {
 				toolbarGroup = @org.opencms.gwt.client.ui.input.tinymce.CmsTinyMCEHelper::createToolbar(Lcom/google/gwt/core/client/JavaScriptObject;)(config.toolbar_items);
 				toolbarGroup += " | spellchecker";
diff --git a/src/org/opencms/widgets/CmsHtmlWidget.java b/src/org/opencms/widgets/CmsHtmlWidget.java
index 13e84e87189..b7af471374b 100644
--- a/src/org/opencms/widgets/CmsHtmlWidget.java
+++ b/src/org/opencms/widgets/CmsHtmlWidget.java
@@ -215,6 +215,11 @@ public static JSONObject getJSONConfiguration(
                 result.put("spellcheck_language", contentLocale.getLanguage());
             }
 
+            String linkDefaultProtocol = widgetOptions.getLinkDefaultProtocol();
+            if (CmsStringUtil.isNotEmptyOrWhitespaceOnly(linkDefaultProtocol)) {
+                result.put("link_default_protocol", linkDefaultProtocol);
+            }
+
             String editorOptions = widgetOptions.getEditorConfigPath();
             if (editorOptions != null) {
                 try {
@@ -244,6 +249,7 @@ public static JSONObject getJSONConfiguration(
                         e);
                 }
             }
+
         } catch (JSONException e) {
             LOG.error(e.getLocalizedMessage(), e);
         }
diff --git a/src/org/opencms/widgets/CmsHtmlWidgetOption.java b/src/org/opencms/widgets/CmsHtmlWidgetOption.java
index b2d67060eb2..94266c30a44 100644
--- a/src/org/opencms/widgets/CmsHtmlWidgetOption.java
+++ b/src/org/opencms/widgets/CmsHtmlWidgetOption.java
@@ -296,6 +296,9 @@ public class CmsHtmlWidgetOption {
     /** Option for the "show/hide visual control characters" button. */
     public static final String OPTION_VISUALCHARS = "visualchars";
 
+    /** Option for the default protocol for links */
+    public static final String OPTION_LINKDEFAULTPROTOCOL = "linkdefaultprotocol:";
+
     /** The optional buttons that can be additionally added to the button bar. */
     public static final String[] OPTIONAL_BUTTONS = {
         OPTION_ANCHOR,
@@ -408,8 +411,12 @@ public class CmsHtmlWidgetOption {
     /** The style XML path. */
     private String m_stylesXmlPath;
 
+    /** Path to an external TinyMCE JSON config file. */
     private String m_editorConfigPath;
 
+    /** The link default protocol */
+    private String m_linkDefaultProtocol;
+
     /**
      * Creates a new empty HTML widget object object.<p>
      */
@@ -508,6 +515,7 @@ public static String createConfigurationString(CmsHtmlWidgetOption option) {
             result.append(option.getFormatSelectOptions());
             added = true;
         }
+
         if (null != option.getEditorConfigPath()) {
             if (added) {
                 result.append(DELIMITER_OPTION);
@@ -516,6 +524,12 @@ public static String createConfigurationString(CmsHtmlWidgetOption option) {
             result.append(option.getEditorConfigPath());
             added = true;
         }
+
+        if (CmsStringUtil.isNotEmpty(option.getLinkDefaultProtocol())) {
+            result.append(OPTION_LINKDEFAULTPROTOCOL);
+            result.append(option.getLinkDefaultProtocol());
+        }
+
         return result.toString();
     }
 
@@ -863,6 +877,16 @@ public List<String> getHiddenButtons() {
         return m_hiddenButtons;
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Returns the link default protocol to use when inserting/editing links via the link dialog.
+     *
+     * @return the link default protocol to use when inserting/editing links via the link dialog
+     */
+    public String getLinkDefaultProtocol() {
+
+        return m_linkDefaultProtocol;
+    }
+
     /**
      * Returns the styles format VFS path to use in the widget area.<p>
      *
@@ -1055,6 +1079,17 @@ public void setHiddenButtons(List<String> buttons) {
         m_hiddenButtons = buttons;
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Set the link default protocol to use when inserting/editing links via the link dialog
+     *
+     * @param linkDefaultProtocol
+     *            the link default protocol to use when inserting/editing links via the link dialog
+     */
+    public void setLinkDefaultProtocol(String linkDefaultProtocol) {
+
+        m_linkDefaultProtocol = linkDefaultProtocol;
+    }
+
     /**
      * Sets the styles format VFS path to use in the widget area.<p>
      *
@@ -1263,6 +1298,12 @@ protected void parseOptions(String configuration) {
                     m_importCss = true;
                 } else if (option.startsWith(OPTION_ALLOWSCRIPTS)) {
                     m_allowScripts = true;
+                } else if (option.startsWith(OPTION_LINKDEFAULTPROTOCOL)) {
+                    // the link default protocol
+                    option = option.substring(OPTION_LINKDEFAULTPROTOCOL.length());
+                    if (CmsStringUtil.isNotEmptyOrWhitespaceOnly(option)) {
+                        setLinkDefaultProtocol(option);
+                    }
                 } else {
                     // check if option describes an additional button
                     if (OPTIONAL_BUTTONS_LIST.contains(option)) {