diff --git a/.changeset/witty-vans-smash.md b/.changeset/witty-vans-smash.md
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..858c1366b824
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changeset/witty-vans-smash.md
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+---
+'@sveltejs/kit': major
+---
+
+fix: navigate without reloading for links with a `target` attribute and will display in the current browsing context
diff --git a/packages/kit/src/runtime/client/utils.js b/packages/kit/src/runtime/client/utils.js
index 28a06d862489..46ecd08f091a 100644
--- a/packages/kit/src/runtime/client/utils.js
+++ b/packages/kit/src/runtime/client/utils.js
@@ -136,7 +136,7 @@ export function get_link_info(a, base, uses_hash_router) {
 
 	const external =
 		!url ||
-		!!target ||
+		(target || '_self') !== '_self' ||
 		is_external_url(url, base, uses_hash_router) ||
 		(a.getAttribute('rel') || '').split(/\s+/).includes('external');
 
diff --git a/packages/kit/test/apps/basics/src/routes/routing/+page.svelte b/packages/kit/test/apps/basics/src/routes/routing/+page.svelte
index 2d5d50c8c338..4d125e45f016 100644
--- a/packages/kit/test/apps/basics/src/routes/routing/+page.svelte
+++ b/packages/kit/test/apps/basics/src/routes/routing/+page.svelte
@@ -14,3 +14,7 @@
 <a href="/routing/b" data-sveltekit-reload>b</a>
 
 <div class="hydrate-test"></div>
+
+<a href="/routing/a?target" target="_self">_self</a>
+<a href="/routing/a?target" target="_parent">_parent</a>
+<a href="/routing/a?target" target="_top">_top</a>
diff --git a/packages/kit/test/apps/basics/test/cross-platform/client.test.js b/packages/kit/test/apps/basics/test/cross-platform/client.test.js
index 5ac76c9b724c..42fe4d3cb33c 100644
--- a/packages/kit/test/apps/basics/test/cross-platform/client.test.js
+++ b/packages/kit/test/apps/basics/test/cross-platform/client.test.js
@@ -737,6 +737,32 @@ test.describe('Routing', () => {
 		expect(requests.filter((url) => !url.endsWith('/favicon.png'))).toEqual([]);
 	});
 
+	test('navigates to a new page without reloading when `target` is the current browsing context', async ({
+		app,
+		page,
+		clicknav
+	}) => {
+		const targets = ['_self', '_parent', '_top'];
+
+		for (const target of targets) {
+			await page.goto('/routing');
+
+			await app.preloadData('/routing/a?target').catch((e) => {
+				// from error handler tests; ignore
+				if (!e.message.includes('Crashing now')) throw e;
+			});
+
+			/** @type {string[]} */
+			const requests = [];
+			page.on('request', (r) => requests.push(r.url()));
+
+			await clicknav(`a[target="${target}"]`);
+			expect(await page.textContent('h1')).toBe('a');
+
+			expect(requests.filter((url) => !url.endsWith('/favicon.png'))).toEqual([]);
+		}
+	});
+
 	test('navigates programmatically', async ({ page, app }) => {
 		await page.goto('/routing/a');
 		await app.goto('/routing/b');