diff --git a/auto-thickbox-options.php b/auto-thickbox-options.php
index fab2e08..449b9b2 100644
--- a/auto-thickbox-options.php
+++ b/auto-thickbox-options.php
@@ -88,7 +88,9 @@ jQuery(function($) {
 		<th scope="row"><?php _e('Auto ThickBox', 'auto-thickbox'); ?></th>
 		<td>
 			<label><input type="checkbox" name="auto-thickbox-plus[thickbox_text]"<?php $this->checked($this->options['thickbox_text'], 'on'); ?> />
-			<?php _e('Text links to images', 'auto-thickbox'); ?> (<code>&lt;a href="image">text&lt;/a></code>)</label>
+			<?php _e('Text links to images', 'auto-thickbox'); ?> (<code>&lt;a href="image">text&lt;/a></code>)</label><br />
+			<label><input type="checkbox" name="auto-thickbox-plus[thickbox_target]"<?php $this->checked($this->options['thickbox_target'], 'on'); ?> />
+			<?php _e('Links with target attribute', 'auto-thickbox'); ?> (<code>&lt;a target="_blank"></code>)</label>
 		</td>
 	</tr>
 	<tr>
diff --git a/auto-thickbox.php b/auto-thickbox.php
index 13e4c3a..c5e1e2d 100644
--- a/auto-thickbox.php
+++ b/auto-thickbox.php
@@ -64,7 +64,8 @@ class auto_thickbox {
 	 * @return anchor $anchor
 	 **/
 	function image($anchor) {
-		if ( $this->options['thickbox_text'] == 'off' && !preg_match("/^\s*<\s*img\s.+?>\s*$/is", $anchor['body']) )
+		if ( ($this->options['thickbox_text'] == 'off' && !preg_match("/^\s*<\s*img\s.+?>\s*$/is", $anchor['body']))
+			|| ($this->options['thickbox_target'] == 'off' && !empty($anchor['attr']['target'])) )
 			return $anchor;
 
 		if ( !$anchor['attr']['class'] ) {
@@ -423,6 +424,7 @@ SCRIPT;
 		$this->options_def = array(
 			'thickbox_style' => 'single',
 			'thickbox_text' => 'on',
+			'thickbox_target' => 'off',
 			'auto_resize' => 'on',
 			'builtin_res' => 'off',
 			'script_place' => 'header',