diff --git a/rules/file-no-broken-links.js b/rules/file-no-broken-links.js
index 6c30aba9..b4a42bd4 100644
--- a/rules/file-no-broken-links.js
+++ b/rules/file-no-broken-links.js
@@ -108,7 +108,10 @@ async function fileNoBrokenLinks(fs, options) {
           const filePath = path.posix.join('/', url.host, url.pathname)
           const absPath = path.posix.resolve(targetDir, filePath)
           const relPath = path.posix.relative(targetDir, absPath)
-          if (relPath.startsWith('..')) return null
+          if (relPath.startsWith('..')) {
+            if (options['pass-external-relative-links']) return null
+            else return `${originalURL} (relative link outside project)`
+          }
           // verify the file exists (or at least that we have access to it)
           if (!(await fs.relativeFileExists(relPath)))
             return `${originalURL} (file does not exist)`
diff --git a/tests/rules/file_no_broken_links_tests.js b/tests/rules/file_no_broken_links_tests.js
index 554b9ac8..59e82d83 100644
--- a/tests/rules/file_no_broken_links_tests.js
+++ b/tests/rules/file_no_broken_links_tests.js
@@ -199,13 +199,29 @@ describe('rule', () => {
         })
       })
 
-      it('returns true with a relative link to a file in markdown outside the working directory', async () => {
+      it('returns false with a relative link to a file in markdown outside the working directory', async () => {
         const ruleopts = {
           globsAll: ['relative_link_outside_dir.md']
         }
 
         const actual = await fileNoBrokenLinks(testFs, ruleopts)
 
+        expect(actual.passed).to.equal(false)
+        expect(actual.targets).to.have.length(1)
+        expect(actual.targets[0]).to.deep.include({
+          passed: false,
+          path: 'relative_link_outside_dir.md'
+        })
+      })
+
+      it('returns true with a relative link to a file in markdown outside the working directory and pass-external-relative-links', async () => {
+        const ruleopts = {
+          globsAll: ['relative_link_outside_dir.md'],
+          'pass-external-relative-links': true
+        }
+
+        const actual = await fileNoBrokenLinks(testFs, ruleopts)
+
         expect(actual.passed).to.equal(true)
         expect(actual.targets).to.have.length(1)
         expect(actual.targets[0]).to.deep.include({