diff --git a/scaladoc-js/main/src/searchbar/SearchbarComponent.scala b/scaladoc-js/main/src/searchbar/SearchbarComponent.scala
index c33667f04e73..9741c6681024 100644
--- a/scaladoc-js/main/src/searchbar/SearchbarComponent.scala
+++ b/scaladoc-js/main/src/searchbar/SearchbarComponent.scala
@@ -62,11 +62,14 @@ class SearchbarComponent(engine: SearchbarEngine, inkuireEngine: InkuireJSSearch
       icon.classList.add(m.entryType.take(2))
 
       val resultA = document.createElement("a").asInstanceOf[html.Anchor]
+      // Inkuire pageLocation should start with e (external)
+      // or i (internal). The rest of the string is an absolute
+      // or relative URL
       resultA.href = 
-        if(new URI(m.pageLocation).isAbsolute()) {
-          m.pageLocation
+        if (m.pageLocation(0) == 'e') {
+          m.pageLocation.substring(1)
         } else {
-          Globals.pathToRoot + m.pageLocation
+          Globals.pathToRoot + m.pageLocation.substring(1)
         } 
       resultA.text = m.functionName
       resultA.onclick = (event: Event) =>
diff --git a/scaladoc/src/dotty/tools/scaladoc/Inkuire.scala b/scaladoc/src/dotty/tools/scaladoc/Inkuire.scala
index f1b9414c9835..52b677c30e6a 100644
--- a/scaladoc/src/dotty/tools/scaladoc/Inkuire.scala
+++ b/scaladoc/src/dotty/tools/scaladoc/Inkuire.scala
@@ -114,6 +114,7 @@ object Inkuire {
     name:         String,
     packageName:  String,
     uri:          String,
+    isLocationExternal: Boolean,
     entryType:    String
   )
 
@@ -333,7 +334,7 @@ object Inkuire {
         ("signature", serialize(e.signature)),
         ("name", serialize(e.name)),
         ("packageName", serialize(e.packageName)),
-        ("uri", serialize(e.uri)),
+        ("uri", serialize((if e.isLocationExternal then "e" else "i") + e.uri)),
         ("entryType", serialize(e.entryType))
       )
     }
diff --git a/scaladoc/src/dotty/tools/scaladoc/tasty/InkuireSupport.scala b/scaladoc/src/dotty/tools/scaladoc/tasty/InkuireSupport.scala
index 3d65094d249a..1f3b353eb045 100644
--- a/scaladoc/src/dotty/tools/scaladoc/tasty/InkuireSupport.scala
+++ b/scaladoc/src/dotty/tools/scaladoc/tasty/InkuireSupport.scala
@@ -115,6 +115,7 @@ trait InkuireSupport(using DocContext) extends Resources:
             name = name,
             packageName = ownerName,
             uri = methodSymbol.dri.externalLink.getOrElse(escapedAbsolutePathWithAnchor(methodSymbol.dri)),
+            isLocationExternal = methodSymbol.dri.externalLink.isDefined,
             entryType = "def"
           )
           val curriedSgn = sgn.copy(signature = Inkuire.curry(sgn.signature))
@@ -143,6 +144,7 @@ trait InkuireSupport(using DocContext) extends Resources:
             name = name,
             packageName = ownerName,
             uri = valSymbol.dri.externalLink.getOrElse(escapedAbsolutePathWithAnchor(valSymbol.dri)),
+            isLocationExternal = valSymbol.dri.externalLink.isDefined,
             entryType = "val"
           )
           val curriedSgn = sgn.copy(signature = Inkuire.curry(sgn.signature))