diff --git a/includes/cache/LinkCache.php b/includes/cache/LinkCache.php
index 7adb09e62ef..2c3ded156d6 100644
--- a/includes/cache/LinkCache.php
+++ b/includes/cache/LinkCache.php
@@ -155,7 +155,7 @@ class LinkCache implements LoggerAwareInterface {
 		if ( $page instanceof PageIdentity && !$page->canExist() ) {
 			// Non-proper page, perhaps a special page or interwiki link or relative section link.
 			$this->logger->warning(
-				'non-proper page reference',
+				'non-proper page reference: {page-reference}',
 				[ 'page-reference' => $this->titleFormatter->getFullText( $page ) ]
 			);
 			return null;
@@ -167,7 +167,7 @@ class LinkCache implements LoggerAwareInterface {
 			// Interwiki link or relative section link. These do not have a page ID, so they
 			// can neither be "good" nor "bad" in the sense of this class.
 			$this->logger->warning(
-				'link to non-proper page',
+				'link to non-proper page: {page-link}',
 				[ 'page-link' => $this->titleFormatter->getFullText( $page ) ]
 			);
 			return null;
diff --git a/includes/linker/LinkRenderer.php b/includes/linker/LinkRenderer.php
index 76962b5f1b2..0898a0cddf4 100644
--- a/includes/linker/LinkRenderer.php
+++ b/includes/linker/LinkRenderer.php
@@ -424,6 +424,10 @@ class LinkRenderer {
 	public function getLinkClasses( $target ) {
 		Assert::parameterType( [ LinkTarget::class, PageReference::class ], $target, '$target' );
 		$target = $this->castToLinkTarget( $target );
+		// Don't call LinkCache if the target is "non-proper"
+		if ( $target->isExternal() || $target->getText() === '' || $target->getNamespace() < 0 ) {
+			return '';
+		}
 		// Make sure the target is in the cache
 		$id = $this->linkCache->addLinkObj( $target );
 		if ( $id == 0 ) {