diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 8720a2e..0c31e7b 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -7,6 +7,9 @@ and this project adheres to [Semantic Versioning](https://semver.org/spec/v2.0.0
 
 ## [Unreleased]
 
+### Fixed
+- Anchor click handler now ignores modifier keys (Ctrl, Meta, Shift, Alt), non-left clicks, and links with a `target` attribute (e.g. `target="_blank"`), allowing native browser behavior for opening links in new tabs/windows
+
 ## [0.12.3] - 2026-04-02
 
 ### Fixed
diff --git a/packages/esroute/src/nav-opts.ts b/packages/esroute/src/nav-opts.ts
index 59ffe83..f6f2f51 100644
--- a/packages/esroute/src/nav-opts.ts
+++ b/packages/esroute/src/nav-opts.ts
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ export interface NavMeta<S = any> {
   state?: S | null;
   /** The location hash. */
   hash?: string;
-  /** Whethe the history state shall be replaced. */
+  /** Whether the history state shall be replaced. */
   replace?: boolean;
   /** Whether the resolution was triggered by a popstate event. */
   pop?: boolean;
@@ -50,7 +50,7 @@ export class NavOpts<S = null> implements NavMeta<S> {
       href ??= target as string;
       if (!href.startsWith("/")) href = `/${href}`;
       if (!search) this._h = href;
-      const [, pathString, , searchString, , hash] = href.match(
+      const [, pathString, , searchString, , parsedHash] = href.match(
         /([^?#]+)(\?([^#]+))?(#(.+))?/
       )!;
       this.path = pathString.split("/").filter(Boolean);
@@ -58,7 +58,7 @@ export class NavOpts<S = null> implements NavMeta<S> {
         this.search = Object.fromEntries(
           new URLSearchParams(searchString).entries()
         );
-      if (hash) this.hash = hash;
+      if (parsedHash) this.hash = parsedHash;
     } else this.path = target as string[];
     if (hash != null) this.hash = hash;
     if (pop != null) this.pop = pop;
diff --git a/packages/esroute/src/router.spec.ts b/packages/esroute/src/router.spec.ts
index fdbfade..9dee536 100644
--- a/packages/esroute/src/router.spec.ts
+++ b/packages/esroute/src/router.spec.ts
@@ -63,6 +63,39 @@ describe("Router", () => {
         opts: expect.any(NavOpts),
       });
     });
+
+    it("should not intercept clicks with modifier keys", async () => {
+      router.init();
+      await router.resolution;
+      onResolve.mockClear();
+      const anchor = document.createElement("a");
+      document.body.appendChild(anchor);
+      anchor.href = "http://localhost/foo";
+      vi.spyOn(location, "origin", "get").mockReturnValue("http://localhost");
+
+      for (const key of ["ctrlKey", "metaKey", "shiftKey", "altKey"] as const) {
+        anchor.dispatchEvent(new MouseEvent("click", { [key]: true, bubbles: true }));
+      }
+      await new Promise((resolve) => setTimeout(resolve, 0));
+
+      expect(onResolve).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+    });
+
+    it("should not intercept clicks on anchors with target attribute", async () => {
+      router.init();
+      await router.resolution;
+      onResolve.mockClear();
+      const anchor = document.createElement("a");
+      document.body.appendChild(anchor);
+      anchor.href = "http://localhost/foo";
+      anchor.target = "_blank";
+      vi.spyOn(location, "origin", "get").mockReturnValue("http://localhost");
+
+      anchor.click();
+      await new Promise((resolve) => setTimeout(resolve, 0));
+
+      expect(onResolve).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+    });
   });
 
   describe("go()", () => {
diff --git a/packages/esroute/src/router.ts b/packages/esroute/src/router.ts
index 259d396..c53bdb3 100644
--- a/packages/esroute/src/router.ts
+++ b/packages/esroute/src/router.ts
@@ -192,15 +192,28 @@ export const createRouter = <T = any, S = any, R extends RawRoutes = RawRoutes>(
   };
 
   const linkClickListener = (e: MouseEvent) => {
+    if (
+      e.defaultPrevented ||
+      e.button !== 0 ||
+      e.metaKey ||
+      e.ctrlKey ||
+      e.shiftKey ||
+      e.altKey
+    )
+      return;
     const target = isAnchorElement(e.target)
       ? e.target
       : e.composedPath?.().find(isAnchorElement);
-    if (target && target.origin === location.origin) {
+    if (
+      target &&
+      (!target.target || target.target === "_self") &&
+      target.origin === location.origin
+    ) {
+      e.preventDefault();
       r.go({
         href: target.href.substring(location.origin.length),
         replace: "replace" in target.dataset,
       });
-      e.preventDefault();
     }
   };
 
diff --git a/packages/esroute/src/scroll-restoration.ts b/packages/esroute/src/scroll-restoration.ts
index b5689ef..33bb90c 100644
--- a/packages/esroute/src/scroll-restoration.ts
+++ b/packages/esroute/src/scroll-restoration.ts
@@ -25,12 +25,12 @@ export const restoreHandling = ({
   };
   const getStatePos = () =>
     (history.state && history.state[stateProp]) ?? undefined;
-  const getHashPos =
-    hashScroll &&
-    ((hash: string) =>
-      (find(hash)?.getBoundingClientRect().top ?? 0) -
-      offset +
-      container.scrollTop);
+  const getHashPos = hashScroll
+    ? (hash: string) =>
+        (find(hash)?.getBoundingClientRect().top ?? 0) -
+        offset +
+        container.scrollTop
+    : undefined;
 
   window.addEventListener("beforeunload", save);
   document.addEventListener("visibilitychange", save);