diff --git a/guide/src/format/configuration/renderers.md b/guide/src/format/configuration/renderers.md
index 2552a5ae..814990da 100644
--- a/guide/src/format/configuration/renderers.md
+++ b/guide/src/format/configuration/renderers.md
@@ -109,6 +109,7 @@ edit-url-template = "https://github.com/rust-lang/mdBook/edit/master/guide/{path
 site-url = "/example-book/"
 cname = "myproject.rs"
 input-404 = "not-found.md"
+use-site-url-as-root = false
 ```
 
 The following configuration options are available:
diff --git a/src/renderer/html_handlebars/hbs_renderer.rs b/src/renderer/html_handlebars/hbs_renderer.rs
index f2b01063..1572e3a5 100644
--- a/src/renderer/html_handlebars/hbs_renderer.rs
+++ b/src/renderer/html_handlebars/hbs_renderer.rs
@@ -56,7 +56,7 @@ impl HtmlHandlebars {
 
         let content = ch.content.clone();
         let content = if ctx.html_config.use_site_url_as_root {
-            utils::render_markdown_with_path(
+            utils::render_markdown_with_abs_path(
                 &content,
                 ctx.html_config.curly_quotes,
                 None,
@@ -66,12 +66,8 @@ impl HtmlHandlebars {
             utils::render_markdown(&content, ctx.html_config.curly_quotes)
         };
 
-        let fixed_content = utils::render_markdown_with_path(
-            &ch.content,
-            ctx.html_config.curly_quotes,
-            Some(path),
-            None,
-        );
+        let fixed_content =
+            utils::render_markdown_with_path(&ch.content, ctx.html_config.curly_quotes, Some(path));
         if !ctx.is_index && ctx.html_config.print.page_break {
             // Add page break between chapters
             // See https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/CSS/break-before and https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/CSS/page-break-before
diff --git a/src/utils/mod.rs b/src/utils/mod.rs
index 4a3da661..6636ed5f 100644
--- a/src/utils/mod.rs
+++ b/src/utils/mod.rs
@@ -126,20 +126,25 @@ fn adjust_links<'a>(event: Event<'a>, path: Option<&Path>, abs_url: Option<&Stri
             }
 
             if let Some(caps) = MD_LINK.captures(&dest) {
-                fixed_link.push_str(&caps["link"]);
+                fixed_link.push_str(&caps["link"].trim_start_matches('/'));
                 fixed_link.push_str(".html");
                 if let Some(anchor) = caps.name("anchor") {
                     fixed_link.push_str(anchor.as_str());
                 }
+            } else if !fixed_link.is_empty() {
+                // prevent links with double slashes
+                fixed_link.push_str(&dest.trim_start_matches('/'));
             } else {
                 fixed_link.push_str(&dest);
             };
-            if fixed_link.starts_with('/') {
-                fixed_link = match abs_url {
-                    Some(abs_url) => format!("{}{}", abs_url.trim_end_matches('/'), &fixed_link),
-                    None => fixed_link,
+            if dest.starts_with('/') || path.is_some() {
+                if let Some(abs_url) = abs_url {
+                    fixed_link = format!(
+                        "{}/{}",
+                        abs_url.trim_end_matches('/'),
+                        &fixed_link.trim_start_matches('/')
+                    );
                 }
-                .into();
             }
             return CowStr::from(format!("{}", fixed_link));
         }
@@ -181,7 +186,7 @@ fn adjust_links<'a>(event: Event<'a>, path: Option<&Path>, abs_url: Option<&Stri
 
 /// Wrapper around the pulldown-cmark parser for rendering markdown to HTML.
 pub fn render_markdown(text: &str, curly_quotes: bool) -> String {
-    render_markdown_with_path(text, curly_quotes, None, None)
+    render_markdown_with_path(text, curly_quotes, None)
 }
 
 pub fn new_cmark_parser(text: &str, curly_quotes: bool) -> Parser<'_, '_> {
@@ -196,12 +201,18 @@ pub fn new_cmark_parser(text: &str, curly_quotes: bool) -> Parser<'_, '_> {
     Parser::new_ext(text, opts)
 }
 
-pub fn render_markdown_with_path(
+pub fn render_markdown_with_path(text: &str, curly_quotes: bool, path: Option<&Path>) -> String {
+    render_markdown_with_abs_path(text, curly_quotes, path, None)
+}
+
+pub fn render_markdown_with_abs_path(
     text: &str,
     curly_quotes: bool,
     path: Option<&Path>,
     abs_url: Option<&String>,
 ) -> String {
+    // This function should be merged with `render_markdown_with_path`
+    // in the future. Currently, it is used not to break compatibility.
     let mut s = String::with_capacity(text.len() * 3 / 2);
     let p = new_cmark_parser(text, curly_quotes);
     let events = p