diff --git a/components/Footer/Navigation/MainNav/index.tsx b/components/Footer/Navigation/MainNav/index.tsx
index 91d674d60..e220af4a2 100644
--- a/components/Footer/Navigation/MainNav/index.tsx
+++ b/components/Footer/Navigation/MainNav/index.tsx
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ export default function FooterMainNav({ mainLinks }: FooterMainNavProps) {
                 color="burgundy"
                 href={link.url}
                 className={styles.mainNavigationLink}
+                target={link.openInNewTab ? "_blank" : undefined}
               >
                 {link.title}
 
diff --git a/components/Footer/Navigation/SecondaryNav/index.tsx b/components/Footer/Navigation/SecondaryNav/index.tsx
index 3f631f809..42266f915 100644
--- a/components/Footer/Navigation/SecondaryNav/index.tsx
+++ b/components/Footer/Navigation/SecondaryNav/index.tsx
@@ -56,26 +56,13 @@ export default function FooterSecondaryNav({
           <ul className={styles.secondaryNavigationList}>
             {link?.links?.map((link) => (
               <li key={link.title} className={styles.secondaryNavigationItem}>
-                {link.isExternal ? (
-                  <a
-                    href={link.url}
-                    key={link.title}
-                    target={link.openInNewTab ? "_blank" : "_self"}
-                    aria-label={link.title}
-                    className={styles.secondaryNavigationLink}
-                  >
-                    {link.title}
-                  </a>
-                ) : (
-                  <Link
-                    href={link.url}
-                    key={link.title}
-                    target={link.openInNewTab ? "_blank" : "_self"}
-                    color="burgundy"
-                  >
-                    {link.title}
-                  </Link>
-                )}
+                <Link
+                  href={link.url}
+                  target={link.openInNewTab ? "_blank" : undefined}
+                  color="burgundy"
+                >
+                  {link.title}
+                </Link>
               </li>
             ))}
           </ul>
diff --git a/server/routers/contentstack/base/output.ts b/server/routers/contentstack/base/output.ts
index 02651dfe2..50b739bdb 100644
--- a/server/routers/contentstack/base/output.ts
+++ b/server/routers/contentstack/base/output.ts
@@ -321,7 +321,7 @@ const validateInternalLink = z
     const lang = node.system.locale
 
     return {
-      url: originalUrl ?? removeMultipleSlashes(`/${lang}/${url}`),
+      url: originalUrl || removeMultipleSlashes(`/${lang}/${url}`),
       title: node.title,
     }
   })
@@ -339,14 +339,18 @@ export const validateLinkItem = z
       url: data.pageConnection?.url ?? data.link?.href ?? "",
       title: data?.title ?? data.link?.title,
       openInNewTab: data.open_in_new_tab,
-      isExternal: !!data.link?.href,
+      isExternal: !data.pageConnection?.url,
     }
   })
 
+const validateLinks = z
+  .array(validateLinkItem)
+  .transform((data) => data.filter((item) => item.url))
+
 export const validateSecondaryLinks = z.array(
   z.object({
     title: z.string(),
-    links: z.array(validateLinkItem),
+    links: validateLinks,
   })
 )
 
@@ -362,7 +366,7 @@ export const validateFooterConfigSchema = z
     all_footer: z.object({
       items: z.array(
         z.object({
-          main_links: z.array(validateLinkItem),
+          main_links: validateLinks,
           app_downloads: z.object({
             title: z.string(),
             links: validateLinksWithType,
@@ -371,7 +375,7 @@ export const validateFooterConfigSchema = z
           social_media: z.object({
             links: validateLinksWithType,
           }),
-          tertiary_links: z.array(validateLinkItem),
+          tertiary_links: validateLinks,
         })
       ),
     }),