diff --git a/packages/block-editor/src/components/link-control/index.js b/packages/block-editor/src/components/link-control/index.js
index 38fec35f6ab6b6..4bbb1c1232b7bb 100644
--- a/packages/block-editor/src/components/link-control/index.js
+++ b/packages/block-editor/src/components/link-control/index.js
@@ -13,9 +13,10 @@ import { useCallback, useState, Fragment } from '@wordpress/element';
 import {
 	safeDecodeURI,
 	filterURLForDisplay,
-	isURL,
 	prependHTTP,
 	getProtocol,
+	isValidFragment,
+	isUri,
 } from '@wordpress/url';
 import { useInstanceId } from '@wordpress/compose';
 import { useSelect } from '@wordpress/data';
@@ -85,31 +86,22 @@ function LinkControl( {
 	};
 
 	const handleEntitySearch = async ( val, args ) => {
-		const results = await Promise.all( [
-			fetchSearchSuggestions( val, {
-				...( args.isInitialSuggestions ? { perPage: 3 } : {} ),
-			} ),
-			handleDirectEntry( val ),
-		] );
-
-		const couldBeURL = ! val.includes( ' ' );
-
-		// If it's potentially a URL search then concat on a URL search suggestion
-		// just for good measure. That way once the actual results run out we always
-		// have a URL option to fallback on.
-		return couldBeURL && ! args.isInitialSuggestions ? results[ 0 ].concat( results[ 1 ] ) : results[ 0 ];
+		return await fetchSearchSuggestions( val, {
+			...( args.isInitialSuggestions ? { perPage: 3 } : {} ),
+		} );
 	};
 
-	// Effects
-	const getSearchHandler = useCallback( ( val, args ) => {
-		const protocol = getProtocol( val ) || '';
-		const isMailto = protocol.includes( 'mailto' );
-		const isInternal = startsWith( val, '#' );
-		const isTel = protocol.includes( 'tel' );
+	const couldBeURI = function( val ) {
+		const isInternal = startsWith( val, '#' ) && isValidFragment( val );
+		const includesWWW = !! ( val && val.includes( 'www.' ) );
 
-		const handleManualEntry = isInternal || isMailto || isTel || isURL( val ) || ( val && val.includes( 'www.' ) );
+		return isUri( val ) || includesWWW || isInternal;
+	};
 
-		return ( handleManualEntry ) ? handleDirectEntry( val, args ) : handleEntitySearch( val, args );
+	// Effects
+	const getSearchHandler = useCallback( ( val, args ) => {
+		// If it has a fragment and it is valid
+		return ( couldBeURI( val ) ) ? handleDirectEntry( val, args ) : handleEntitySearch( val, args );
 	}, [ handleDirectEntry, fetchSearchSuggestions ] );
 
 	// Render Components
diff --git a/packages/url/README.md b/packages/url/README.md
index 9436880c51f43c..7b59a0258a442c 100644
--- a/packages/url/README.md
+++ b/packages/url/README.md
@@ -227,6 +227,25 @@ _Returns_
 
 -   `boolean`: Whether or not it looks like an email.
 
+<a name="isURI" href="#isURI">#</a> **isURI**
+
+Determines whether the given string looks like a URI (of any type).
+
+_Usage_
+
+```js
+const isURI = isURI( 'https://wordpress.org' ); // true
+const anotherURI = isURI('mailto:hello@wordpress.org'); // true
+```
+
+_Parameters_
+
+-   _uri_ `string`: The string to scrutinise.
+
+_Returns_
+
+-   `boolean`: Whether or not it looks like a URI.
+
 <a name="isURL" href="#isURL">#</a> **isURL**
 
 Determines whether the given string looks like a URL.
diff --git a/packages/url/package.json b/packages/url/package.json
index 73c82ab0daeb52..bd92afdcb1e6fc 100644
--- a/packages/url/package.json
+++ b/packages/url/package.json
@@ -24,7 +24,8 @@
 	"dependencies": {
 		"@babel/runtime": "^7.4.4",
 		"lodash": "^4.17.15",
-		"qs": "^6.5.2"
+		"qs": "^6.5.2",
+		"valid-url": "^1.0.9"
 	},
 	"publishConfig": {
 		"access": "public"
diff --git a/packages/url/src/index.js b/packages/url/src/index.js
index 3a47cba0bc3b59..e108c326b12311 100644
--- a/packages/url/src/index.js
+++ b/packages/url/src/index.js
@@ -1,3 +1,5 @@
+
+export { isURI } from './is-uri';
 export { isURL } from './is-url';
 export { isEmail } from './is-email';
 export { getProtocol } from './get-protocol';
diff --git a/packages/url/src/is-uri.js b/packages/url/src/is-uri.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000000..6f98411c5e510a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/url/src/is-uri.js
@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
+/**
+ * External dependencies
+ */
+import { isUri } from 'valid-url';
+
+/**
+ * Determines whether the given string looks like a URI (of any type).
+ *
+ * @param {string} uri The string to scrutinise.
+ *
+ * @example
+ * ```js
+ * const isURI = isURI( 'https://wordpress.org' ); // true
+ * const anotherURI = isURI('mailto:hello@wordpress.org'); // true
+ * ```
+ *
+ * @return {boolean} Whether or not it looks like a URI.
+ */
+export function isURI( uri ) {
+	return isUri( uri );
+}