diff --git a/lib/plugins/filter/after_post_render/external_link.js b/lib/plugins/filter/after_post_render/external_link.js
index f43ea74716..229f3a3f41 100644
--- a/lib/plugins/filter/after_post_render/external_link.js
+++ b/lib/plugins/filter/after_post_render/external_link.js
@@ -1,39 +1,32 @@
 'use strict';
 
 const url = require('url');
-let cheerio;
 
 function externalLinkFilter(data) {
   const { config } = this;
   if (!config.external_link) return;
 
-  if (!cheerio) cheerio = require('cheerio');
-
-  const $ = cheerio.load(data.content, {decodeEntities: false});
   const siteHost = url.parse(config.url).hostname || config.url;
 
-  $('a').each(function() {
-    // Exit if the link has target attribute
-    if ($(this).attr('target')) return;
-
-    // Exit if the href attribute doesn't exists
-    const href = $(this).attr('href');
-    if (!href) return;
+  data.content = data.content.replace(/<a.*?(href=['"](.*?)['"]).*?>/gi, (str, hrefStr, href) => {
+    if (/target=/gi.test(str)) return str;
 
     const data = url.parse(href);
-
     // Exit if the link doesn't have protocol, which means it's a internal link
-    if (!data.protocol) return;
-
     // Exit if the url has same host with config.url
-    if (data.hostname === siteHost) return;
+    if (!data.protocol || data.hostname === siteHost) return str;
+
+    if (/rel=/gi.test(str)) {
+      str = str.replace(/rel="(.*?)"/gi, (relStr, rel) => {
+        if (!rel.includes('noopenner')) relStr = relStr.replace(rel, `${rel} noopener`);
+        return relStr;
+      });
+      return str.replace(hrefStr, `${hrefStr} target="_blank"`);
+    }
 
-    $(this)
-      .attr('target', '_blank')
-      .attr('rel', 'noopener');
+    return str.replace(hrefStr, `${hrefStr} target="_blank" rel="noopener"`);
   });
 
-  data.content = $.html();
 }
 
 module.exports = externalLinkFilter;
diff --git a/test/scripts/filters/external_link.js b/test/scripts/filters/external_link.js
index 18f6d696a1..1e095d6a82 100644
--- a/test/scripts/filters/external_link.js
+++ b/test/scripts/filters/external_link.js
@@ -26,13 +26,23 @@ describe('External link', () => {
       '# External link test',
       '1. External link',
       '<a href="https://hexo.io/">Hexo</a>',
-      '2. Internal link',
+      '2. External link with "rel" Attribute',
+      '<a rel="external" href="https://hexo.io/">Hexo</a>',
+      '<a href="https://hexo.io/" rel="external">Hexo</a>',
+      '<a rel="noopenner" href="https://hexo.io/">Hexo</a>',
+      '<a href="https://hexo.io/" rel="noopenner">Hexo</a>',
+      '<a rel="external noopenner" href="https://hexo.io/">Hexo</a>',
+      '<a href="https://hexo.io/" rel="external noopenner">Hexo</a>',
+      '3. External link with Other Attributes',
+      '<a class="img" href="https://hexo.io/">Hexo</a>',
+      '<a href="https://hexo.io/" class="img">Hexo</a>',
+      '4. Internal link',
       '<a href="/archives/foo.html">Link</a>',
-      '3. Ignore links have "target" attribute',
+      '5. Ignore links have "target" attribute',
       '<a href="https://hexo.io/" target="_blank">Hexo</a>',
-      '4. Ignore links don\'t have "href" attribute',
+      '6. Ignore links don\'t have "href" attribute',
       '<a>Anchor</a>',
-      '5. Ignore links whose hostname is same as config',
+      '7. Ignore links whose hostname is same as config',
       '<a href="https://example.com">Example Domain</a>'
     ].join('\n');
 
@@ -44,13 +54,23 @@ describe('External link', () => {
       '# External link test',
       '1. External link',
       '<a href="https://hexo.io/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Hexo</a>',
-      '2. Internal link',
+      '2. External link with "rel" Attribute',
+      '<a rel="external noopener" href="https://hexo.io/" target="_blank">Hexo</a>',
+      '<a href="https://hexo.io/" target="_blank" rel="external noopener">Hexo</a>',
+      '<a rel="noopenner" href="https://hexo.io/" target="_blank">Hexo</a>',
+      '<a href="https://hexo.io/" target="_blank" rel="noopenner">Hexo</a>',
+      '<a rel="external noopenner" href="https://hexo.io/" target="_blank">Hexo</a>',
+      '<a href="https://hexo.io/" target="_blank" rel="external noopenner">Hexo</a>',
+      '3. External link with Other Attributes',
+      '<a class="img" href="https://hexo.io/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Hexo</a>',
+      '<a href="https://hexo.io/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" class="img">Hexo</a>',
+      '4. Internal link',
       '<a href="/archives/foo.html">Link</a>',
-      '3. Ignore links have "target" attribute',
+      '5. Ignore links have "target" attribute',
       '<a href="https://hexo.io/" target="_blank">Hexo</a>',
-      '4. Ignore links don\'t have "href" attribute',
+      '6. Ignore links don\'t have "href" attribute',
       '<a>Anchor</a>',
-      '5. Ignore links whose hostname is same as config',
+      '7. Ignore links whose hostname is same as config',
       '<a href="https://example.com">Example Domain</a>'
     ].join('\n'));
   });