diff --git a/extensions/markdown-language-features/src/languageFeatures/references.ts b/extensions/markdown-language-features/src/languageFeatures/references.ts
index d65a9b901e4..3b4ca16a074 100644
--- a/extensions/markdown-language-features/src/languageFeatures/references.ts
+++ b/extensions/markdown-language-features/src/languageFeatures/references.ts
@@ -9,17 +9,10 @@ import { Slugifier } from '../slugify';
 import { TableOfContents, TocEntry } from '../tableOfContents';
 import { Disposable } from '../util/dispose';
 import { MdWorkspaceContents, SkinnyTextDocument } from '../workspaceContents';
-import { InternalHref, LinkHref, MdLink, MdLinkProvider } from './documentLinkProvider';
+import { InternalHref, MdLink, MdLinkProvider } from './documentLinkProvider';
 import { MdWorkspaceCache } from './workspaceCache';
 
 
-function isLinkToHeader(target: LinkHref, header: TocEntry, headerDocument: vscode.Uri, slugifier: Slugifier): target is InternalHref {
-	return target.kind === 'internal'
-		&& target.path.fsPath === headerDocument.fsPath
-		&& slugifier.fromHeading(target.fragment).value === header.slug.value;
-}
-
-
 /**
  * A link in a markdown file.
  */
@@ -121,15 +114,10 @@ export class MdReferencesProvider extends Disposable implements vscode.Reference
 		});
 
 		for (const link of links) {
-			if (isLinkToHeader(link.href, header, document.uri, this.slugifier)) {
-				references.push({
-					kind: 'link',
-					isTriggerLocation: false,
-					isDefinition: false,
-					location: new vscode.Location(link.sourceResource, link.sourceRange),
-					fragmentLocation: getFragmentLocation(link),
-				});
-			} else if (link.kind === 'definition' && isLinkToHeader(link.href, header, document.uri, this.slugifier)) {
+			if (link.href.kind === 'internal'
+				&& this.looksLikeLinkToDoc(link.href, document)
+				&& this.slugifier.fromHeading(link.href.fragment).value === header.slug.value
+			) {
 				references.push({
 					kind: 'link',
 					isTriggerLocation: false,
@@ -194,10 +182,7 @@ export class MdReferencesProvider extends Disposable implements vscode.Reference
 				continue;
 			}
 
-			const matchesFilePart = link.href.path.fsPath === targetDoc.uri.fsPath
-				|| uri.Utils.extname(link.href.path) === '' && link.href.path.with({ path: link.href.path.path + '.md' }).fsPath === targetDoc.uri.fsPath;
-
-			if (!matchesFilePart) {
+			if (!this.looksLikeLinkToDoc(link.href, targetDoc)) {
 				continue;
 			}
 
@@ -231,6 +216,11 @@ export class MdReferencesProvider extends Disposable implements vscode.Reference
 		return references;
 	}
 
+	private looksLikeLinkToDoc(href: InternalHref, targetDoc: SkinnyTextDocument) {
+		return href.path.fsPath === targetDoc.uri.fsPath
+			|| uri.Utils.extname(href.path) === '' && href.path.with({ path: href.path.path + '.md' }).fsPath === targetDoc.uri.fsPath;
+	}
+
 	private * getReferencesToReferenceLink(allLinks: Iterable<MdLink>, sourceLink: MdLink): Iterable<MdReference> {
 		if (sourceLink.href.kind !== 'reference') {
 			return;
diff --git a/extensions/markdown-language-features/src/test/references.test.ts b/extensions/markdown-language-features/src/test/references.test.ts
index 0a563e07129..4c100aac9bd 100644
--- a/extensions/markdown-language-features/src/test/references.test.ts
+++ b/extensions/markdown-language-features/src/test/references.test.ts
@@ -215,6 +215,37 @@ suite('markdown: find all references', () => {
 		);
 	});
 
+	test('Should find references without requiring file extensions', async () => {
+		const docUri = workspacePath('doc.md');
+		const other1Uri = workspacePath('other.md');
+
+		const doc = new InMemoryDocument(docUri, joinLines(
+			`# a B c`,
+			``,
+			`[link 1](#a-b-c)`,
+		));
+		const refs = await getReferences(doc, new vscode.Position(2, 10), new InMemoryWorkspaceMarkdownDocuments([
+			doc,
+			new InMemoryDocument(other1Uri, joinLines(
+				`[not link](#a-b-c)`,
+				`[not link](/doc.md#a-b-z)`,
+				`[with ext](/doc.md#a-b-c)`,
+				`[without ext](/doc#a-b-c)`,
+				`[rel with ext](./doc.md#a-b-c)`,
+				`[rel without ext](./doc#a-b-c)`,
+			)),
+		]));
+
+		assertReferencesEqual(refs!,
+			{ uri: docUri, line: 0 }, // Header definition
+			{ uri: docUri, line: 2 },
+			{ uri: other1Uri, line: 2 }, // Other with ext
+			{ uri: other1Uri, line: 3 }, // Other without ext
+			{ uri: other1Uri, line: 4 }, // Other relative link with ext
+			{ uri: other1Uri, line: 5 }, // Other relative link without ext
+		);
+	});
+
 	test('Should find references from link across files when triggered on link without file extension', async () => {
 		const docUri = workspacePath('doc.md');
 		const other1Uri = workspacePath('sub', 'other.md');
diff --git a/extensions/markdown-language-features/src/test/rename.test.ts b/extensions/markdown-language-features/src/test/rename.test.ts
index b73e3908478..69cd3e8e668 100644
--- a/extensions/markdown-language-features/src/test/rename.test.ts
+++ b/extensions/markdown-language-features/src/test/rename.test.ts
@@ -149,4 +149,62 @@ suite('markdown: rename', () => {
 			]
 		});
 	});
+
+	test('Rename on header should pick up links across files', async () => {
+		const uri = workspacePath('doc.md');
+		const otherUri = workspacePath('other.md');
+		const doc = new InMemoryDocument(uri, joinLines(
+			`### A b C`, // rename here
+			`[text](#a-b-c)`,
+		));
+
+		const edit = await getRenameEdits(doc, new vscode.Position(0, 0), "New Header", new InMemoryWorkspaceMarkdownDocuments([
+			doc,
+			new InMemoryDocument(otherUri, joinLines(
+				`[text](#a-b-c)`, // Should not find this
+				`[text](./doc.md#a-b-c)`, // But should find this
+				`[text](./doc#a-b-c)`, // And this
+			))
+		]));
+		assertEditsEqual(edit!, {
+			uri: uri, edits: [
+				new vscode.TextEdit(new vscode.Range(0, 4, 0, 9), 'New Header'),
+				new vscode.TextEdit(new vscode.Range(1, 8, 1, 13), 'new-header'),
+			]
+		}, {
+			uri: otherUri, edits: [
+				new vscode.TextEdit(new vscode.Range(1, 16, 1, 21), 'new-header'),
+				new vscode.TextEdit(new vscode.Range(2, 13, 2, 18), 'new-header'),
+			]
+		});
+	});
+
+	test('Rename on link should pick up links across files', async () => {
+		const uri = workspacePath('doc.md');
+		const otherUri = workspacePath('other.md');
+		const doc = new InMemoryDocument(uri, joinLines(
+			`### A b C`,
+			`[text](#a-b-c)`,  // rename here
+		));
+
+		const edit = await getRenameEdits(doc, new vscode.Position(1, 10), "New Header", new InMemoryWorkspaceMarkdownDocuments([
+			doc,
+			new InMemoryDocument(otherUri, joinLines(
+				`[text](#a-b-c)`, // Should not find this
+				`[text](./doc.md#a-b-c)`, // But should find this
+				`[text](./doc#a-b-c)`, // And this
+			))
+		]));
+		assertEditsEqual(edit!, {
+			uri: uri, edits: [
+				new vscode.TextEdit(new vscode.Range(0, 4, 0, 9), 'New Header'),
+				new vscode.TextEdit(new vscode.Range(1, 8, 1, 13), 'new-header'),
+			]
+		}, {
+			uri: otherUri, edits: [
+				new vscode.TextEdit(new vscode.Range(1, 16, 1, 21), 'new-header'),
+				new vscode.TextEdit(new vscode.Range(2, 13, 2, 18), 'new-header'),
+			]
+		});
+	});
 });