diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/app/lib/intercept-click.js b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/app/lib/intercept-click.js
index 62d91484ed9..0e7b33334af 100644
--- a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/app/lib/intercept-click.js
+++ b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/app/lib/intercept-click.js
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ export default function interceptClick(e) {
 
   if (
     !href ||
-    href === "#" ||
+    href.startsWith("#") ||
     currentTarget.getAttribute("target") ||
     currentTarget.dataset.emberAction ||
     currentTarget.dataset.autoRoute ||
diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/app/lib/static-route-builder.js b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/app/lib/static-route-builder.js
index bf5862a5db9..274e1e5186b 100644
--- a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/app/lib/static-route-builder.js
+++ b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/app/lib/static-route-builder.js
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-import DiscourseURL, { jumpToElement } from "discourse/lib/url";
+import DiscourseURL from "discourse/lib/url";
 import DiscourseRoute from "discourse/routes/discourse";
 import I18n from "I18n";
 import StaticPage from "discourse/models/static-page";
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ export default function (page) {
 
     activate() {
       this._super(...arguments);
-      jumpToElement(document.location.hash.slice(1));
+      DiscourseURL.jumpToElement(document.location.hash.slice(1));
     },
 
     model() {
diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/app/lib/url.js b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/app/lib/url.js
index 4fe557c9cc8..b41e3e5c432 100644
--- a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/app/lib/url.js
+++ b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/app/lib/url.js
@@ -73,29 +73,6 @@ let _jumpScheduled = false;
 let _transitioning = false;
 let lockOn = null;
 
-export function jumpToElement(elementId) {
-  if (_jumpScheduled || isEmpty(elementId)) {
-    return;
-  }
-
-  const selector = `#main #${elementId}, a[name=${elementId}]`;
-  _jumpScheduled = true;
-
-  schedule("afterRender", function () {
-    if (lockOn) {
-      lockOn.clearLock();
-    }
-
-    lockOn = new LockOn(selector, {
-      finished() {
-        _jumpScheduled = false;
-        lockOn = null;
-      },
-    });
-    lockOn.lock();
-  });
-}
-
 const DiscourseURL = EmberObject.extend({
   isJumpScheduled() {
     return _transitioning || _jumpScheduled;
@@ -237,8 +214,8 @@ const DiscourseURL = EmberObject.extend({
     // Scroll to the same page, different anchor
     const m = /^#(.+)$/.exec(path);
     if (m) {
-      jumpToElement(m[1]);
-      return this.replaceState(path);
+      this.jumpToElement(m[1]);
+      return;
     }
 
     const oldPath = this.router.currentURL;
@@ -479,9 +456,33 @@ const DiscourseURL = EmberObject.extend({
     transition._discourse_original_url = path;
 
     const promise = transition.promise || transition;
-    promise.then(() => jumpToElement(elementId));
+    promise.then(() => this.jumpToElement(elementId));
+  },
+
+  jumpToElement(elementId) {
+    if (_jumpScheduled || isEmpty(elementId)) {
+      return;
+    }
+
+    const selector = `#main #${elementId}, a[name=${elementId}]`;
+    _jumpScheduled = true;
+
+    schedule("afterRender", function () {
+      if (lockOn) {
+        lockOn.clearLock();
+      }
+
+      lockOn = new LockOn(selector, {
+        finished() {
+          _jumpScheduled = false;
+          lockOn = null;
+        },
+      });
+      lockOn.lock();
+    });
   },
 });
+
 let _urlInstance = DiscourseURL.create();
 
 export function setURLContainer(container) {
diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/tests/unit/lib/url-test.js b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/tests/unit/lib/url-test.js
index e70e65b42ce..632e5435977 100644
--- a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/tests/unit/lib/url-test.js
+++ b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/tests/unit/lib/url-test.js
@@ -153,4 +153,13 @@ module("Unit | Utility | url", function () {
       )
     );
   });
+
+  test("anchor handling", async function (assert) {
+    sinon.stub(DiscourseURL, "jumpToElement");
+    DiscourseURL.routeTo("#heading1");
+    assert.ok(
+      DiscourseURL.jumpToElement.calledWith("heading1"),
+      "in-page anchors call jumpToElement"
+    );
+  });
 });