diff --git a/kallithea/templates/files/files_browser.html b/kallithea/templates/files/files_browser.html
--- a/kallithea/templates/files/files_browser.html
+++ b/kallithea/templates/files/files_browser.html
@@ -72,7 +72,7 @@
             %for cnt,node in enumerate(c.file):
                 <tr class="parity${cnt%2}">
                      <td>
-                         ${h.link_to(file_name(node),file_url(node,c),class_=file_class(node)+(" ypjax-link" if not node.is_submodule() else ""))}
+                         ${h.link_to(file_name(node),file_url(node,c),class_=file_class(node)+(" ypjax-link" if not node.is_submodule() else ""), target_="_blank" if node.is_submodule() else None)}
                      </td>
                      <td>
                      %if node.is_file():
diff --git a/kallithea/tests/other/test_vcs_operations.py b/kallithea/tests/other/test_vcs_operations.py
--- a/kallithea/tests/other/test_vcs_operations.py
+++ b/kallithea/tests/other/test_vcs_operations.py
@@ -688,7 +688,7 @@ class TestVCSOperations(TestController):
                                     repo_name=fork_name,
                                     revision='tip',
                                     f_path='/'))
-        response.mustcontain('<a class="submodule-dir" href="%s"><i class="icon-file-submodule"></i><span>testsubmodule @ ' % clone_url)
+        response.mustcontain('<a class="submodule-dir" href="%s" target="_blank"><i class="icon-file-submodule"></i><span>testsubmodule @ ' % clone_url)
 
         # check that following a submodule link actually works - and redirects
         response = self.app.get(url(controller='files', action='index',