diff --git a/wp-includes/author-template.php b/wp-includes/author-template.php
index 7ca9d296f..da24590b2 100644
--- a/wp-includes/author-template.php
+++ b/wp-includes/author-template.php
@@ -80,6 +80,14 @@ function the_author_url() {
 	echo get_the_author_url();
 }
 
+function the_author_link() {
+	if (get_the_author_url()) {
+		echo '<a href="' . get_the_author_url() . '" title="' . sprintf(__("Visit %s's website"), get_the_author()) . '" rel="external">' . get_the_author() . '</a>';
+	} else {
+		the_author();
+	}
+}
+
 function get_the_author_icq() {
 	global $authordata;
 	return $authordata->icq;
@@ -126,14 +134,14 @@ function the_author_posts() {
 	echo get_the_author_posts();
 }
 
-/* the_author_posts_link() requires no get_, use get_author_link() */
+/* the_author_posts_link() requires no get_, use get_author_posts_url() */
 function the_author_posts_link($idmode='') {
 	global $authordata;
 
-	echo '<a href="' . get_author_link(0, $authordata->ID, $authordata->user_nicename) . '" title="' . sprintf(__("Posts by %s"), wp_specialchars(the_author($idmode, false))) . '">' . the_author($idmode, false) . '</a>';
+	echo '<a href="' . get_author_posts_url($authordata->ID, $authordata->user_nicename) . '" title="' . sprintf(__("Posts by %s"), wp_specialchars(the_author($idmode, false))) . '">' . the_author($idmode, false) . '</a>';
 }
 
-function get_author_link($echo = false, $author_id, $author_nicename = '') {
+function get_author_posts_url($author_id, $author_nicename = '') {
 	global $wpdb, $wp_rewrite, $post, $cache_userdata;
 	$auth_ID = $author_id;
 	$link = $wp_rewrite->get_author_permastruct();
@@ -153,8 +161,6 @@ function get_author_link($echo = false, $author_id, $author_nicename = '') {
 
 	$link = apply_filters('author_link', $link, $author_id, $author_nicename);
 
-	if ( $echo )
-		echo $link;
 	return $link;
 }
 
@@ -195,7 +201,7 @@ function wp_list_authors($args = '') {
 			if ( !$hide_empty )
 				$link = $name;
 		} else {
-			$link = '<a href="' . get_author_link(0, $author->ID, $author->user_nicename) . '" title="' . sprintf(__("Posts by %s"), wp_specialchars($author->display_name)) . '">' . $name . '</a>';
+			$link = '<a href="' . get_author_posts_url($author->ID, $author->user_nicename) . '" title="' . sprintf(__("Posts by %s"), wp_specialchars($author->display_name)) . '">' . $name . '</a>';
 
 			if ( (! empty($feed_image)) || (! empty($feed)) ) {
 				$link .= ' ';
diff --git a/wp-includes/deprecated.php b/wp-includes/deprecated.php
index 87c38bbe0..bba457adb 100644
--- a/wp-includes/deprecated.php
+++ b/wp-includes/deprecated.php
@@ -477,4 +477,13 @@ function get_archives($type='', $limit='', $format='html', $before = '', $after
 	return wp_get_archives($args);
 }
 
+// Deprecated. Use get_author_posts_url().
+function get_author_link($echo = false, $author_id, $author_nicename = '') {
+	$link = get_author_posts_link($author_id, $author_nicename);
+
+	if ( $echo )
+		echo $link;
+	return $link;
+}
+
 ?>