diff --git a/r2/r2/lib/pages/pages.py b/r2/r2/lib/pages/pages.py
index b6901bf56..28a5bf70f 100644
--- a/r2/r2/lib/pages/pages.py
+++ b/r2/r2/lib/pages/pages.py
@@ -1447,6 +1447,7 @@ class UserText(Wrapped):
                  editable = False,
                  creating = False,
                  nofollow = False,
+                 target = None,
                  display = True,
                  post_form = 'editusertext',
                  cloneable = False,
@@ -1465,6 +1466,7 @@ class UserText(Wrapped):
                          editable = editable,
                          creating = creating,
                          nofollow = nofollow,
+                         target = target,
                          display = display,
                          post_form = post_form,
                          cloneable = cloneable,
diff --git a/r2/r2/models/link.py b/r2/r2/models/link.py
index c0e33375e..865ac5135 100644
--- a/r2/r2/models/link.py
+++ b/r2/r2/models/link.py
@@ -573,9 +573,8 @@ class Comment(Thing, Printable):
 
             extra_css = ''
             if item._deleted:
-                if c.user_is_admin:
-                    extra_css += "grayed"
-                else:
+                extra_css += "grayed"
+                if not c.user_is_admin:
                     item.author = DeletedUser()
                     item.body = '[deleted]'
 
@@ -606,6 +605,7 @@ class Comment(Thing, Printable):
             item.usertext = UserText(item, item.body,
                                      editable = item.author == c.user,
                                      nofollow = item.nofollow,
+                                     target = item.target,
                                      extra_css = extra_css)
 class StarkComment(Comment):
     """Render class for the comments in the top-comments display in
diff --git a/r2/r2/templates/usertext.html b/r2/r2/templates/usertext.html
index df075784b..ed5cdf634 100644
--- a/r2/r2/templates/usertext.html
+++ b/r2/r2/templates/usertext.html
@@ -49,7 +49,8 @@
 
   %if not thing.creating:
     <div class="usertext-body">
-      ${unsafe(safemarkdown(thing.text, nofollow = thing.nofollow))}
+      ${unsafe(safemarkdown(thing.text, nofollow = thing.nofollow,
+                                        target = thing.target))}
     </div>
   %endif