diff --git a/hugolib/embedded_templates_test.go b/hugolib/embedded_templates_test.go
index 5e76c0ff8..b40d77dc4 100644
--- a/hugolib/embedded_templates_test.go
+++ b/hugolib/embedded_templates_test.go
@@ -152,8 +152,8 @@ func TestEmbeddedPaginationTemplate(t *testing.T) {
 		b.AssertFileContent("public/index.html", expectedOutput)
 	}
 
-	expectedOutputDefaultFormat := "Pager 1\n    <ul class=\"pagination pagination-default\">\n      <li class=\"page-item disabled\">\n        <a href=\"#\" aria-disabled=\"true\" aria-label=\"First\" class=\"page-link\" role=\"button\" tabindex=\"-1\"><span aria-hidden=\"true\">&laquo;&laquo;</span></a>\n      </li>\n      <li class=\"page-item disabled\">\n        <a href=\"#\" aria-disabled=\"true\" aria-label=\"Previous\" class=\"page-link\" role=\"button\" tabindex=\"-1\"><span aria-hidden=\"true\">&laquo;</span></a>\n      </li>\n      <li class=\"page-item active\">\n        <a href=\"#\" aria-current=\"page\" aria-label=\"Page 1\" class=\"page-link\" role=\"button\">1</a>\n      </li>\n      <li class=\"page-item\">\n        <a href=\"/page/2/\" aria-label=\"Page 2\" class=\"page-link\" role=\"button\">2</a>\n      </li>\n      <li class=\"page-item\">\n        <a href=\"/page/3/\" aria-label=\"Page 3\" class=\"page-link\" role=\"button\">3</a>\n      </li>\n      <li class=\"page-item\">\n        <a href=\"/page/4/\" aria-label=\"Page 4\" class=\"page-link\" role=\"button\">4</a>\n      </li>\n      <li class=\"page-item\">\n        <a href=\"/page/5/\" aria-label=\"Page 5\" class=\"page-link\" role=\"button\">5</a>\n      </li>\n      <li class=\"page-item\">\n        <a href=\"/page/2/\" aria-label=\"Next\" class=\"page-link\" role=\"button\"><span aria-hidden=\"true\">&raquo;</span></a>\n      </li>\n      <li class=\"page-item\">\n        <a href=\"/page/10/\" aria-label=\"Last\" class=\"page-link\" role=\"button\"><span aria-hidden=\"true\">&raquo;&raquo;</span></a>\n      </li>\n    </ul>"
-	expectedOutputTerseFormat := "Pager 1\n    <ul class=\"pagination pagination-terse\">\n      <li class=\"page-item active\">\n        <a href=\"#\" aria-current=\"page\" aria-label=\"Page 1\" class=\"page-link\" role=\"button\">1</a>\n      </li>\n      <li class=\"page-item\">\n        <a href=\"/page/2/\" aria-label=\"Page 2\" class=\"page-link\" role=\"button\">2</a>\n      </li>\n      <li class=\"page-item\">\n        <a href=\"/page/3/\" aria-label=\"Page 3\" class=\"page-link\" role=\"button\">3</a>\n      </li>\n      <li class=\"page-item\">\n        <a href=\"/page/2/\" aria-label=\"Next\" class=\"page-link\" role=\"button\"><span aria-hidden=\"true\">&raquo;</span></a>\n      </li>\n      <li class=\"page-item\">\n        <a href=\"/page/10/\" aria-label=\"Last\" class=\"page-link\" role=\"button\"><span aria-hidden=\"true\">&raquo;&raquo;</span></a>\n      </li>\n    </ul>"
+	expectedOutputDefaultFormat := "Pager 1\n    <ul class=\"pagination pagination-default\">\n      <li class=\"page-item disabled\">\n        <a aria-disabled=\"true\" aria-label=\"First\" class=\"page-link\" role=\"button\" tabindex=\"-1\"><span aria-hidden=\"true\">&laquo;&laquo;</span></a>\n      </li>\n      <li class=\"page-item disabled\">\n        <a aria-disabled=\"true\" aria-label=\"Previous\" class=\"page-link\" role=\"button\" tabindex=\"-1\"><span aria-hidden=\"true\">&laquo;</span></a>\n      </li>\n      <li class=\"page-item active\">\n        <a aria-current=\"page\" aria-label=\"Page 1\" class=\"page-link\" role=\"button\">1</a>\n      </li>\n      <li class=\"page-item\">\n        <a href=\"/page/2/\" aria-label=\"Page 2\" class=\"page-link\" role=\"button\">2</a>\n      </li>\n      <li class=\"page-item\">\n        <a href=\"/page/3/\" aria-label=\"Page 3\" class=\"page-link\" role=\"button\">3</a>\n      </li>\n      <li class=\"page-item\">\n        <a href=\"/page/4/\" aria-label=\"Page 4\" class=\"page-link\" role=\"button\">4</a>\n      </li>\n      <li class=\"page-item\">\n        <a href=\"/page/5/\" aria-label=\"Page 5\" class=\"page-link\" role=\"button\">5</a>\n      </li>\n      <li class=\"page-item\">\n        <a href=\"/page/2/\" aria-label=\"Next\" class=\"page-link\" role=\"button\"><span aria-hidden=\"true\">&raquo;</span></a>\n      </li>\n      <li class=\"page-item\">\n        <a href=\"/page/10/\" aria-label=\"Last\" class=\"page-link\" role=\"button\"><span aria-hidden=\"true\">&raquo;&raquo;</span></a>\n      </li>\n    </ul>"
+	expectedOutputTerseFormat := "Pager 1\n    <ul class=\"pagination pagination-terse\">\n      <li class=\"page-item active\">\n        <a aria-current=\"page\" aria-label=\"Page 1\" class=\"page-link\" role=\"button\">1</a>\n      </li>\n      <li class=\"page-item\">\n        <a href=\"/page/2/\" aria-label=\"Page 2\" class=\"page-link\" role=\"button\">2</a>\n      </li>\n      <li class=\"page-item\">\n        <a href=\"/page/3/\" aria-label=\"Page 3\" class=\"page-link\" role=\"button\">3</a>\n      </li>\n      <li class=\"page-item\">\n        <a href=\"/page/2/\" aria-label=\"Next\" class=\"page-link\" role=\"button\"><span aria-hidden=\"true\">&raquo;</span></a>\n      </li>\n      <li class=\"page-item\">\n        <a href=\"/page/10/\" aria-label=\"Last\" class=\"page-link\" role=\"button\"><span aria-hidden=\"true\">&raquo;&raquo;</span></a>\n      </li>\n    </ul>"
 
 	variant := `{{ template "_internal/pagination.html" . }}`
 	test(variant, expectedOutputDefaultFormat)
diff --git a/tpl/tplimpl/embedded/templates.autogen.go b/tpl/tplimpl/embedded/templates.autogen.go
index 33062ba06..61a5e856e 100644
--- a/tpl/tplimpl/embedded/templates.autogen.go
+++ b/tpl/tplimpl/embedded/templates.autogen.go
@@ -294,7 +294,7 @@ if (!doNotTrack) {
       </li>
       {{- else }}
       <li class="page-item disabled">
-        <a href="#" aria-disabled="true" aria-label="First" class="page-link" role="button" tabindex="-1"><span aria-hidden="true">&laquo;&laquo;</span></a>
+        <a aria-disabled="true" aria-label="First" class="page-link" role="button" tabindex="-1"><span aria-hidden="true">&laquo;&laquo;</span></a>
       </li>
       {{- end }}
     {{- end }}
@@ -305,7 +305,7 @@ if (!doNotTrack) {
       </li>
     {{- else }}
       <li class="page-item disabled">
-        <a href="#" aria-disabled="true" aria-label="Previous" class="page-link" role="button" tabindex="-1"><span aria-hidden="true">&laquo;</span></a>
+        <a aria-disabled="true" aria-label="Previous" class="page-link" role="button" tabindex="-1"><span aria-hidden="true">&laquo;</span></a>
       </li>
     {{- end }}
 
@@ -319,7 +319,7 @@ if (!doNotTrack) {
     {{- range $k := seq $start $end }}
       {{- if eq $.Paginator.PageNumber $k }}
       <li class="page-item active">
-        <a href="#" aria-current="page" aria-label="Page {{ $k }}" class="page-link" role="button">{{ $k }}</a>
+        <a aria-current="page" aria-label="Page {{ $k }}" class="page-link" role="button">{{ $k }}</a>
       </li>
       {{- else }}
       <li class="page-item">
@@ -334,7 +334,7 @@ if (!doNotTrack) {
       </li>
     {{- else }}
       <li class="page-item disabled">
-        <a href="#" aria-disabled="true" aria-label="Next" class="page-link" role="button" tabindex="-1"><span aria-hidden="true">&raquo;</span></a>
+        <a aria-disabled="true" aria-label="Next" class="page-link" role="button" tabindex="-1"><span aria-hidden="true">&raquo;</span></a>
       </li>
     {{- end }}
 
@@ -345,7 +345,7 @@ if (!doNotTrack) {
       </li>
       {{- else }}
       <li class="page-item disabled">
-        <a href="#" aria-disabled="true" aria-label="Last" class="page-link" role="button" tabindex="-1"><span aria-hidden="true">&raquo;&raquo;</span></a>
+        <a aria-disabled="true" aria-label="Last" class="page-link" role="button" tabindex="-1"><span aria-hidden="true">&raquo;&raquo;</span></a>
       </li>
       {{- end }}
     {{- end }}
@@ -382,7 +382,7 @@ if (!doNotTrack) {
     {{- range $k := seq $start $end }}
       {{- if eq $.Paginator.PageNumber $k }}
       <li class="page-item active">
-        <a href="#" aria-current="page" aria-label="Page {{ $k }}" class="page-link" role="button">{{ $k }}</a>
+        <a aria-current="page" aria-label="Page {{ $k }}" class="page-link" role="button">{{ $k }}</a>
       </li>
       {{- else }}
       <li class="page-item">
diff --git a/tpl/tplimpl/embedded/templates/pagination.html b/tpl/tplimpl/embedded/templates/pagination.html
index 40894a5c5..717797ab2 100644
--- a/tpl/tplimpl/embedded/templates/pagination.html
+++ b/tpl/tplimpl/embedded/templates/pagination.html
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@
       </li>
       {{- else }}
       <li class="page-item disabled">
-        <a href="#" aria-disabled="true" aria-label="First" class="page-link" role="button" tabindex="-1"><span aria-hidden="true">&laquo;&laquo;</span></a>
+        <a aria-disabled="true" aria-label="First" class="page-link" role="button" tabindex="-1"><span aria-hidden="true">&laquo;&laquo;</span></a>
       </li>
       {{- end }}
     {{- end }}
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@
       </li>
     {{- else }}
       <li class="page-item disabled">
-        <a href="#" aria-disabled="true" aria-label="Previous" class="page-link" role="button" tabindex="-1"><span aria-hidden="true">&laquo;</span></a>
+        <a aria-disabled="true" aria-label="Previous" class="page-link" role="button" tabindex="-1"><span aria-hidden="true">&laquo;</span></a>
       </li>
     {{- end }}
 
@@ -65,7 +65,7 @@
     {{- range $k := seq $start $end }}
       {{- if eq $.Paginator.PageNumber $k }}
       <li class="page-item active">
-        <a href="#" aria-current="page" aria-label="Page {{ $k }}" class="page-link" role="button">{{ $k }}</a>
+        <a aria-current="page" aria-label="Page {{ $k }}" class="page-link" role="button">{{ $k }}</a>
       </li>
       {{- else }}
       <li class="page-item">
@@ -80,7 +80,7 @@
       </li>
     {{- else }}
       <li class="page-item disabled">
-        <a href="#" aria-disabled="true" aria-label="Next" class="page-link" role="button" tabindex="-1"><span aria-hidden="true">&raquo;</span></a>
+        <a aria-disabled="true" aria-label="Next" class="page-link" role="button" tabindex="-1"><span aria-hidden="true">&raquo;</span></a>
       </li>
     {{- end }}
 
@@ -91,7 +91,7 @@
       </li>
       {{- else }}
       <li class="page-item disabled">
-        <a href="#" aria-disabled="true" aria-label="Last" class="page-link" role="button" tabindex="-1"><span aria-hidden="true">&raquo;&raquo;</span></a>
+        <a aria-disabled="true" aria-label="Last" class="page-link" role="button" tabindex="-1"><span aria-hidden="true">&raquo;&raquo;</span></a>
       </li>
       {{- end }}
     {{- end }}
@@ -128,7 +128,7 @@
     {{- range $k := seq $start $end }}
       {{- if eq $.Paginator.PageNumber $k }}
       <li class="page-item active">
-        <a href="#" aria-current="page" aria-label="Page {{ $k }}" class="page-link" role="button">{{ $k }}</a>
+        <a aria-current="page" aria-label="Page {{ $k }}" class="page-link" role="button">{{ $k }}</a>
       </li>
       {{- else }}
       <li class="page-item">