diff --git a/WordPress/src/main/java/org/wordpress/android/ui/WPWebViewActivity.java b/WordPress/src/main/java/org/wordpress/android/ui/WPWebViewActivity.java
index cfe0b3bdd8c8..6a8251a7b784 100644
--- a/WordPress/src/main/java/org/wordpress/android/ui/WPWebViewActivity.java
+++ b/WordPress/src/main/java/org/wordpress/android/ui/WPWebViewActivity.java
@@ -348,8 +348,17 @@ private void initViewModel(WPWebViewUsageCategory webViewUsageCategory) {
         });
 
         mViewModel.getOpenExternalBrowser().observe(this, unit -> {
-            ReaderActivityLauncher.openUrl(WPWebViewActivity.this, mWebView.getUrl(),
-                    ReaderActivityLauncher.OpenUrlType.EXTERNAL);
+            // Prefer the currently loaded URL, but fall back to the requested URL when the page
+            // hasn't finished loading yet (mWebView.getUrl() is null before the first load).
+            String urlToOpen = mWebView.getUrl();
+            if (TextUtils.isEmpty(urlToOpen)) {
+                Bundle extras = getIntent().getExtras();
+                urlToOpen = extras != null ? extras.getString(URL_TO_LOAD) : null;
+            }
+            if (!TextUtils.isEmpty(urlToOpen)) {
+                ReaderActivityLauncher.openUrl(WPWebViewActivity.this, urlToOpen,
+                        ReaderActivityLauncher.OpenUrlType.EXTERNAL);
+            }
         });
 
         mViewModel.getPreviewModeSelector().observe(this, previewModelSelectorStatus -> {
diff --git a/WordPress/src/main/java/org/wordpress/android/ui/comments/CommentDetailFragment.java b/WordPress/src/main/java/org/wordpress/android/ui/comments/CommentDetailFragment.java
index f4f29c7ebb9b..3af314d15b01 100644
--- a/WordPress/src/main/java/org/wordpress/android/ui/comments/CommentDetailFragment.java
+++ b/WordPress/src/main/java/org/wordpress/android/ui/comments/CommentDetailFragment.java
@@ -831,7 +831,7 @@ private void showCommentWhenNonNull(
         updateStatusViews(binding, actionBinding, site, comment, note);
 
         // navigate to author's blog when avatar or name clicked
-        if (comment.getAuthorUrl() != null) {
+        if (!TextUtils.isEmpty(comment.getAuthorUrl())) {
             View.OnClickListener authorListener =
                     v -> ReaderActivityLauncher.openUrl(getActivity(), comment.getAuthorUrl());
             binding.imageAvatar.setOnClickListener(authorListener);