diff --git a/src/lib/editor/extensions/CLAUDE.md b/src/lib/editor/extensions/CLAUDE.md
index 92e6dad..9b6d78d 100644
--- a/src/lib/editor/extensions/CLAUDE.md
+++ b/src/lib/editor/extensions/CLAUDE.md
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ Five topics are large enough to have their own deep-dive — read the file befor
 - **`pageBreak.ts`** — the text-flow attrs of a paragraph/heading: `breakBefore: 'page'`, plus `keepNext`/`keepLines` (see `docs/architecture/pagination.md`). Owns `Mod-Enter`.
 - **`formattingMarks.ts`** (`FormattingMarks`) — decorations marking spaces (`·`) and tabs (`→`) when `.paper.show-formatting-marks` is set.
 - **`bulletList.ts`** / **`orderedList.ts`** — the TipTap lists plus a marker-type attr: `setBulletChar` (innermost list, `null` = default cycle) and the ordered numbering cycle (`utils/orderedListTypes.ts`, multilevel targets the outermost list).
-- **`link.ts`** — hyperlink mark; owns `Mod-k`, which fires the event `Toolbar.svelte` listens for to open the link dialog. A `#name` href targets a bookmark: `Editor.svelte`'s `handleClick` scrolls to it instead of opening a tab.
+- **`link.ts`** — hyperlink mark; owns `Mod-k`, which fires the event `Toolbar.svelte` listens for to open the link dialog. A `#name` href targets a bookmark: `Editor.svelte`'s `handleClick` scrolls to it instead of opening a tab. The `plain` attr (`data-plain`, `editor.css`) suppresses the editor's own blue: Word paints a link through its **Hyperlink character style**, which arrives as an ordinary mark, so every DOCX link is plain and one carrying no style is drawn like the text around it — while LibreOffice paints every ODF `text:a` styled or not (probed), so those never are. The DOCX exporter paints `#0563C1` only on a non-plain link, which is how a round trip tells its own links from a file's.
 - **`bookmark.ts`** / **`crossReference.ts`** — a named range of text (a mark) and the live references to it (`REF`/`PAGEREF`). `ToolbarExpanded.svelte` owns both dialogs, as it does the link one.
 - **`searchReplace.ts`** — Find & Replace: decorations highlight all matches, commands navigate/replace. Touches the document only for actual replacements.
 - **`spellCheck.ts`** — decorations from `spell/controller.ts`; `spellErrorAt` feeds the context menu.
diff --git a/src/lib/editor/extensions/link.ts b/src/lib/editor/extensions/link.ts
index 52baa13..6cf834f 100644
--- a/src/lib/editor/extensions/link.ts
+++ b/src/lib/editor/extensions/link.ts
@@ -15,6 +15,19 @@ export const Link = LinkBase.configure({
   defaultProtocol: 'https',
   HTMLAttributes: { rel: 'noopener noreferrer nofollow', target: '_blank' },
 }).extend({
+  addAttributes() {
+    return {
+      ...this.parent?.(),
+      // A link a file gives no look of its own (Word writes the blue as a character
+      // style, so a run without one is drawn like the text around it). ODF has no such
+      // link: LibreOffice paints every text:a, styled or not — probed.
+      plain: {
+        default: false,
+        parseHTML: (el: HTMLElement) => el.hasAttribute('data-plain'),
+        renderHTML: (attrs: Record<string, unknown>) => (attrs.plain ? { 'data-plain': '' } : {}),
+      },
+    };
+  },
   addKeyboardShortcuts() {
     return {
       [DEFAULT_SHORTCUTS.link]: () => {
diff --git a/src/lib/export/docx.ts b/src/lib/export/docx.ts
index 99924c8..88818e6 100644
--- a/src/lib/export/docx.ts
+++ b/src/lib/export/docx.ts
@@ -261,8 +261,9 @@ function runPropsFromMarks(marks: TiptapNode['marks'] = [], force: TextProps = {
     const h = hexColor(String(hl.attrs.color));
     if (h) props.shading = { type: ShadingType.CLEAR, fill: h };
   }
-  // Visible hyperlink styling (the ExternalHyperlink wrapper carries the target).
-  if (markPresent(marks, 'link')) {
+  // Visible hyperlink styling (the ExternalHyperlink wrapper carries the target), unless
+  // the link came in without one — Word draws those like the text around them.
+  if (marks?.some((m) => m.type === 'link' && !m.attrs?.plain)) {
     if (!props.color) props.color = '0563C1';
     if (!props.underline) props.underline = { type: UnderlineType.SINGLE };
   }
diff --git a/src/lib/import/docx.ts b/src/lib/import/docx.ts
index 49630f8..8bfaaeb 100644
--- a/src/lib/import/docx.ts
+++ b/src/lib/import/docx.ts
@@ -1024,7 +1024,13 @@ function convertInline(p: Element, ctx: Ctx, baseRun: RunProps, defaults: BlockD
       ctx.usedCharStyles.add(charId!);
       marks.push({ type: 'charStyle', attrs: { name: charName } });
     }
-    if (linkHref) marks.push({ type: 'link', attrs: { href: linkHref } });
+    if (linkHref) {
+      // Word never paints a hyperlink for being one: the blue is its Hyperlink character
+      // style, which arrives as an ordinary run mark, so the editor must add nothing of
+      // its own. Only our exporter's blue is an editor link — it is stripped above.
+      const ours = hexColor(props.color)?.toUpperCase() === LINK_BLUE;
+      marks.push({ type: 'link', attrs: { href: linkHref, plain: !ours } });
+    }
     return marks;
   };
 
diff --git a/src/styles/editor.css b/src/styles/editor.css
index 062f211..f617e37 100644
--- a/src/styles/editor.css
+++ b/src/styles/editor.css
@@ -192,10 +192,17 @@
 }
 
 /* Hyperlinks (link.ts). Ctrl/Cmd+click opens them (Editor.svelte). */
+/* The browser's own link colour is off first: a link Word left unstyled is drawn like the
+   text around it, since there the blue is a character style, not a property of being a
+   link (link.ts). Every other link — ODF paints them all — takes the visual back. */
 .paper .tiptap a {
+  color: inherit;
+  text-decoration: none;
+  cursor: text;
+}
+.paper .tiptap a:not([data-plain]) {
   color: #1a56db;
   text-decoration: underline;
-  cursor: text;
 }
 
 /* Find & Replace match highlights (searchReplace.ts); current match is stronger. */
diff --git a/tests/unit/link-plain.test.ts b/tests/unit/link-plain.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..a57bace
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/unit/link-plain.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,27 @@
+import { describe, it, expect } from 'vitest';
+import { importDocx } from '../../src/lib/import/docx';
+import { buildDocx } from '../../src/lib/export/docx';
+
+// Word paints a hyperlink through its Hyperlink character style, so a run carrying none
+// is drawn like the text around it. `plain` carries that; ODF links are never plain
+// (LibreOffice paints every text:a — probed).
+type N = { type: string; attrs?: any; content?: N[]; marks?: any[]; text?: string };
+
+function texts(node: N, out: N[] = []): N[] {
+  if (node.type === 'text') out.push(node);
+  for (const c of node.content ?? []) texts(c, out);
+  return out;
+}
+
+describe('an editor link round-trips as an editor link', () => {
+  it('keeps its blue through DOCX', async () => {
+    const doc: N = { type: 'doc', content: [{ type: 'paragraph', content: [
+      { type: 'text', text: 'site', marks: [{ type: 'link', attrs: { href: 'https://example.com' } }] },
+    ] }] };
+    const bytes = await buildDocx(doc as any, { top: 2, bottom: 2, left: 2, right: 2 }, 'portrait');
+    const back = importDocx(bytes).content as unknown as N;
+    const link = texts(back)[0]?.marks?.find((m: any) => m.type === 'link');
+    expect(link?.attrs.href).toBe('https://example.com');
+    expect(link?.attrs.plain).toBe(false);
+  });
+});