diff --git a/src/lib/svg_text_utils.js b/src/lib/svg_text_utils.js
index 33e9d59bb9d..922c4b0213e 100644
--- a/src/lib/svg_text_utils.js
+++ b/src/lib/svg_text_utils.js
@@ -95,8 +95,11 @@ util.convertToTspans = function(_context, _callback) {
                 visibility: 'visible',
                 'white-space': 'pre'
             });
+
         result = _context.appendSVG(converted);
+
         if(!result) _context.text(str);
+
         if(_context.select('a').size()) {
             // at least in Chrome, pointer-events does not seem
             // to be honored in children of <text> elements
@@ -246,6 +249,7 @@ function convertToSVG(_str) {
             var match = d.match(/<(\/?)([^ >]*)\s*(.*)>/i),
                 tag = match && match[2].toLowerCase(),
                 style = TAG_STYLES[tag];
+
             if(style !== undefined) {
                 var close = match[1],
                     extra = match[3],
@@ -263,12 +267,18 @@ function convertToSVG(_str) {
                     if(close) return '</a>';
                     else if(extra.substr(0, 4).toLowerCase() !== 'href') return '<a>';
                     else {
-                        var dummyAnchor = document.createElement('a');
-                        dummyAnchor.href = extra.substr(4).replace(/["'=]/g, '');
+                        // remove quotes, leading '=', replace '&' with '&amp;'
+                        var href = extra.substr(4)
+                            .replace(/["']/g, '')
+                            .replace(/=/, '')
+                            .replace(/&/g, '&amp;');
 
+                        // check protocol
+                        var dummyAnchor = document.createElement('a');
+                        dummyAnchor.href = href;
                         if(PROTOCOLS.indexOf(dummyAnchor.protocol) === -1) return '<a>';
 
-                        return '<a xlink:show="new" xlink:href' + extra.substr(4) + '>';
+                        return '<a xlink:show="new" xlink:href="' + href + '">';
                     }
                 }
                 else if(tag === 'br') return '<br>';
diff --git a/test/jasmine/tests/svg_text_utils_test.js b/test/jasmine/tests/svg_text_utils_test.js
index ef7e4e190cb..6d11560a105 100644
--- a/test/jasmine/tests/svg_text_utils_test.js
+++ b/test/jasmine/tests/svg_text_utils_test.js
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ var util = require('@src/lib/svg_text_utils');
 describe('svg+text utils', function() {
     'use strict';
 
-    describe('convertToTspans', function() {
+    describe('convertToTspans should', function() {
 
         function mockTextSVGElement(txt) {
             return d3.select('body')
@@ -14,56 +14,125 @@ describe('svg+text utils', function() {
                 .attr('id', 'text')
                 .append('text')
                 .text(txt)
-                .call(util.convertToTspans);
+                .call(util.convertToTspans)
+                .attr('transform', 'translate(50,50)');
+        }
+
+        function assertAnchorLink(node, href) {
+            var a = node.select('a');
+
+            expect(a.attr('xlink:href')).toBe(href);
+            expect(a.attr('xlink:show')).toBe(href === null ? null : 'new');
+        }
+
+        function assertAnchorAttrs(node) {
+            var a = node.select('a');
+
+            var WHITE_LIST = ['xlink:href', 'xlink:show', 'style'],
+                attrs = listAttributes(a.node());
+
+            // check that no other attribute are found in anchor,
+            // which can be lead to XSS attacks.
+
+            var hasWrongAttr = attrs.some(function(attr) {
+                return WHITE_LIST.indexOf(attr) === -1;
+            });
+
+            expect(hasWrongAttr).toBe(false);
+        }
+
+        function listAttributes(node) {
+            var items = Array.prototype.slice.call(node.attributes);
+
+            var attrs = items.map(function(item) {
+                return item.name;
+            });
+
+            return attrs;
         }
 
         afterEach(function() {
             d3.select('#text').remove();
         });
 
-        it('checks for XSS attack in href', function() {
+        it('check for XSS attack in href', function() {
             var node = mockTextSVGElement(
                 '<a href="javascript:alert(\'attack\')">XSS</a>'
             );
 
             expect(node.text()).toEqual('XSS');
-            expect(node.select('a').attr('xlink:href')).toBe(null);
+            assertAnchorAttrs(node);
+            assertAnchorLink(node, null);
         });
 
-        it('checks for XSS attack in href (with plenty of white spaces)', function() {
+        it('check for XSS attack in href (with plenty of white spaces)', function() {
             var node = mockTextSVGElement(
                 '<a href =    "     javascript:alert(\'attack\')">XSS</a>'
             );
 
             expect(node.text()).toEqual('XSS');
-            expect(node.select('a').attr('xlink:href')).toBe(null);
+            assertAnchorAttrs(node);
+            assertAnchorLink(node, null);
         });
 
-        it('whitelists http hrefs', function() {
+        it('whitelist http hrefs', function() {
             var node = mockTextSVGElement(
                 '<a href="http://bl.ocks.org/">bl.ocks.org</a>'
             );
 
             expect(node.text()).toEqual('bl.ocks.org');
-            expect(node.select('a').attr('xlink:href')).toEqual('http://bl.ocks.org/');
+            assertAnchorAttrs(node);
+            assertAnchorLink(node, 'http://bl.ocks.org/');
         });
 
-        it('whitelists https hrefs', function() {
+        it('whitelist https hrefs', function() {
             var node = mockTextSVGElement(
                 '<a href="https://plot.ly">plot.ly</a>'
             );
 
             expect(node.text()).toEqual('plot.ly');
-            expect(node.select('a').attr('xlink:href')).toEqual('https://plot.ly');
+            assertAnchorAttrs(node);
+            assertAnchorLink(node, 'https://plot.ly');
         });
 
-        it('whitelists mailto hrefs', function() {
+        it('whitelist mailto hrefs', function() {
             var node = mockTextSVGElement(
                 '<a href="mailto:support@plot.ly">support</a>'
             );
 
             expect(node.text()).toEqual('support');
-            expect(node.select('a').attr('xlink:href')).toEqual('mailto:support@plot.ly');
+            assertAnchorAttrs(node);
+            assertAnchorLink(node, 'mailto:support@plot.ly');
+        });
+
+        it('wrap XSS attacks in href', function() {
+            var textCases = [
+                '<a href="XSS\" onmouseover=&quot;alert(1)\" style=&quot;font-size:300px">Subtitle</a>',
+                '<a href="XSS&quot; onmouseover=&quot;alert(1)&quot; style=&quot;font-size:300px">Subtitle</a>'
+            ];
+
+            textCases.forEach(function(textCase) {
+                var node = mockTextSVGElement(textCase);
+
+                expect(node.text()).toEqual('Subtitle');
+                assertAnchorAttrs(node);
+                assertAnchorLink(node, 'XSS onmouseover=alert(1) style=font-size:300px');
+            });
+        });
+
+        it('should keep query parameters in href', function() {
+            var textCases = [
+                '<a href="https://abc.com/myFeature.jsp?name=abc&pwd=def">abc.com?shared-key</a>',
+                '<a href="https://abc.com/myFeature.jsp?name=abc&amp;pwd=def">abc.com?shared-key</a>'
+            ];
+
+            textCases.forEach(function(textCase) {
+                var node = mockTextSVGElement(textCase);
+
+                assertAnchorAttrs(node);
+                expect(node.text()).toEqual('abc.com?shared-key');
+                assertAnchorLink(node, 'https://abc.com/myFeature.jsp?name=abc&pwd=def');
+            });
         });
     });
 });