diff --git a/Notepad3.sln b/Notepad3.sln
index 13ac42f23..1fd1fde39 100644
--- a/Notepad3.sln
+++ b/Notepad3.sln
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 Microsoft Visual Studio Solution File, Format Version 12.00
-# Visual Studio Version 17
-VisualStudioVersion = 17.4.33403.182
+# Visual Studio Version 18
+VisualStudioVersion = 18.6.11806.211 stable
 MinimumVisualStudioVersion = 10.0.40219.1
 Project("{2150E333-8FDC-42A3-9474-1A3956D46DE8}") = ".nuget", ".nuget", "{D32CB10B-1891-471D-B780-5445BC67C1E2}"
 	ProjectSection(SolutionItems) = preProject
diff --git a/src/Notepad3.c b/src/Notepad3.c
index 1e1441025..8e6a56ec0 100644
--- a/src/Notepad3.c
+++ b/src/Notepad3.c
@@ -777,6 +777,21 @@ static VOID CALLBACK TinyExprCopyTimerProc(HWND hwnd, UINT uMsg, UINT_PTR idEven
 // ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
 
+// Ends the temporary always-on-top window opened around a background URL launch
+// (Ctrl+Shift+Click). Restores Notepad3's normal z-order from Settings.AlwaysOnTop.
+static VOID CALLBACK _ForegroundLockReleaseTimerProc(HWND hwnd, UINT uMsg, UINT_PTR idEvent, DWORD dwTime)
+{
+    UNREFERENCED_PARAMETER(uMsg);
+    UNREFERENCED_PARAMETER(dwTime);
+    KillTimer(hwnd, idEvent); // one-shot
+    LockSetForegroundWindow(LSFW_UNLOCK);
+    SetWindowPos(hwnd, Settings.AlwaysOnTop ? HWND_TOPMOST : HWND_NOTOPMOST,
+                 0, 0, 0, 0, SWP_NOMOVE | SWP_NOSIZE | SWP_NOACTIVATE);
+    SetForegroundWindow(hwnd);
+}
+// ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+
 //=============================================================================
 //
 // InvalidateStyleRedraw
@@ -8899,7 +8914,18 @@ bool HandleHotSpotURLClicked(const DocPos position, const HYPERLINK_OPS operatio
                 Path_Release(hfile_pth);
 
             } else if (operation & OPEN_WITH_BROWSER) {  // open in web browser or associated application
-                
+
+                bool const bBackground = (operation & OPEN_BACKGROUND) != 0;
+                int  const nShowFlag   = bBackground ? SW_SHOWNOACTIVATE : SW_SHOWNORMAL;
+
+                if (bBackground) {
+                    // Pin Notepad3 above the about-to-launch browser; SWP_NOACTIVATE keeps focus.
+                    // The lock prevents the browser's async SetForegroundWindow from winning.
+                    SetWindowPos(Globals.hwndMain, HWND_TOPMOST, 0, 0, 0, 0,
+                                 SWP_NOMOVE | SWP_NOSIZE | SWP_NOACTIVATE);
+                    LockSetForegroundWindow(LSFW_LOCK);
+                }
+
                 HPATHL hDirectory = Path_Allocate(NULL);
 
                 if (UrlIsFileUrl(szTextW)) {
@@ -8929,7 +8955,7 @@ bool HandleHotSpotURLClicked(const DocPos position, const HYPERLINK_OPS operatio
                     sei.lpFile = StrgGet(Settings2.HyperlinkShellExURLWithApp);
                     sei.lpParameters = StrgIsNotEmpty(hstr_params) ? StrgGet(hstr_params) : szUnEscW;
                     sei.lpDirectory = Path_Get(hDirectory);
-                    sei.nShow = SW_SHOWNORMAL;
+                    sei.nShow = nShowFlag;
                     bHandled = ShellExecuteExW(&sei);
 
                     StrgDestroy(hstr_params);
@@ -8945,10 +8971,16 @@ bool HandleHotSpotURLClicked(const DocPos position, const HYPERLINK_OPS operatio
                     sei.lpFile = szUnEscW;
                     sei.lpParameters = NULL;
                     sei.lpDirectory = Path_Get(hDirectory);
-                    sei.nShow = SW_SHOWNORMAL;
+                    sei.nShow = nShowFlag;
                     bHandled = ShellExecuteExW(&sei);
                 }
 
+                if (bBackground) {
+                    // 600 ms covers the typical browser async-activation window with margin.
+                    SetForegroundWindow(Globals.hwndMain);
+                    SetTimer(Globals.hwndMain, ID_FGLOCKRELEASETIMER, 600, _ForegroundLockReleaseTimerProc);
+                }
+
                 Path_Release(hDirectory);
             }
         }
@@ -9659,7 +9691,11 @@ static LRESULT _MsgNotifyFromEdit(HWND hwnd, const SCNotification* const scn)
                     HandleHotSpotURLClicked(scn->position, OPEN_IN_NOTEPAD3);
                 }
             } else if (_s_indic_click_modifiers & SCMOD_CTRL) {
-                HandleHotSpotURLClicked(scn->position, OPEN_WITH_BROWSER); // if applicable (file://)
+                // Ctrl+Shift+Click → open in background (browser behind, Notepad3 stays active)
+                HYPERLINK_OPS const op = (_s_indic_click_modifiers & SCMOD_SHIFT)
+                    ? (HYPERLINK_OPS)(OPEN_WITH_BROWSER | OPEN_BACKGROUND)
+                    : OPEN_WITH_BROWSER;
+                HandleHotSpotURLClicked(scn->position, op); // if applicable (file://)
             }
         } else if (SciCall_IndicatorValueAt(INDIC_NP3_COLOR_DEF, scn->position) > 0) {
             if (_s_indic_click_modifiers & SCMOD_CTRL) {
diff --git a/src/Notepad3.h b/src/Notepad3.h
index 0d04407eb..84453fe4e 100644
--- a/src/Notepad3.h
+++ b/src/Notepad3.h
@@ -72,6 +72,7 @@ np3params, *LPnp3params;
 #define ID_ATOMICSAVETIMER  (0xA005)        // Atomic Save Detection
 #define ID_DEFERMINIMIZETIMER (0xA006)      // Deferred minimize on /B + /I startup
 #define ID_TINYEXPRCOPYTIMER  (0xA007)      // TinyExpr status-bar single-click copy debounce
+#define ID_FGLOCKRELEASETIMER (0xA008)      // Release LockSetForegroundWindow after background URL launch
 
 
 //==== Reuse Window Lock Timeout ==============================================
diff --git a/src/TypeDefs.h b/src/TypeDefs.h
index 08c3d8057..d3f9d44da 100644
--- a/src/TypeDefs.h
+++ b/src/TypeDefs.h
@@ -180,7 +180,7 @@ typedef COLORREF COLORALPHAREF;
 // ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
 typedef enum COLOR_LAYER { BACKGROUND_LAYER = 0, FOREGROUND_LAYER = 1 } COLOR_LAYER;  // Style_GetColor()
-typedef enum HYPERLINK_OPS { OPEN_WITH_BROWSER = 1, OPEN_IN_NOTEPAD3 = (1<<1), OPEN_NEW_NOTEPAD3 = (1<<2), COPY_HYPERLINK = (1<<3), SELECT_HYPERLINK = (1<<4) } HYPERLINK_OPS;  // Hyperlink Operations
+typedef enum HYPERLINK_OPS { OPEN_WITH_BROWSER = 1, OPEN_IN_NOTEPAD3 = (1<<1), OPEN_NEW_NOTEPAD3 = (1<<2), COPY_HYPERLINK = (1<<3), SELECT_HYPERLINK = (1<<4), OPEN_BACKGROUND = (1<<5) } HYPERLINK_OPS;  // Hyperlink Operations
 typedef enum FILE_WATCHING_MODE { FWM_NO_INIT = -1, FWM_DONT_CARE = 0, FWM_INDICATORSILENT = 1, FWM_MSGBOX = 2, FWM_AUTORELOAD = 3, FWM_EXCLUSIVELOCK = 4 } FILE_WATCHING_MODE;
 typedef enum FILE_WATCHING_METHOD { FWMTH_BOTH = 0, FWMTH_POLL = 1, FWMTH_PUSH = 2 } FILE_WATCHING_METHOD;
 typedef enum FOCUSVIEW_MARKER_MODE { FVMM_MARGIN = 1, FVMM_LN_BACKGR = 2, FVMM_FOLD = 4 } FOCUSVIEW_MARKER_MODE;