diff --git a/mod/glossary/filter.php b/mod/glossary/filter.php
index c6db911f3f7..a812b6c8112 100644
--- a/mod/glossary/filter.php
+++ b/mod/glossary/filter.php
@@ -1,7 +1,15 @@
 <?php
 
+/**
+ *
+ * @global moodle_database $DB
+ * @global core_renderer $OUTPUT
+ * @param int $courseid
+ * @param string $text
+ * @return string
+ */
 function glossary_filter($courseid, $text) {
-    global $CFG, $DB, $OUTPUT;
+    global $CFG, $DB, $OUTPUT, $GLOSSARY_EXCLUDECONCEPTS;
 
     // Trivial-cache - keyed on $cachedcourseid
     static $nothingtodo;
@@ -114,7 +122,6 @@ function glossary_filter($courseid, $text) {
         foreach ($concepts as $concept) {
 
             $glossaryname = $glossaries[$concept->glossaryid];
-
             if ($concept->category) {       // Link to a category
                 $title = strip_tags($glossaryname.': '.$strcategory.' '.$concept->concept);
                 $href_tag_begin = '<a class="glossary autolink glossaryid'.$concept->glossaryid.'" title="'.$title.'" '.
@@ -128,18 +135,16 @@ function glossary_filter($courseid, $text) {
                     $encodedconcept = urlencode($concept->concept);
                     $title = str_replace('"', "'", strip_tags($glossaryname.': '.$concept->concept));
                 }
-                $randid = html_writer::random_id($title);
-                $href_tag_begin = '<a id="'.$randid.'" class="glossary autolink glossaryid'.$concept->glossaryid.'" title="'.$title.'" '.
-                                  'href="'.$CFG->wwwroot.'/mod/glossary/showentry.php?courseid='.$courseid.
-                                  '&amp;concept='.$encodedconcept.'" >';
-
-                //attach the onclick event
-                $link = '/mod/glossary/showentry.php?courseid='.$courseid.'\&amp;concept='.$encodedconcept;
-                $action = new popup_action('click', $link.'&popup=1', 'entry', array('height'=>600,'width'=>450));
-                $OUTPUT->add_action_handler($action, $randid);
+                $randid = html_writer::random_id('glossary');
+                $link = new moodle_url('/mod/glossary/showentry.php', array('courseid'=>$courseid, 'concept'=>$encodedconcept));
+                $href_tag_begin = html_writer::start_tag('a', array(
+                    'href'=>$link,
+                    'id'=>$randid,
+                    'title'=>$title,
+                    'class'=>'glossary autolink glossaryid'.$concept->glossaryid));
+                //attach the onclick events
+                $OUTPUT->add_action_handler(new popup_action('click', new moodle_url($link, array('popup'=>'1')), 'entry', array('height'=>600,'width'=>450)), $randid);
             }
-
-
             $conceptlist[] = new filterobject($concept->concept, $href_tag_begin, '</a>',
                                               $concept->casesensitive, $concept->fullmatch);
         }
@@ -147,7 +152,6 @@ function glossary_filter($courseid, $text) {
         $conceptlist = filter_remove_duplicates($conceptlist);
     }
 
-    global $GLOSSARY_EXCLUDECONCEPTS;
     if(!empty($GLOSSARY_EXCLUDECONCEPTS)) {
         $reducedconceptlist=array();
         foreach($conceptlist as $concept) {