diff --git a/lib/deprecatedlib.php b/lib/deprecatedlib.php
index 708c596ac98..60b33b2a4f3 100644
--- a/lib/deprecatedlib.php
+++ b/lib/deprecatedlib.php
@@ -1677,6 +1677,12 @@ function error ($message, $link='') {
         }
     }
 
+    // when printing an error the continue button should never link offsite
+    if (stripos($link, $CFG->wwwroot) === false &&
+        stripos($link, $CFG->httpswwwroot) === false) {
+        $link = $CFG->wwwroot.'/';
+    }
+
     if (!empty($link)) {
         print_continue($link);
     }
diff --git a/lib/weblib.php b/lib/weblib.php
index 9b57dbb7246..51bb5da7138 100644
--- a/lib/weblib.php
+++ b/lib/weblib.php
@@ -5841,6 +5841,12 @@ function print_error($errorcode, $module='error', $link='', $a=NULL, $extralocat
         }
     }
 
+    // when printing an error the continue button should never link offsite
+    if (stripos($link, $CFG->wwwroot) === false &&
+        stripos($link, $CFG->httpswwwroot) === false) {
+        $link = $CFG->wwwroot.'/';
+    }
+
     if (!empty($CFG->errordocroot)) {
         $errordoclink = $CFG->errordocroot.'/en';
     } else {