diff --git a/common/plotters/PDF_plotter.cpp b/common/plotters/PDF_plotter.cpp
index 3e7c19deec..c929d99e4f 100644
--- a/common/plotters/PDF_plotter.cpp
+++ b/common/plotters/PDF_plotter.cpp
@@ -1340,7 +1340,7 @@ bool PDF_PLOTTER::EndPlot()
                         href = ResolveUriByEnvVars( href, m_project );
 
                     js += wxString::Format( wxT( "[\"%s\", \"%s\"],\n" ),
-                                            EscapeString( property, CTX_JS_STR ),
+                                            EscapeString( href, CTX_JS_STR ),
                                             EscapeString( href, CTX_JS_STR ) );
                 }
                 else if( property.Find( "https:" ) >= 0 )
@@ -1351,7 +1351,7 @@ bool PDF_PLOTTER::EndPlot()
                         href = ResolveUriByEnvVars( href, m_project );
 
                     js += wxString::Format( wxT( "[\"%s\", \"%s\"],\n" ),
-                                            EscapeString( property, CTX_JS_STR ),
+                                            EscapeString( href, CTX_JS_STR ),
                                             EscapeString( href, CTX_JS_STR ) );
                 }
                 else if( property.Find( "file:" ) >= 0 )
@@ -1361,8 +1361,10 @@ bool PDF_PLOTTER::EndPlot()
                     if( m_project )
                         href = ResolveUriByEnvVars( href, m_project );
 
+                    href = NormalizeFileUri( href );
+
                     js += wxString::Format( wxT( "[\"%s\", \"%s\"],\n" ),
-                                            EscapeString( property, CTX_JS_STR ),
+                                            EscapeString( href, CTX_JS_STR ),
                                             EscapeString( href, CTX_JS_STR ) );
                 }
                 else
@@ -1388,13 +1390,22 @@ bool PDF_PLOTTER::EndPlot()
                     }
                 }
             }
-            else if( url.StartsWith( "http:" ) || url.StartsWith( "https:" ) )
+            else if( url.StartsWith( "http:" ) || url.StartsWith( "https:" )
+                   || url.StartsWith( "file:" ) )
             {
-                wxString menuText = wxString::Format( _( "Open %s" ), url );
+                wxString href = url;
+
+                if( m_project )
+                    href = ResolveUriByEnvVars( url, m_project );
+
+                if( url.StartsWith( "file:" ) )
+                    href = NormalizeFileUri( href );
+
+                wxString menuText = wxString::Format( _( "Open %s" ), href );
 
                 js += wxString::Format( wxT( "[\"%s\", \"%s\"],\n" ),
-                                        EscapeString( menuText, CTX_JS_STR ),
-                                        EscapeString( url, CTX_JS_STR ) );
+                                        EscapeString( href, CTX_JS_STR ),
+                                        EscapeString( href, CTX_JS_STR ) );
             }
         }
 
@@ -1434,6 +1445,7 @@ function ShM(aEntries) {
     var cChoice = app.popUpMenuEx.apply(app, aParams);
     if (cChoice != null && cChoice.substring(0, 1) == '#') this.pageNum = parseInt(cChoice.slice(1));
     else if (cChoice != null && cChoice.substring(0, 4) == 'http') app.launchURL(cChoice);
+    else if (cChoice != null && cChoice.substring(0, 4) == 'file') app.openDoc(cChoice.substring(7));
 }
 )JS";
 
diff --git a/common/string_utils.cpp b/common/string_utils.cpp
index 77c2c0881d..7b3bf86d64 100644
--- a/common/string_utils.cpp
+++ b/common/string_utils.cpp
@@ -34,7 +34,9 @@
 #include <macros.h>
 #include <richio.h>                        // StrPrintf
 #include <string_utils.h>
+#include <wx_filename.h>
 #include <fmt/chrono.h>
+#include <wx/log.h>
 #include <wx/regex.h>
 #include "locale_io.h"
 
@@ -1457,3 +1459,29 @@ wxString From_UTF8( const std::string& aString )
 
    return line;
 }
+
+
+wxString NormalizeFileUri( const wxString& aFileUri )
+{
+    wxString uriPathAndFileName;
+
+    wxCHECK( aFileUri.StartsWith( wxS( "file://" ), &uriPathAndFileName ), aFileUri );
+
+    wxString tmp;
+    wxString retv = wxS( "file://" );
+    wxFileName fn = uriPathAndFileName;
+
+    tmp = fn.GetPathWithSep( wxPATH_UNIX );
+    tmp.Replace( wxS( "\\" ), wxS( "/" ) );
+    tmp.Replace( wxS( ":" ), wxS( "" ) );
+
+    if( !tmp.IsEmpty() && tmp[0] != '/' )
+        tmp = wxS( "/" ) + tmp;
+
+    retv += tmp;
+    retv += fn.GetFullName();
+
+    wxLogDebug( wxS( "Normalize file: '%s'." ), retv );
+
+    return retv;
+}
diff --git a/include/string_utils.h b/include/string_utils.h
index 8dac917ecb..2f00f21a1e 100644
--- a/include/string_utils.h
+++ b/include/string_utils.h
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 /*
  * This program source code file is part of KiCad, a free EDA CAD application.
  *
- * Copyright (C) 2004-2021 KiCad Developers, see change_log.txt for contributors.
+ * Copyright (C) 2004-2021, 2024 KiCad Developers, see change_log.txt for contributors.
  *
  * This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or
  * modify it under the terms of the GNU General Public License
@@ -405,4 +405,21 @@ KICOMMON_API std::string FormatDouble2Str( double aValue );
 KICOMMON_API wxString From_UTF8( const std::string& aString );
 KICOMMON_API wxString  From_UTF8( const char* cstring );
 
+/**
+ * Normalize file path \a aFileUri to URI convention.
+ *
+ * Unfortunately none of the wxWidgets objects results in acceptable file URIs which breaks
+ * PDF plotting URI links.  This is an attempt to normalize Windows local file paths to a
+ * URI that PDF readers that can run JavaScript can handle.
+ *
+ * @note This does not expand environment or user variables.  Variable expansion should be
+ *       performed before calling.  If \a aFileUri does not begin with 'file://', \a aFileUri
+ *       returned unchanged.
+ *
+ * @param aFileUri is the string to be normalized.
+ * @return the normalized string.
+ */
+KICOMMON_API wxString NormalizeFileUri( const wxString& aFileUri );
+
+
 #endif  // STRING_UTILS_H