diff --git a/src/calibre/ebooks/metadata/book/render.py b/src/calibre/ebooks/metadata/book/render.py
index 9c2c655225..95534ef2db 100644
--- a/src/calibre/ebooks/metadata/book/render.py
+++ b/src/calibre/ebooks/metadata/book/render.py
@@ -144,16 +144,19 @@ def mi_to_html(mi, field_list=None, default_author_link=None, use_roman_numbers=
                 if mi.author_link_map[aut]:
                     link = mi.author_link_map[aut]
                 elif default_author_link:
-                    vals = {'author': aut.replace(' ', '+')}
-                    try:
-                        vals['author_sort'] =  mi.author_sort_map[aut].replace(' ', '+')
-                    except:
-                        vals['author_sort'] = aut.replace(' ', '+')
-                    link = formatter.safe_format(
-                            default_author_link, vals, '', vals)
+                    if default_author_link == 'search-calibre':
+                        link = search_href('authors', aut)
+                        lt = a(_('Search the calibre library for books by %s') % aut)
+                    else:
+                        vals = {'author': aut.replace(' ', '+')}
+                        try:
+                            vals['author_sort'] =  mi.author_sort_map[aut].replace(' ', '+')
+                        except:
+                            vals['author_sort'] = aut.replace(' ', '+')
+                        link = lt = a(formatter.safe_format(default_author_link, vals, '', vals))
                 aut = p(aut)
                 if link:
-                    authors.append(u'<a calibre-data="authors" title="%s" href="%s">%s</a>'%(a(link), a(link), aut))
+                    authors.append(u'<a calibre-data="authors" title="%s" href="%s">%s</a>'%(lt, link, aut))
                 else:
                     authors.append(aut)
             ans.append((field, row % (name, u' & '.join(authors))))
diff --git a/src/calibre/gui2/preferences/look_feel.py b/src/calibre/gui2/preferences/look_feel.py
index a0402695a3..87b2564c95 100644
--- a/src/calibre/gui2/preferences/look_feel.py
+++ b/src/calibre/gui2/preferences/look_feel.py
@@ -199,6 +199,9 @@ class ConfigWidget(ConfigWidgetBase, Ui_Form):
         r('default_author_link', gprefs)
         r('tag_browser_dont_collapse', gprefs, setting=CommaSeparatedList)
 
+        self.search_library_for_author_button.clicked.connect(
+            lambda : self.opt_default_author_link.setText('search-calibre'))
+
         choices = set([k for k in db.field_metadata.all_field_keys()
                 if (db.field_metadata[k]['is_category'] and
                    (db.field_metadata[k]['datatype'] in ['text', 'series', 'enumeration']) and
diff --git a/src/calibre/gui2/preferences/look_feel.ui b/src/calibre/gui2/preferences/look_feel.ui
index 30c602019a..f99204c001 100644
--- a/src/calibre/gui2/preferences/look_feel.ui
+++ b/src/calibre/gui2/preferences/look_feel.ui
@@ -623,16 +623,6 @@ A value of zero means calculate automatically.</string>
          </property>
         </widget>
        </item>
-       <item row="0" column="1">
-        <widget class="QCheckBox" name="opt_use_roman_numerals_for_series_number">
-         <property name="text">
-          <string>Use &amp;Roman numerals for series</string>
-         </property>
-         <property name="checked">
-          <bool>true</bool>
-         </property>
-        </widget>
-       </item>
        <item row="2" column="0" rowspan="2">
         <widget class="QGroupBox" name="groupBox">
          <property name="title">
@@ -684,7 +674,51 @@ A value of zero means calculate automatically.</string>
          </layout>
         </widget>
        </item>
-       <item row="0" column="0">
+       <item row="1" column="0" colspan="2">
+        <layout class="QHBoxLayout">
+         <item>
+          <widget class="QCheckBox" name="opt_bd_show_cover">
+           <property name="text">
+            <string>Show &amp;cover in the book details panel</string>
+           </property>
+          </widget>
+         </item>
+         <item>
+          <widget class="QCheckBox" name="opt_bd_overlay_cover_size">
+           <property name="toolTip">
+            <string>Show the size of the book's cover in pixels</string>
+           </property>
+           <property name="text">
+            <string>Show cover &amp;size</string>
+           </property>
+          </widget>
+         </item>
+         <item>
+          <widget class="QCheckBox" name="opt_use_roman_numerals_for_series_number">
+           <property name="text">
+            <string>Use &amp;Roman numerals for series</string>
+           </property>
+           <property name="checked">
+            <bool>true</bool>
+           </property>
+          </widget>
+         </item>
+         <item>
+          <spacer name="horizontalSpacer_bd1">
+           <property name="orientation">
+            <enum>Qt::Horizontal</enum>
+           </property>
+           <property name="sizeHint" stdset="0">
+            <size>
+             <width>20</width>
+             <height>0</height>
+            </size>
+           </property>
+          </spacer>
+         </item>
+        </layout>
+       </item>
+       <item row="0" column="0" colspan="2">
         <layout class="QHBoxLayout">
          <item>
           <widget class="QLabel" name="label">
@@ -707,40 +741,16 @@ Manage Authors. You can use the values {author} and
            </property>
           </widget>
          </item>
-        </layout>
-       </item>
-       <item row="1" column="0" colspan="2">
-        <layout class="QHBoxLayout">
          <item>
-          <widget class="QCheckBox" name="opt_bd_show_cover">
-           <property name="text">
-            <string>Show &amp;cover in the book details panel</string>
-           </property>
-          </widget>
-         </item>
-         <item>
-          <widget class="QCheckBox" name="opt_bd_overlay_cover_size">
+          <widget class="QPushButton" name="search_library_for_author_button">
            <property name="toolTip">
-            <string>Show the size of the book's cover in pixels</string>
+            <string>Search the calibre library for the author, instead of opening a link</string>
            </property>
            <property name="text">
-            <string>Show cover &amp;size</string>
+            <string>Search &amp;calibre library for author</string>
            </property>
           </widget>
          </item>
-         <item>
-          <spacer name="horizontalSpacer_bd1">
-           <property name="orientation">
-            <enum>Qt::Horizontal</enum>
-           </property>
-           <property name="sizeHint" stdset="0">
-            <size>
-             <width>20</width>
-             <height>0</height>
-            </size>
-           </property>
-          </spacer>
-         </item>
         </layout>
        </item>
       </layout>