diff --git a/src/calibre/gui2/tweak_book/widgets.py b/src/calibre/gui2/tweak_book/widgets.py
index 335e4413a1..941a03b167 100644
--- a/src/calibre/gui2/tweak_book/widgets.py
+++ b/src/calibre/gui2/tweak_book/widgets.py
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ from calibre.ebooks.oeb.polish.cover import get_raster_cover_name
 from calibre.ebooks.oeb.polish.utils import lead_text, guess_type
 from calibre.gui2 import error_dialog, choose_files, choose_save_file, info_dialog, choose_images
 from calibre.gui2.tweak_book import tprefs, current_container
-from calibre.gui2.widgets2 import Dialog as BaseDialog
+from calibre.gui2.widgets2 import Dialog as BaseDialog, HistoryComboBox
 from calibre.utils.icu import primary_sort_key, sort_key, primary_contains, numeric_sort_key
 from calibre.utils.matcher import get_char, Matcher
 from calibre.gui2.complete2 import EditWithComplete
@@ -671,7 +671,9 @@ class InsertLink(Dialog):
         t.setText(self.initial_text or '')
         t.setPlaceholderText(_('The (optional) text for the link'))
 
-        self.template_edit = t = QLineEdit(self)
+        self.template_edit = t = HistoryComboBox(self)
+        t.lineEdit().setClearButtonEnabled(True)
+        t.initialize('edit_book_insert_link_template_history')
         tl.addRow(_('Tem&plate:'), t)
         from calibre.gui2.tweak_book.editor.smarts.html import DEFAULT_LINK_TEMPLATE
         t.setText(tprefs.get('insert-hyperlink-template', None) or DEFAULT_LINK_TEMPLATE)
@@ -759,8 +761,8 @@ class InsertLink(Dialog):
                 target = target.split('#', 1)[0]
                 target = self.container.href_to_name(target)
             ans = ans.replace('_SOURCE_FILENAME_', self.source_name)
-            ans = ans.replace('_DEST_FILENAME_', target)
-            ans = ans.replace('_ANCHOR_', frag)
+            ans = ans.replace('_DEST_FILENAME_', target or '')
+            ans = ans.replace('_ANCHOR_', frag or '')
         return ans
 
     @classmethod