diff --git a/autoload/vimwiki/base.vim b/autoload/vimwiki/base.vim
index 2630e82..79ffa5c 100644
--- a/autoload/vimwiki/base.vim
+++ b/autoload/vimwiki/base.vim
@@ -2061,8 +2061,10 @@ endfunction
 
 
 function! s:clean_url(url)
+  " don't use an extension as part of the description
+  let url = substitute(a:url, '\'.vimwiki#vars#get_wikilocal('ext').'$', '', '')
   " remove protocol and tld
-  let url = substitute(a:url, '^\a\+\d*:', '', '')
+  let url = substitute(url, '^\a\+\d*:', '', '')
   let url = substitute(url, '^//', '', '')
   let url = substitute(url, '^\([^/]\+\)\.\a\{2,4}/', '\1/', '')
   let url_l = split(url, '/\|=\|-\|&\|?\|\.')
@@ -2090,8 +2092,12 @@ endfunction
 
 function! vimwiki#base#normalize_link_helper(str, rxUrl, rxDesc, template)
   let url = matchstr(a:str, a:rxUrl)
+  if vimwiki#vars#get_wikilocal('syntax') ==# 'markdown' && vimwiki#vars#get_global('markdown_link_ext')
+    " strip the extension if it exists so it doesn't get added multiple times
+    let url = substitute(url, '\'.vimwiki#vars#get_wikilocal('ext').'$', '', '')
+  endif
   let descr = matchstr(a:str, a:rxDesc)
-  if descr == ""
+  if descr ==# ''
     let descr = s:clean_url(url)
   endif
   let lnk = s:safesubstitute(a:template, '__LinkDescription__', descr, '')