diff --git a/odf2legi/odf2legi.py b/odf2legi/odf2legi.py
index 12b307a..21b5ac1 100644
--- a/odf2legi/odf2legi.py
+++ b/odf2legi/odf2legi.py
@@ -289,7 +289,7 @@ def fill_inline(para, elem, invert_bg=False):
                 # Microsoft Word
                 fill_inline(para, child)
             else:
-                print >> sys.stderr, 'W: got text:a, with an external reference'
+                handle_little_span(para, child, False)
 
         elif child.tag == '{%s}note' % TEXT_NS:
             footnote = ET.Element('footnote')
diff --git a/odf2legi/tests.py b/odf2legi/tests.py
index 337d1e1..bc78370 100644
--- a/odf2legi/tests.py
+++ b/odf2legi/tests.py
@@ -154,6 +154,16 @@ Plop
         self.assertEqual(self.convert_to_legi(doc),
                 '''<para>Foo<footnote><para>Bar</para></footnote>. Baz</para>''')
 
+    def test_inline_with_link(self):
+        odf2legi.STYLES = {}
+        doc = '''\
+<text:p xmlns:office="urn:oasis:names:tc:opendocument:xmlns:office:1.0"
+  xmlns:style="urn:oasis:names:tc:opendocument:xmlns:style:1.0"
+  xmlns:text="urn:oasis:names:tc:opendocument:xmlns:text:1.0">
+Plop <text:a>foobar@example.net</text:a> plop
+</text:p>'''
+        self.assertEqual(self.convert_to_legi(doc), '''<para>Plop foobar@example.net plop\n</para>''')
+
 
 
 class TableTestCase(unittest.TestCase):