diff --git a/src/main/java/org/jabref/htmltonode/rich/HtmlRichTextArea.java b/src/main/java/org/jabref/htmltonode/rich/HtmlRichTextArea.java
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..2fbed1f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/main/java/org/jabref/htmltonode/rich/HtmlRichTextArea.java
@@ -0,0 +1,48 @@
+package org.jabref.htmltonode.rich;
+
+import jfx.incubator.scene.control.richtext.RichTextArea;
+import jfx.incubator.scene.control.richtext.StyleHandlerRegistry;
+import jfx.incubator.scene.control.richtext.model.StyledTextModel;
+import jfx.incubator.scene.control.richtext.skin.CellContext;
+
+/// A [RichTextArea] that renders links with the hand cursor.
+///
+/// The incubator control gives every segment's `Text` node the default text (I-beam) cursor, so a
+/// link would otherwise be indistinguishable from ordinary selectable text on hover — unlike
+/// [org.jabref.htmltonode.FxRenderer], whose link runs carry [javafx.scene.Cursor#HAND]. The
+/// control has no built-in notion of links; the recommended way to react to a custom character
+/// attribute is to extend its [StyleHandlerRegistry] (see the incubator docs). This subclass adds a
+/// segment handler for [RichTextRenderer#HREF] that appends an `-fx-cursor: hand` inline style via
+/// the [CellContext], exactly as the control's own attribute handlers do. Routing it through the
+/// cell context (rather than setting the cursor on the node directly) means the skin re-applies it
+/// on every layout and, because it replaces a segment node's whole inline style, a recycled node
+/// reused for a non-link run does not keep a stale hand cursor.
+public final class HtmlRichTextArea extends RichTextArea {
+
+    /// Mirrors the `-fx-...:value;` shape the control's built-in handlers append to the cell style.
+    private static final String HAND_CURSOR_STYLE = "-fx-cursor:hand;";
+
+    private static final StyleHandlerRegistry REGISTRY = buildRegistry();
+
+    public HtmlRichTextArea() {
+        super();
+    }
+
+    public HtmlRichTextArea(StyledTextModel model) {
+        super(model);
+    }
+
+    @Override
+    public StyleHandlerRegistry getStyleHandlerRegistry() {
+        return REGISTRY;
+    }
+
+    private static StyleHandlerRegistry buildRegistry() {
+        // builder(parent) seeds the new registry with all of the control's default handlers, so
+        // bold/italic/color/… keep working; we only add link-cursor handling on top.
+        StyleHandlerRegistry.Builder builder = StyleHandlerRegistry.builder(RichTextArea.styleHandlerRegistry);
+        builder.setSegHandler(RichTextRenderer.HREF,
+                (RichTextArea control, CellContext context, String href) -> context.addStyle(HAND_CURSOR_STYLE));
+        return builder.build();
+    }
+}
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/jabref/htmltonode/rich/RichHtmlView.java b/src/main/java/org/jabref/htmltonode/rich/RichHtmlView.java
index 241b4e9..aad5fbe 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/jabref/htmltonode/rich/RichHtmlView.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/jabref/htmltonode/rich/RichHtmlView.java
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@
 /// JavaFX application thread. Requires the `jfx.incubator.richtext` module at runtime.
 public class RichHtmlView extends StackPane {
 
-    private final RichTextArea area = new RichTextArea();
+    private final RichTextArea area = new HtmlRichTextArea();
     private final StringProperty html = new SimpleStringProperty(this, "html", "");
     private final ObjectProperty<HtmlRenderOptions> options =
             new SimpleObjectProperty<>(this, "options", HtmlRenderOptions.defaults());
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/jabref/htmltonode/rich/RichTextRenderer.java b/src/main/java/org/jabref/htmltonode/rich/RichTextRenderer.java
index 9cac404..03328fc 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/jabref/htmltonode/rich/RichTextRenderer.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/jabref/htmltonode/rich/RichTextRenderer.java
@@ -79,7 +79,7 @@ public static StyledTextModel buildModel(List<Block> blocks, HtmlRenderOptions o
     /// @param options rendering options
     /// @return the configured control
     public static RichTextArea render(List<Block> blocks, HtmlRenderOptions options) {
-        RichTextArea area = new RichTextArea(buildModel(blocks, options));
+        RichTextArea area = new HtmlRichTextArea(buildModel(blocks, options));
         configure(area, options);
         return area;
     }
diff --git a/src/test/java/org/jabref/htmltonode/HtmlRichTextAreaTest.java b/src/test/java/org/jabref/htmltonode/HtmlRichTextAreaTest.java
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b992bc1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/test/java/org/jabref/htmltonode/HtmlRichTextAreaTest.java
@@ -0,0 +1,107 @@
+package org.jabref.htmltonode;
+
+import java.util.concurrent.CountDownLatch;
+import java.util.concurrent.TimeUnit;
+import java.util.concurrent.atomic.AtomicReference;
+
+import javafx.application.Platform;
+import javafx.scene.Node;
+import javafx.scene.text.Text;
+
+import org.jabref.htmltonode.rich.HtmlRichTextArea;
+import org.jabref.htmltonode.rich.RichTextRenderer;
+
+import jfx.incubator.scene.control.richtext.model.StyleAttributeMap;
+import jfx.incubator.scene.control.richtext.skin.CellContext;
+import org.junit.jupiter.api.BeforeAll;
+import org.junit.jupiter.api.Tag;
+import org.junit.jupiter.api.Test;
+
+import static org.junit.jupiter.api.Assertions.assertFalse;
+import static org.junit.jupiter.api.Assertions.assertTrue;
+
+/// Verifies that [HtmlRichTextArea] gives link runs the hand cursor. Constructing the incubator
+/// control needs the JavaFX toolkit, so this is a `gui` test — run via `./gradlew guiTest` with a
+/// display or under `xvfb-run`.
+@Tag("gui")
+class HtmlRichTextAreaTest {
+
+    @BeforeAll
+    static void startToolkit() throws InterruptedException {
+        CountDownLatch started = new CountDownLatch(1);
+        try {
+            Platform.startup(started::countDown);
+        } catch (IllegalStateException alreadyRunning) {
+            started.countDown();
+        }
+        assertTrue(started.await(15, TimeUnit.SECONDS), "JavaFX toolkit failed to start");
+    }
+
+    /// Captures the inline style the skin's cell context would apply to a segment node — the same
+    /// path [jfx.incubator.scene.control.richtext.StyleHandlerRegistry#process] drives per attribute.
+    private static final class CapturingCellContext implements CellContext {
+        private final Node node;
+        private final StringBuilder style = new StringBuilder();
+
+        CapturingCellContext(Node node) {
+            this.node = node;
+        }
+
+        @Override
+        public void addStyle(String s) {
+            style.append(s);
+        }
+
+        @Override
+        public Node getNode() {
+            return node;
+        }
+
+        @Override
+        public StyleAttributeMap getAttributes() {
+            return StyleAttributeMap.builder().build();
+        }
+
+        String style() {
+            return style.toString();
+        }
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    void linkRunGetsHandCursorWhileInheritedHandlersStillApply() throws Exception {
+        AtomicReference<Throwable> error = new AtomicReference<>();
+        AtomicReference<String> linkStyle = new AtomicReference<>();
+        AtomicReference<String> boldStyle = new AtomicReference<>();
+        CountDownLatch done = new CountDownLatch(1);
+
+        Platform.runLater(() -> {
+            try {
+                HtmlRichTextArea area = new HtmlRichTextArea();
+
+                CapturingCellContext link = new CapturingCellContext(new Text("10.1/x"));
+                area.getStyleHandlerRegistry()
+                    .process(area, false, link, RichTextRenderer.HREF, "https://doi.org/10.1/x");
+                linkStyle.set(link.style());
+
+                // The default handlers (here: bold) must survive the registry rebuild.
+                CapturingCellContext bold = new CapturingCellContext(new Text("bold"));
+                area.getStyleHandlerRegistry()
+                    .process(area, false, bold, StyleAttributeMap.BOLD, Boolean.TRUE);
+                boldStyle.set(bold.style());
+            } catch (Throwable t) {
+                error.set(t);
+            } finally {
+                done.countDown();
+            }
+        });
+
+        assertTrue(done.await(15, TimeUnit.SECONDS), "FX task timed out");
+        if (error.get() != null) {
+            throw new AssertionError("FX task failed", error.get());
+        }
+        assertTrue(linkStyle.get().contains("-fx-cursor:hand"),
+                "link run should request the hand cursor, was: " + linkStyle.get());
+        assertFalse(boldStyle.get().isEmpty(), "inherited bold handler should still apply a style");
+        assertFalse(boldStyle.get().contains("-fx-cursor"), "non-link run must not get the hand cursor");
+    }
+}