diff --git a/lib/rack/url.rb b/lib/rack/url.rb
index 3e9767a..98a24d2 100644
--- a/lib/rack/url.rb
+++ b/lib/rack/url.rb
@@ -6,14 +6,25 @@ module Rewritten
 
     class Url
 
+      attr_accessor :base_url
+
       def initialize(app, &block)
         @app = app
         @translate_backwards = false
         @downcase_before_lookup = false
         @translate_partial = false
+        @base_url = ''
         instance_eval(&block) if block_given?
       end
 
+      def is_internal_target?(url)
+        url.nil? or url.start_with?('/') or url.start_with?(@base_url)
+      end
+
+      def is_external_target?(url)
+        !is_internal_target?(url)
+      end
+
       def call(env)
         req = Rack::Request.new(env)
 
@@ -22,7 +33,13 @@ def call(env)
         path = "#{subdomain}#{req.path_info}"
         path.downcase! if downcase_before_lookup?
 
-        if ::Rewritten.includes?(path.chomp("/")) or backwards=( translate_backwards? && ::Rewritten.exist_translation_for?(path) )
+        target_url = ::Rewritten.translate(path)
+
+        if is_external_target?(target_url)
+          r = Rack::Response.new
+          r.redirect(target_url, 301)
+          r.finish
+        elsif ::Rewritten.includes?(path.chomp("/")) or backwards=( translate_backwards? && ::Rewritten.exist_translation_for?(path) )
 
           to = ::Rewritten.includes?(path.chomp("/")) || path
 
diff --git a/test/rack/rewritten_url_test.rb b/test/rack/rewritten_url_test.rb
index babcbf4..c04f14e 100644
--- a/test/rack/rewritten_url_test.rb
+++ b/test/rack/rewritten_url_test.rb
@@ -61,6 +61,26 @@ def request_url(url, params={})
       ret[0].must_equal 200
     end
 
+    describe 'external redirection' do
+
+      before {
+        @app = MiniTest::Mock.new
+        @rack = Rack::Rewritten::Url.new(@app) do |config|
+          config.base_url = 'http://www.example.org'
+        end
+
+        Rewritten.add_translation '/external/target', 'http://www.external.com'
+      }
+
+      it "must redirect to external target" do
+        ret = @rack.call request_url('/external/target')
+        @app.verify
+        ret[0].must_equal 301
+        ret[1]['Location'].must_equal "http://www.external.com"
+      end
+
+    end
+
     describe "partial translation" do
 
       before do