diff --git a/src/components/LinkItems/Item.vue b/src/components/LinkItems/Item.vue
index 25896334f9..645ccdafc8 100644
--- a/src/components/LinkItems/Item.vue
+++ b/src/components/LinkItems/Item.vue
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
     <a @click="itemOpened"
       @mouseup.right="openContextMenu"
       @contextmenu.prevent
-      :href="targetHref"
+      :href="hyperLinkHref"
       :target="anchorTarget"
       :class="`item ${!icon? 'short': ''} size-${itemSize}`"
       v-tooltip="getTooltipOptions()"
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@
         v-bind:style="customStyles" class="bounce" />
       <!-- Small icon, showing opening method on hover -->
       <ItemOpenMethodIcon class="opening-method-icon" :isSmall="!icon || itemSize === 'small'"
-        :openingMethod="target"  position="bottom right"
+        :openingMethod="accumulatedTarget"  position="bottom right"
         :hotkey="hotkey" />
       <!-- Status indicator dot (if enabled) showing weather srevice is availible -->
       <StatusIndicator
@@ -49,7 +49,11 @@ import Icon from '@/components/LinkItems/ItemIcon.vue';
 import ItemOpenMethodIcon from '@/components/LinkItems/ItemOpenMethodIcon';
 import StatusIndicator from '@/components/LinkItems/StatusIndicator';
 import ContextMenu from '@/components/LinkItems/ContextMenu';
-import { localStorageKeys, serviceEndpoints } from '@/utils/defaults';
+import {
+  localStorageKeys,
+  serviceEndpoints,
+  openingMethod as defaultOpeningMethod,
+} from '@/utils/defaults';
 import { targetValidator } from '@/utils/ConfigHelpers';
 
 export default {
@@ -80,9 +84,13 @@ export default {
     appConfig() {
       return this.$store.getters.appConfig;
     },
+    accumulatedTarget() {
+      return this.target || this.appConfig.defaultOpeningMethod || defaultOpeningMethod;
+    },
     /* Convert config target value, into HTML anchor target attribute */
     anchorTarget() {
-      switch (this.target) {
+      const target = this.accumulatedTarget;
+      switch (target) {
         case 'sametab': return '_self';
         case 'newtab': return '_blank';
         case 'parent': return '_parent';
@@ -91,9 +99,9 @@ export default {
       }
     },
     /* Get the href value for the anchor, if not opening in modal/ workspace */
-    targetHref() {
+    hyperLinkHref() {
       const noAnchorNeeded = ['modal', 'workspace'];
-      return noAnchorNeeded.includes(this.target) ? '#' : this.url;
+      return noAnchorNeeded.includes(this.accumulatedTarget) ? '#' : this.url;
     },
   },
   data() {
@@ -120,10 +128,10 @@ export default {
   methods: {
     /* Called when an item is clicked, manages the opening of modal & resets the search field */
     itemOpened(e) {
-      if (e.altKey || this.target === 'modal') {
+      if (e.altKey || this.accumulatedTarget === 'modal') {
         e.preventDefault();
         this.$emit('triggerModal', this.url);
-      } else if (this.target === 'workspace') {
+      } else if (this.accumulatedTarget === 'workspace') {
         router.push({ name: 'workspace', query: { url: this.url } });
       } else {
         this.$emit('itemClicked');
@@ -166,12 +174,15 @@ export default {
         classes: `item-description-tooltip tooltip-is-${this.itemSize}`,
       };
     },
-    /* Used by certain themes, which display an icon with animated CSS */
+    /* Used by certain themes (material), to show animated CSS icon */
     getUnicodeOpeningIcon() {
-      switch (this.target) {
+      switch (this.accumulatedTarget) {
         case 'newtab': return '"\\f360"';
         case 'sametab': return '"\\f24d"';
+        case 'parent': return '"\\f3bf"';
+        case 'top': return '"\\f102"';
         case 'modal': return '"\\f2d0"';
+        case 'workspace': return '"\\f0b1"';
         default: return '"\\f054"';
       }
     },
diff --git a/src/components/LinkItems/ItemOpenMethodIcon.vue b/src/components/LinkItems/ItemOpenMethodIcon.vue
index 17ce4782a1..b33aa382b5 100644
--- a/src/components/LinkItems/ItemOpenMethodIcon.vue
+++ b/src/components/LinkItems/ItemOpenMethodIcon.vue
@@ -5,6 +5,9 @@
       <SameTabOpenIcon v-else-if="openingMethod === 'sametab'" />
       <IframeOpenIcon v-else-if="openingMethod === 'modal'" />
       <WorkspaceOpenIcon v-else-if="openingMethod === 'workspace'" />
+      <ParentOpenIcon v-else-if="openingMethod === 'parent'" />
+      <TopOpenIcon v-else-if="openingMethod === 'top'" />
+      <UnknownIcon v-else />
     </div>
     <div v-if="hotkey" :class="`hotkey-denominator ${makeClass(position, isSmall, isTransparent)}`">
       {{ hotkey }}
@@ -20,11 +23,14 @@ import NewTabOpenIcon from '@/assets/interface-icons/open-new-tab.svg';
 import SameTabOpenIcon from '@/assets/interface-icons/open-current-tab.svg';
 import IframeOpenIcon from '@/assets/interface-icons/open-iframe.svg';
 import WorkspaceOpenIcon from '@/assets/interface-icons/open-workspace.svg';
+import ParentOpenIcon from '@/assets/interface-icons/open-parent.svg';
+import TopOpenIcon from '@/assets/interface-icons/open-top.svg';
+import UnknownIcon from '@/assets/interface-icons/unknown-icon.svg';
 
 export default {
   name: 'ItemOpenMethodIcon',
   props: {
-    openingMethod: String, // newtab | sametab | modal | workspace
+    openingMethod: String, // newtab | sametab | parent | top | modal | workspace
     isSmall: Boolean, // If true, will apply small class
     position: String, // Position classes: top, bottom, left, right
     isTransparent: Boolean, // If true, will apply opacity
@@ -44,6 +50,9 @@ export default {
     SameTabOpenIcon,
     IframeOpenIcon,
     WorkspaceOpenIcon,
+    ParentOpenIcon,
+    TopOpenIcon,
+    UnknownIcon,
   },
 };
 </script>
diff --git a/src/utils/ConfigHelpers.js b/src/utils/ConfigHelpers.js
index d8ce987f5e..974f9935f7 100644
--- a/src/utils/ConfigHelpers.js
+++ b/src/utils/ConfigHelpers.js
@@ -7,6 +7,8 @@ import {
   theme as defaultTheme,
   language as defaultLanguage,
 } from '@/utils/defaults';
+import ErrorHandler from '@/utils/ErrorHandler';
+import ConfigSchema from '@/utils/ConfigSchema.json';
 
 /**
  * Initiates the Accumulator class and generates a complete config object
@@ -97,3 +99,17 @@ export const getUsersLanguage = () => {
   const langObj = languages.find(lang => lang.code === langCode);
   return langObj;
 };
+
+/**
+ * validator for item target attribute
+ * Uses enum values from config schema, and shows warning if invalid
+ * @param {String} target
+ * @returns {Boolean} isValid
+ */
+export const targetValidator = (target) => {
+  const acceptedTargets = ConfigSchema.properties.sections.items
+    .properties.items.items.properties.target.enum;
+  const isTargetValid = acceptedTargets.indexOf(target) !== -1;
+  if (!isTargetValid) ErrorHandler(`Unknown target value: ${target}`);
+  return isTargetValid;
+};