diff --git a/wp-includes/bookmark-template.php b/wp-includes/bookmark-template.php
index 4a156a76cf..cd07204ad9 100644
--- a/wp-includes/bookmark-template.php
+++ b/wp-includes/bookmark-template.php
@@ -102,13 +102,24 @@ function _walk_bookmarks( $bookmarks, $args = '' ) {
 			$title = ' title="' . $title . '"';
 		}
 		$rel = $bookmark->link_rel;
+
+		$target = $bookmark->link_target;
+		if ( '' !== $target ) {
+			if ( is_string( $rel ) && '' !== $rel ) {
+				if ( ! str_contains( $rel, 'noopener' ) ) {
+					$rel = trim( $rel ) . ' noopener';
+				}
+			} else {
+				$rel = 'noopener';
+			}
+
+			$target = ' target="' . $target . '"';
+		}
+
 		if ( '' !== $rel ) {
 			$rel = ' rel="' . esc_attr( $rel ) . '"';
 		}
-		$target = $bookmark->link_target;
-		if ( '' !== $target ) {
-			$target = ' target="' . $target . '"';
-		}
+
 		$output .= '<a href="' . $the_link . '"' . $rel . $title . $target . '>';
 
 		$output .= $parsed_args['link_before'];
diff --git a/wp-includes/version.php b/wp-includes/version.php
index 6948f96a9c..83889536da 100644
--- a/wp-includes/version.php
+++ b/wp-includes/version.php
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@
  *
  * @global string $wp_version
  */
-$wp_version = '5.9-alpha-52060';
+$wp_version = '5.9-alpha-52061';
 
 /**
  * Holds the WordPress DB revision, increments when changes are made to the WordPress DB schema.