diff --git a/.changeset/many-spoons-beg.md b/.changeset/many-spoons-beg.md
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..c31a1b730
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changeset/many-spoons-beg.md
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+---
+'myst-transforms': patch
+---
+
+Link text transform is run twice and should be idempotent
diff --git a/packages/myst-transforms/src/links/plugin.ts b/packages/myst-transforms/src/links/plugin.ts
index 2742a6b60..0e7bbf9a4 100644
--- a/packages/myst-transforms/src/links/plugin.ts
+++ b/packages/myst-transforms/src/links/plugin.ts
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ function formatLinkText(link: Link) {
   const url = link.children[0].value;
   // Add an exception for wiki transforms links.
   if (url.length < 20 || url.match(/\s/) || url.startsWith('wiki:')) return;
+  if (url.includes('​')) return;
   // Split the URL into an array to distinguish double slashes from single slashes
   const doubleSlash = url.split('//');
   // Format the strings on either side of double slashes separately