diff --git a/mu4e/mu4e-view.el b/mu4e/mu4e-view.el
index 78fc1f35..b88d2882 100644
--- a/mu4e/mu4e-view.el
+++ b/mu4e/mu4e-view.el
@@ -976,7 +976,7 @@ Also number them so they can be opened using `mu4e-view-go-to-url'."
 		   help-echo
 		   "[mouse-1] or [M-RET] to open the link"))
 	      (overlay-put ov 'after-string
-		(propertize (format "[%d]" num)
+		(propertize (format "\u200B[%d]" num)
 		  'face 'mu4e-url-number-face)))))))))