diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 82aa26a48..40a9bba63 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -57,7 +57,7 @@ npm install ws
 
 ### Opt-in for performance
 
-`bufferutil` is an optional module that can be installed alongside the `ws`
+[bufferutil][] is an optional module that can be installed alongside the ws
 module:
 
 ```
@@ -69,7 +69,7 @@ as masking and unmasking the data payload of the WebSocket frames. Prebuilt
 binaries are available for the most popular platforms, so you don't necessarily
 need to have a C++ compiler installed on your machine.
 
-To force `ws` to not use `bufferutil`, use the
+To force ws to not use bufferutil, use the
 [`WS_NO_BUFFER_UTIL`](./doc/ws.md#ws_no_buffer_util) environment variable. This
 can be useful to enhance security in systems where a user can put a package in
 the package search path of an application of another user, due to how the
@@ -77,8 +77,8 @@ Node.js resolver algorithm works.
 
 #### Legacy opt-in for performance
 
-If you are running on an old version of Node.js (prior to v18.14.0), `ws` also
-supports the `utf-8-validate` module:
+If you are running on an old version of Node.js (prior to v18.14.0), ws also
+supports the [utf-8-validate][] module:
 
 ```
 npm install --save-optional utf-8-validate
@@ -86,7 +86,7 @@ npm install --save-optional utf-8-validate
 
 This contains a binary polyfill for [`buffer.isUtf8()`][].
 
-To force `ws` to not use `utf-8-validate`, use the
+To force ws to not use utf-8-validate, use the
 [`WS_NO_UTF_8_VALIDATE`](./doc/ws.md#ws_no_utf_8_validate) environment variable.
 
 ## API docs
@@ -533,6 +533,7 @@ We're using the GitHub [releases][changelog] for changelog entries.
 [MIT](LICENSE)
 
 [`buffer.isutf8()`]: https://nodejs.org/api/buffer.html#bufferisutf8input
+[bufferutil]: https://github.com/websockets/bufferutil
 [changelog]: https://github.com/websockets/ws/releases
 [client-report]: http://websockets.github.io/ws/autobahn/clients/
 [https-proxy-agent]: https://github.com/TooTallNate/node-https-proxy-agent
@@ -543,4 +544,5 @@ We're using the GitHub [releases][changelog] for changelog entries.
 [server-report]: http://websockets.github.io/ws/autobahn/servers/
 [session-parse-example]: ./examples/express-session-parse
 [socks-proxy-agent]: https://github.com/TooTallNate/node-socks-proxy-agent
+[utf-8-validate]: https://github.com/websockets/utf-8-validate
 [ws-server-options]: ./doc/ws.md#new-websocketserveroptions-callback