Index: includes/common.inc
===================================================================
--- includes/common.inc	(revision 47)
+++ includes/common.inc	(working copy)
@@ -2094,10 +2094,22 @@
  * Return TRUE if a path is external (e.g. http://example.com).
  */
 function url_is_external($path) {
-  $colonpos = strpos($path, ':');
   // Only call the slow filter_xss_bad_protocol if $path contains a ':'
   // before any / ? or #.
-  return $colonpos !== FALSE && !preg_match('![/?#]!', substr($path, 0, $colonpos)) && filter_xss_bad_protocol($path, FALSE) == check_plain($path);
+  $colonpos = strpos($path, ':');
+  if ($colonpos !== FALSE && !preg_match('![/?#]!', substr($path, 0, $colonpos)) && filter_xss_bad_protocol($path, FALSE) == check_plain($path)) {
+      return TRUE;
+  }
+  //If it begins with a /, then it is considered external to drupal, but local to our domain.
+  //We should ensure that it is not supposed to be a drupal path with an accidental / on the front.
+  else if ((strpos($path, '/') === 0) && !menu_get_item(ltrim($path, '/'))) {
+    return TRUE;
+  }
+  else {
+    return FALSE;
+  }
+
+
 }
 
 /**
Index: includes/menu.inc
===================================================================
--- includes/menu.inc	(revision 47)
+++ includes/menu.inc	(working copy)
@@ -783,6 +783,9 @@
     $item['access'] = 1;
     $map = array();
     $item['href'] = $item['link_path'];
+    //external paths beginning with / are local to our domain.
+    //trim the / to ensure it displays correctly.
+    $item['href'] = ltrim($item['href'], '/');
     $item['title'] = $item['link_title'];
     $item['localized_options'] = $item['options'];
   }
Index: modules/menu/menu.admin.inc
===================================================================
--- modules/menu/menu.admin.inc	(revision 47)
+++ modules/menu/menu.admin.inc	(working copy)
@@ -281,7 +281,7 @@
       '#type' => 'textfield',
       '#title' => t('Path'),
       '#default_value' => $path,
-      '#description' => t('The path for this menu link. This can be an internal Drupal path such as %add-node or an external URL such as %drupal. Enter %front to link to the front page.', array('%front' => '<front>', '%add-node' => 'node/add', '%drupal' => 'http://drupal.org')),
+      '#description' => t('The path for this menu link. This can be an internal Drupal path such as %add-node or an external URL such as %drupal. Enter %front to link to the front page. To link to a URL local to your domain, but external to drupal, precede the path with a /, such as %local_path', array('%front' => '<front>', '%add-node' => 'node/add', '%drupal' => 'http://drupal.org', '%local_path' => '/myfile.html')),
       '#required' => TRUE,
     );
     $form['delete'] = array(