diff --git a/UniversalLanguageSelector.hooks.php b/UniversalLanguageSelector.hooks.php
index 3dc19ad9..367dadaa 100644
--- a/UniversalLanguageSelector.hooks.php
+++ b/UniversalLanguageSelector.hooks.php
@@ -119,7 +119,10 @@ class UniversalLanguageSelectorHooks {
 		// If the extension is enabled, basic features (API, language data) available.
 		$out->addModules( 'ext.uls.init' );
 
-		if ( self::isCompactLinksEnabled( $out->getUser() ) ) {
+		// Soft dependency to Wikibase client. Don't enable CLL if links are managed manually.
+		$excludedLinks = $out->getProperty( 'noexternallanglinks' );
+		$override = is_array( $excludedLinks ) && in_array( '*', $excludedLinks );
+		if ( !$override && self::isCompactLinksEnabled( $out->getUser() ) ) {
 			$out->addModules( 'ext.uls.compactlinks' );
 		}