diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index fed94ae4..7b26a6d9 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -2,7 +2,88 @@
 
 ## [Unreleased](https://github.com/gjtorikian/html-proofer/tree/HEAD)
 
-[Full Changelog](https://github.com/gjtorikian/html-proofer/compare/v4.2.0...HEAD)
+[Full Changelog](https://github.com/gjtorikian/html-proofer/compare/v4.4.2...HEAD)
+
+**Merged pull requests:**
+
+- Revert "Validate options" [\#774](https://github.com/gjtorikian/html-proofer/pull/774) ([gjtorikian](https://github.com/gjtorikian))
+
+## [v4.4.2](https://github.com/gjtorikian/html-proofer/tree/v4.4.2) (2022-10-07)
+
+[Full Changelog](https://github.com/gjtorikian/html-proofer/compare/v4.4.1...v4.4.2)
+
+**Closed issues:**
+
+- `erstiebegrüßung.html` causing problems on macOS [\#771](https://github.com/gjtorikian/html-proofer/issues/771)
+- HTMLProofer times out [\#768](https://github.com/gjtorikian/html-proofer/issues/768)
+
+**Merged pull requests:**
+
+- Create erstiebegrüßung.html from code [\#772](https://github.com/gjtorikian/html-proofer/pull/772) ([asbjornu](https://github.com/asbjornu))
+- Validate options [\#767](https://github.com/gjtorikian/html-proofer/pull/767) ([asbjornu](https://github.com/asbjornu))
+
+## [v4.4.1](https://github.com/gjtorikian/html-proofer/tree/v4.4.1) (2022-09-25)
+
+[Full Changelog](https://github.com/gjtorikian/html-proofer/compare/v4.4.0...v4.4.1)
+
+**Closed issues:**
+
+- Custom `Checker` class is not executed [\#764](https://github.com/gjtorikian/html-proofer/issues/764)
+- `--cache` unvailable in CLI [\#763](https://github.com/gjtorikian/html-proofer/issues/763)
+- `--parallel` unavailable in CLI [\#762](https://github.com/gjtorikian/html-proofer/issues/762)
+- HTMLproofer does not properly ignore links [\#756](https://github.com/gjtorikian/html-proofer/issues/756)
+- Mailto check failed in some cases [\#754](https://github.com/gjtorikian/html-proofer/issues/754)
+
+**Merged pull requests:**
+
+- Optimize checking internal link hashes in target files [\#770](https://github.com/gjtorikian/html-proofer/pull/770) ([riccardoporreca](https://github.com/riccardoporreca))
+- Fix `--swap-attributes` CLI argument in README [\#765](https://github.com/gjtorikian/html-proofer/pull/765) ([mark-monteiro](https://github.com/mark-monteiro))
+- Fix and improve swap\_attribute README example [\#755](https://github.com/gjtorikian/html-proofer/pull/755) ([riccardoporreca](https://github.com/riccardoporreca))
+
+## [v4.4.0](https://github.com/gjtorikian/html-proofer/tree/v4.4.0) (2022-08-13)
+
+[Full Changelog](https://github.com/gjtorikian/html-proofer/compare/v4.3.2...v4.4.0)
+
+**Closed issues:**
+
+- `--assume_extension` unexpected behaviour [\#751](https://github.com/gjtorikian/html-proofer/issues/751)
+- Protocol-relative \(no `http(s):`\) URL issue: Script cache issue and anti-pattern consideration [\#750](https://github.com/gjtorikian/html-proofer/issues/750)
+- Questions on command-line options in 4.x [\#749](https://github.com/gjtorikian/html-proofer/issues/749)
+
+**Merged pull requests:**
+
+- Fail on protocol-relative urls [\#752](https://github.com/gjtorikian/html-proofer/pull/752) ([riccardoporreca](https://github.com/riccardoporreca))
+
+## [v4.3.2](https://github.com/gjtorikian/html-proofer/tree/v4.3.2) (2022-08-03)
+
+[Full Changelog](https://github.com/gjtorikian/html-proofer/compare/v4.3.1...v4.3.2)
+
+**Closed issues:**
+
+- 4.3.1 Ignoring options [\#748](https://github.com/gjtorikian/html-proofer/issues/748)
+- Link checker triggered for href="" [\#746](https://github.com/gjtorikian/html-proofer/issues/746)
+- Passing RegExp to `--ignore-url` broken after v4.2.0 release [\#745](https://github.com/gjtorikian/html-proofer/issues/745)
+
+**Merged pull requests:**
+
+- Switch 'source' elements to use image check code path [\#747](https://github.com/gjtorikian/html-proofer/pull/747) ([fallax](https://github.com/fallax))
+
+## [v4.3.1](https://github.com/gjtorikian/html-proofer/tree/v4.3.1) (2022-07-29)
+
+[Full Changelog](https://github.com/gjtorikian/html-proofer/compare/v4.3.0...v4.3.1)
+
+**Closed issues:**
+
+- ignore\_files no longer works with regex [\#743](https://github.com/gjtorikian/html-proofer/issues/743)
+- Empty mailto is generating undesired errors. [\#742](https://github.com/gjtorikian/html-proofer/issues/742)
+
+**Merged pull requests:**
+
+- Srcsets - better handling of multiple srcsets [\#744](https://github.com/gjtorikian/html-proofer/pull/744) ([fallax](https://github.com/fallax))
+
+## [v4.3.0](https://github.com/gjtorikian/html-proofer/tree/v4.3.0) (2022-07-26)
+
+[Full Changelog](https://github.com/gjtorikian/html-proofer/compare/v4.2.0...v4.3.0)
 
 **Closed issues:**
 
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index b10d554d..7d0a5f64 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -198,7 +198,7 @@ values. The escape sequences `\:` should be used to produce literal
 htmlproofer --swap-urls "wow:cow,mow:doh" --extensions .html.erb --ignore-urls www.github.com ./out
 ```
 
-Some configuration options--such as `--typheous`, `--cache`, or `--attribute-swap`--require well-formatted JSON.
+Some configuration options, such as `--typheous`, `--cache`, or `--swap-attributes`, require well-formatted JSON.
 
 #### Adjusting for a `baseurl`
 
diff --git a/lib/html_proofer/url_validator/internal.rb b/lib/html_proofer/url_validator/internal.rb
index 5d02b87d..4af5cc1d 100644
--- a/lib/html_proofer/url_validator/internal.rb
+++ b/lib/html_proofer/url_validator/internal.rb
@@ -22,22 +22,39 @@ def validate
       end
 
       def run_internal_link_checker(links)
+        # collect urls and metadata for hashes to be checked in the same target file
+        file_paths_hashes_to_check = {}
         to_add = []
-        links.each_pair do |link, matched_files|
+        links.each_with_index do |(link, matched_files), i|
+          matched_count_to_log = pluralize(matched_files.count, "reference", "references")
+          @logger.log(:debug, "(#{i + 1} / #{links.count}) Internal link #{link}: Checking #{matched_count_to_log}")
           matched_files.each do |metadata|
             url = HTMLProofer::Attribute::Url.new(@runner, link, base_url: metadata[:base_url])
 
             @runner.current_source = metadata[:source]
             @runner.current_filename = metadata[:filename]
 
-            unless file_exists?(url)
+            target_file_path = url.absolute_path
+            unless file_exists?(target_file_path)
               @failed_checks << Failure.new(@runner.current_filename, "Links > Internal",
                 "internally linking to #{url}, which does not exist", line: metadata[:line], status: nil, content: nil)
               to_add << [url, metadata, false]
               next
             end
 
-            unless hash_exists?(url)
+            hash_exists = hash_exists_for_url?(url)
+            if hash_exists.nil?
+              # the hash needs to be checked in the target file, we collect the url and metadata
+              unless file_paths_hashes_to_check.key?(target_file_path)
+                file_paths_hashes_to_check[target_file_path] = {}
+              end
+              unless file_paths_hashes_to_check[target_file_path].key?(url.hash)
+                file_paths_hashes_to_check[target_file_path][url.hash] = []
+              end
+              file_paths_hashes_to_check[target_file_path][url.hash] << [url, metadata]
+              next
+            end
+            unless hash_exists
               @failed_checks << Failure.new(@runner.current_filename, "Links > Internal",
                 "internally linking to #{url}; the file exists, but the hash '#{url.hash}' does not", line: metadata[:line], status: nil, content: nil)
               to_add << [url, metadata, false]
@@ -48,6 +65,24 @@ def run_internal_link_checker(links)
           end
         end
 
+        # check hashes by target file
+        @logger.log(:info, "Checking internal link hashes in #{pluralize(file_paths_hashes_to_check.count, "file", "files")}")
+        file_paths_hashes_to_check.each_with_index do |(file_path, hashes_to_check), i|
+          hash_count_to_log = pluralize(hashes_to_check.count, "hash", "hashes")
+          @logger.log(:debug, "(#{i + 1} / #{file_paths_hashes_to_check.count}) Checking #{hash_count_to_log} in #{file_path}")
+          html = create_nokogiri(file_path)
+          hashes_to_check.each_pair do |href_hash, url_metadata|
+            exists = hash_exists_in_html?(href_hash, html)
+            url_metadata.each do |(url, metadata)|
+              unless exists
+                @failed_checks << Failure.new(metadata[:filename], "Links > Internal",
+                  "internally linking to #{url}; the file exists, but the hash '#{href_hash}' does not", line: metadata[:line], status: nil, content: nil)
+              end
+              to_add << [url, metadata, exists]
+            end
+          end
+        end
+
         # adding directly to the cache above results in an endless loop
         to_add.each do |(url, metadata, exists)|
           @cache.add_internal(url.to_s, metadata, exists)
@@ -56,15 +91,15 @@ def run_internal_link_checker(links)
         @failed_checks
       end
 
-      private def file_exists?(url)
-        absolute_path = url.absolute_path
-        return @runner.checked_paths[url.absolute_path] if @runner.checked_paths.key?(absolute_path)
+      private def file_exists?(absolute_path)
+        return @runner.checked_paths[absolute_path] if @runner.checked_paths.key?(absolute_path)
 
-        @runner.checked_paths[url.absolute_path] = File.exist?(absolute_path)
+        @runner.checked_paths[absolute_path] = File.exist?(absolute_path)
       end
 
-      # verify the target hash
-      private def hash_exists?(url)
+      # verify the hash w/o just based on the URL, w/o looking at the target file
+      # => returns nil if the has could not be verified
+      private def hash_exists_for_url?(url)
         href_hash = url.hash
         return true if blank?(href_hash)
         return true unless @runner.options[:check_internal_hash]
@@ -76,10 +111,18 @@ def run_internal_link_checker(links)
         decoded_href_hash = Addressable::URI.unescape(href_hash)
         fragment_ids = [href_hash, decoded_href_hash]
         # https://www.w3.org/TR/html5/single-page.html#scroll-to-fragid
-        fragment_ids.include?("top") || !find_fragments(fragment_ids, url).empty?
+        return true if fragment_ids.include?("top")
+
+        nil
+      end
+
+      private def hash_exists_in_html?(href_hash, html)
+        decoded_href_hash = Addressable::URI.unescape(href_hash)
+        fragment_ids = [href_hash, decoded_href_hash]
+        !find_fragments(fragment_ids, html).empty?
       end
 
-      private def find_fragments(fragment_ids, url)
+      private def find_fragments(fragment_ids, html)
         xpaths = fragment_ids.uniq.flat_map do |frag_id|
           escaped_frag_id = "'#{frag_id.split("'").join("', \"'\", '")}', ''"
           [
@@ -89,7 +132,6 @@ def run_internal_link_checker(links)
         end
         xpaths << XpathFunctions.new
 
-        html = create_nokogiri(url.absolute_path)
         html.xpath(*xpaths)
       end
     end
diff --git a/lib/html_proofer/version.rb b/lib/html_proofer/version.rb
index 838da696..1c6561d2 100644
--- a/lib/html_proofer/version.rb
+++ b/lib/html_proofer/version.rb
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 # frozen_string_literal: true
 
 module HTMLProofer
-  VERSION = "4.4.0"
+  VERSION = "4.4.3"
 end
diff --git a/script/changelog b/script/changelog
index 2d13bea2..8814ace5 100755
--- a/script/changelog
+++ b/script/changelog
@@ -1,3 +1,3 @@
 #!/bin/sh
 
-CHANGELOG_GITHUB_TOKEN="$PUBLIC_GITHUB_TOKEN" github_changelog_generator -u gjtorikian -p html-proofer
+CHANGELOG_GITHUB_TOKEN="$GITHUB_CHANGELOG_TOKEN" github_changelog_generator -u gjtorikian -p html-proofer
diff --git "a/spec/html-proofer/fixtures/links/erstiebegr\303\274\303\237ung.html" "b/spec/html-proofer/fixtures/links/erstiebegr\303\274\303\237ung.html"
deleted file mode 100644
index e69de29b..00000000