diff --git a/.changeset/orange-countries-divide.md b/.changeset/orange-countries-divide.md
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..931ac834ddf
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changeset/orange-countries-divide.md
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+---
+"@salt-ds/core": minor
+---
+
+`NavigationItem`: add `linkProps` prop to allow extending `HTMLAnchorElement`'s functionality (eg. when using `NavigationItem` with other third-party navigation libraries).
diff --git a/packages/core/src/__tests__/__e2e__/navigation-item/NavigationItem.cy.tsx b/packages/core/src/__tests__/__e2e__/navigation-item/NavigationItem.cy.tsx
index e67007d18c4..e5b8dd59cbd 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/__tests__/__e2e__/navigation-item/NavigationItem.cy.tsx
+++ b/packages/core/src/__tests__/__e2e__/navigation-item/NavigationItem.cy.tsx
@@ -17,7 +17,24 @@ describe("GIVEN a NavItem", () => {
     });
   });
 
-  describe("AND `href` is NOT passed", () => {
+  describe("AND `href` is NOT passed AND `linkProps` is passed", () => {
+    it("should render a link using linkProps", () => {
+      cy.mount(
+        <NavigationItem
+          linkProps={{ href: "https://www.saltdesignsystem.com" }}
+        >
+          Navigation Item
+        </NavigationItem>
+      );
+      cy.findByRole("link").should(
+        "have.attr",
+        "href",
+        "https://www.saltdesignsystem.com"
+      );
+    });
+  });
+
+  describe("AND `href` is NOT passed AND `linkProps` is NOT passed", () => {
     it("should render a button", () => {
       cy.mount(<NavigationItem>Navigation Item</NavigationItem>);
       cy.findByRole("button").should("exist");
diff --git a/packages/core/src/navigation-item/ConditionalWrapper.tsx b/packages/core/src/navigation-item/ConditionalWrapper.tsx
index 8aa4f7c9d86..e4adfa24017 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/navigation-item/ConditionalWrapper.tsx
+++ b/packages/core/src/navigation-item/ConditionalWrapper.tsx
@@ -4,7 +4,13 @@ import { NavigationItemProps } from "./NavigationItem";
 interface ConditionalWrapperProps
   extends Pick<
     NavigationItemProps,
-    "parent" | "expanded" | "onExpand" | "active" | "href" | "onClick"
+    | "parent"
+    | "expanded"
+    | "onExpand"
+    | "active"
+    | "href"
+    | "onClick"
+    | "linkProps"
   > {
   children: ReactNode;
   className: string;
@@ -18,13 +24,14 @@ export const ConditionalWrapper = ({
   onExpand,
   active,
   href,
+  linkProps,
 }: ConditionalWrapperProps) => {
   const handleExpand = (event: MouseEvent<HTMLButtonElement>) => {
     event.stopPropagation();
     onExpand?.(event);
   };
 
-  return parent || href === undefined ? (
+  return parent || (href === undefined && linkProps === undefined) ? (
     <button
       aria-label="expand"
       aria-expanded={expanded}
@@ -38,6 +45,7 @@ export const ConditionalWrapper = ({
       aria-current={active ? "page" : undefined}
       href={href}
       className={className}
+      {...linkProps}
     >
       {children}
     </a>
diff --git a/packages/core/src/navigation-item/NavigationItem.tsx b/packages/core/src/navigation-item/NavigationItem.tsx
index db8e0112e68..83acecfb680 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/navigation-item/NavigationItem.tsx
+++ b/packages/core/src/navigation-item/NavigationItem.tsx
@@ -42,6 +42,10 @@ export interface NavigationItemProps extends ComponentPropsWithoutRef<"div"> {
    * Href to be passed to the Link element.
    */
   href?: string;
+  /**
+   * Additional properties passed to the Link element.
+   */
+  linkProps?: ComponentPropsWithoutRef<"a">;
 }
 
 const withBaseName = makePrefixer("saltNavigationItem");
@@ -60,6 +64,7 @@ export const NavigationItem = forwardRef<HTMLDivElement, NavigationItemProps>(
       onExpand,
       href,
       style: styleProp,
+      linkProps = {},
       ...rest
     } = props;
 
@@ -97,6 +102,7 @@ export const NavigationItem = forwardRef<HTMLDivElement, NavigationItemProps>(
           onExpand={onExpand}
           active={active}
           href={href}
+          linkProps={linkProps}
         >
           <span className={withBaseName("label")}>{children}</span>
           {parent && (