I read the thread, and it is said that by now the implementation cannot be changed without breaking a lot. But there are multiple workarounds and fixes you can apply depending on your situtation. There also seems to be a new HTML renderer where the problem is already fixed.

I think this is actually a great example of how dedicated Dan Allen is to the project! He has been following up on the ticket for over 6 years!

I have interacted with him briefly on the Antora Zulip Chat a couple of times and he is always very helpful, it's a pleasure.