diff --git a/lib/querystring.js b/lib/querystring.js
index 6aca65dee5b..c6dc1afcf5f 100644
--- a/lib/querystring.js
+++ b/lib/querystring.js
@@ -555,8 +555,9 @@ function parse(qs, sep, eq, options) {
             key += StringPrototypeSlice(qs, lastPos, i);
           key += plusChar;
           lastPos = i + 1;
-          continue;
         }
+        // Don't let key characters affect value encoding.
+        continue;
       }
       if (code === 43/* + */) {
         if (lastPos < i)
diff --git a/test/parallel/test-querystring.js b/test/parallel/test-querystring.js
index b24ec5b569b..ec463e4a45b 100644
--- a/test/parallel/test-querystring.js
+++ b/test/parallel/test-querystring.js
@@ -415,6 +415,18 @@ assert.strictEqual(qs.unescapeBuffer('a%%').toString(), 'a%%');
 // Test invalid encoded string
 check(qs.parse('%\u0100=%\u0101'), { '%Ā': '%ā' });
 
+// Test encoded key with unencoded value
+{
+  const input = '%C3%A4=caf\u00e9%';
+
+  check(
+    qs.parse(input),
+    { '\u00e4': 'caf\u00e9%' });
+  check(
+    qs.parse(input, null, null),
+    { '\u00e4': 'caf\u00e9%' });
+}
+
 // Test custom decode
 {
   function demoDecode(str) {