diff --git a/client/src/main/java/org/asynchttpclient/util/UriEncoder.java b/client/src/main/java/org/asynchttpclient/util/UriEncoder.java
index d205aed6f..d94d0770b 100644
--- a/client/src/main/java/org/asynchttpclient/util/UriEncoder.java
+++ b/client/src/main/java/org/asynchttpclient/util/UriEncoder.java
@@ -62,9 +62,7 @@ protected String withQueryWithParams(final String query, final List<Param> query
         @Override
         protected String withQueryWithoutParams(final String query) {
             // encode query
-            StringBuilder sb = StringBuilderPool.DEFAULT.stringBuilder();
-            encodeAndAppendQuery(sb, query);
-            return sb.toString();
+            return Utf8UrlEncoder.encodeQuery(query);
         }
 
         @Override
diff --git a/client/src/main/java/org/asynchttpclient/util/Utf8UrlEncoder.java b/client/src/main/java/org/asynchttpclient/util/Utf8UrlEncoder.java
index fe01e3208..cd7a7801c 100644
--- a/client/src/main/java/org/asynchttpclient/util/Utf8UrlEncoder.java
+++ b/client/src/main/java/org/asynchttpclient/util/Utf8UrlEncoder.java
@@ -129,6 +129,12 @@ public static String encodePath(String input) {
         return sb == null ? input : sb.toString();
     }
 
+    // package-private: only UriEncoder (same package) needs this; keep API surface minimal
+    static String encodeQuery(String input) {
+        StringBuilder sb = lazyAppendEncoded(null, input, BUILT_QUERY_UNTOUCHED_CHARS, false);
+        return sb == null ? input : sb.toString();
+    }
+
     public static StringBuilder encodeAndAppendQuery(StringBuilder sb, String query) {
         return appendEncoded(sb, query, BUILT_QUERY_UNTOUCHED_CHARS, false);
     }
diff --git a/client/src/test/java/org/asynchttpclient/util/Utf8UrlEncoderTest.java b/client/src/test/java/org/asynchttpclient/util/Utf8UrlEncoderTest.java
index ee3966cf0..83268fc13 100644
--- a/client/src/test/java/org/asynchttpclient/util/Utf8UrlEncoderTest.java
+++ b/client/src/test/java/org/asynchttpclient/util/Utf8UrlEncoderTest.java
@@ -15,20 +15,39 @@
  */
 package org.asynchttpclient.util;
 
-import io.github.artsok.RepeatedIfExceptionsTest;
+import org.junit.jupiter.api.Test;
 
 import static org.junit.jupiter.api.Assertions.assertEquals;
+import static org.junit.jupiter.api.Assertions.assertNotSame;
+import static org.junit.jupiter.api.Assertions.assertSame;
 
 public class Utf8UrlEncoderTest {
 
-    @RepeatedIfExceptionsTest(repeats = 5)
+    @Test
     public void testBasics() {
         assertEquals("foobar", Utf8UrlEncoder.encodeQueryElement("foobar"));
         assertEquals("a%26b", Utf8UrlEncoder.encodeQueryElement("a&b"));
         assertEquals("a%2Bb", Utf8UrlEncoder.encodeQueryElement("a+b"));
     }
 
-    @RepeatedIfExceptionsTest(repeats = 5)
+    @Test
+    public void encodeQueryReusesInputWhenNothingNeedsEscaping() {
+        String query = "a=1&b=/two?c%20d";
+
+        assertSame(query, Utf8UrlEncoder.encodeQuery(query));
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    public void encodeQueryEscapesWhenNeeded() {
+        String query = "a=one two";
+        String encoded = Utf8UrlEncoder.encodeQuery(query);
+
+        assertNotSame(query, encoded);
+        assertEquals("a=one%20two", encoded);
+        assertEquals("a=%C3%A9", Utf8UrlEncoder.encodeQuery("a=\u00e9"));
+    }
+
+    @Test
     public void testPercentageEncoding() {
         assertEquals("foobar", Utf8UrlEncoder.percentEncodeQueryElement("foobar"));
         assertEquals("foo%2Abar", Utf8UrlEncoder.percentEncodeQueryElement("foo*bar"));