diff --git a/josh-core/Cargo.toml b/josh-core/Cargo.toml
index a430f5f5..3021920a 100644
--- a/josh-core/Cargo.toml
+++ b/josh-core/Cargo.toml
@@ -36,6 +36,7 @@ toml = { workspace = true }
 tracing = { workspace = true }
 gix = { workspace = true }
 juniper = { workspace = true }
+form_urlencoded = "1.2.1"
 
 [dependencies.chrono]
 default-features = false
diff --git a/josh-core/src/query.rs b/josh-core/src/query.rs
index 22c5b515..e8c79d11 100644
--- a/josh-core/src/query.rs
+++ b/josh-core/src/query.rs
@@ -124,17 +124,18 @@ pub fn render(
     query_and_params: &str,
     split_odb: bool,
 ) -> JoshResult<Option<(String, std::collections::BTreeMap<String, String>)>> {
-    let mut parameters = query_and_params.split('&');
-    let query = parameters
-        .next()
-        .ok_or_else(|| josh_error(&format!("invalid query {:?}", query_and_params)))?;
-    let mut split = query.splitn(2, '=');
-    let cmd = split
-        .next()
-        .ok_or_else(|| josh_error(&format!("invalid query {:?}", query_and_params)))?;
-    let path = split
-        .next()
-        .ok_or_else(|| josh_error(&format!("invalid query {:?}", query_and_params)))?;
+    let params = form_urlencoded::parse(&query_and_params.as_bytes())
+        .map(|(x, y)| (x.to_string(), y.to_string()))
+        .collect::<std::collections::BTreeMap<_, _>>();
+    let (cmd, path) = if let Some(path) = params.get("get") {
+        ("get", path)
+    } else if let Some(path) = params.get("graphql") {
+        ("graphql", path)
+    } else if let Some(path) = params.get("render") {
+        ("render", path)
+    } else {
+        return Err(josh_error("no command"));
+    };
 
     let tree = transaction.repo().find_commit(commit_id)?.tree()?;
 
@@ -146,18 +147,6 @@ pub fn render(
         }
     );
 
-    let mut params = std::collections::BTreeMap::new();
-    for p in parameters {
-        let mut split = p.splitn(2, '=');
-        let name = split
-            .next()
-            .ok_or_else(|| josh_error(&format!("invalid query {:?}", query_and_params)))?;
-        let value = split
-            .next()
-            .ok_or_else(|| josh_error(&format!("invalid query {:?}", query_and_params)))?;
-        params.insert(name.to_string(), value.to_string());
-    }
-
     let template = if let Ok(blob) = obj.peel_to_blob() {
         let file = std::str::from_utf8(blob.content())?;
         if cmd == "get" {
diff --git a/tests/filter/graphql_hbs.t b/tests/filter/graphql_hbs.t
index 72abc5aa..fa5833d0 100644
--- a/tests/filter/graphql_hbs.t
+++ b/tests/filter/graphql_hbs.t
@@ -306,9 +306,10 @@
       ]
     }
   } (no-eol)
-  $ josh-filter -q "render=sub1/tmpl_file&tmpl_param1=tmpl_param_value1&tmpl_p2=val2"
+
+  $ josh-filter -q "render=sub1%2Ftmpl_file&tmpl_param1=tmpl_param_value1&tmpl_p2=val%252"
   tmpl_param1: tmpl_param_value1
-  tmpl_p2: val2
+  tmpl_p2: val%2
   ID: a00263b0ee48ce1badf88d178a1e4fc27546aad0
   Summary: add templ_file
   From TOML: my_value