diff --git a/src/main/cpp/src/parse_uri.cu b/src/main/cpp/src/parse_uri.cu
index 13c4050404..0e6ea2690d 100644
--- a/src/main/cpp/src/parse_uri.cu
+++ b/src/main/cpp/src/parse_uri.cu
@@ -494,48 +494,42 @@ bool __device__ validate_fragment(string_view fragment)
 
 __device__ std::pair<string_view, bool> find_query_part(string_view haystack, string_view needle)
 {
-  auto const n_bytes     = needle.size_bytes();
-  auto const find_length = haystack.size_bytes() - n_bytes + 1;
-
-  auto h           = haystack.data();
-  auto const end_h = haystack.data() + find_length;
-  auto n           = needle.data();
-  bool match       = false;
-  while (h < end_h) {
-    match = false;  // initialize to false to prevent empty query key
-    for (size_type jdx = 0; (jdx == 0 || match) && (jdx < n_bytes); ++jdx) {
-      match = (h[jdx] == n[jdx]);
+  auto const n_bytes = needle.size_bytes();
+  auto h             = haystack.data();
+  auto const h_end   = h + haystack.size_bytes();
+  auto n             = needle.data();
+
+  // stop matching early after it can no longer contain the string we are searching for
+  while (h + n_bytes < h_end) {
+    bool match_needle = true;
+    for (size_type jdx = 0; jdx < n_bytes; ++jdx) {
+      match_needle = (h[jdx] == n[jdx]);
+      if (!match_needle) { break; }
     }
-    if (match) { match = n_bytes < haystack.size_bytes() && h[n_bytes] == '='; }
-    if (match) {
-      // we don't care about the matched part, we want the string data after that.
-      h += n_bytes;
-      break;
-    } else {
-      // skip to the next param, which is after a &.
-      while (h < end_h && *h != '&') {
+
+    if (match_needle && h[n_bytes] == '=') {
+      // we don't care about the matched part, we want the string data after '='
+      h += n_bytes + 1;
+
+      // rest of string until end or until '&' is query match
+      int match_len = 0;
+      auto start    = h;
+      while (h < h_end && *h != '&') {
+        match_len++;
         h++;
       }
-    }
-    h++;
-  }
-
-  // if not match or no value, return nothing
-  if (!match || *h != '=') { return {{}, false}; }
 
-  // skip over the =
-  h++;
+      return {{start, match_len}, true};
+    }
 
-  // rest of string until end or until '&' is query match
-  auto const bytes_left = haystack.size_bytes() - (h - haystack.data());
-  int match_len         = 0;
-  auto start            = h;
-  while (*h != '&' && match_len < bytes_left) {
-    ++match_len;
-    ++h;
+    // not match, skip to the next param if possible, which is after a &.
+    while (h + n_bytes < h_end && *h != '&') {
+      h++;
+    }
+    h++;  // skip over the & if has, or point to h_end +1
   }
 
-  return {{start, match_len}, true};
+  return {{}, false};
 }
 
 uri_parts __device__ validate_uri(const char* str,
diff --git a/src/test/java/com/nvidia/spark/rapids/jni/ParseURITest.java b/src/test/java/com/nvidia/spark/rapids/jni/ParseURITest.java
index 8f9fcfd903..ffe7e9e946 100644
--- a/src/test/java/com/nvidia/spark/rapids/jni/ParseURITest.java
+++ b/src/test/java/com/nvidia/spark/rapids/jni/ParseURITest.java
@@ -143,7 +143,7 @@ void testQuery(String[] testData, String[] params) {
         String[] pairs = query.split("&");
         for (String pair : pairs) {
           int idx = pair.indexOf("=");
-          if (idx > 0 && pair.substring(0, idx).equals(params[i])) {
+          if (idx >= 0 && pair.substring(0, idx).equals(params[i])) {
             subquery = pair.substring(idx + 1);
             break;
           }
@@ -218,6 +218,7 @@ void parseURISparkTest() {
       "https://www.nvidia.com/?cat=12",
       "www.nvidia.com/vote.php?pid=50",
       "https://www.nvidia.com/vote.php?=50",
+      "https://www.nvidia.com/vote.php?query=50"
     };
 
       String[] queries = {
@@ -276,6 +277,7 @@ void parseURISparkTest() {
         "f",
         "query",
         "query",
+        "",
         ""
       };