diff --git a/packages/@ember/-internals/routing/lib/system/router.ts b/packages/@ember/-internals/routing/lib/system/router.ts
index 8bc0150282a..7e7006ea9b3 100644
--- a/packages/@ember/-internals/routing/lib/system/router.ts
+++ b/packages/@ember/-internals/routing/lib/system/router.ts
@@ -1063,7 +1063,10 @@ class EmberRouter extends EmberObject {
               return true;
             }
 
-            if (_fromRouterService && presentProp !== false) {
+            if (_fromRouterService && presentProp !== false && qp.urlKey !== qp.prop) {
+              // assumptions (mainly from current transitionTo_test):
+              // - this is only supposed to be run when there is an alias to a query param and the alias is used to set the param
+              // - when there is no alias: qp.urlKey == qp.prop
               return false;
             }
 
diff --git a/packages/ember/tests/routing/router_service_test/transitionTo_test.js b/packages/ember/tests/routing/router_service_test/transitionTo_test.js
index 4be05d10a45..cf276e91f44 100644
--- a/packages/ember/tests/routing/router_service_test/transitionTo_test.js
+++ b/packages/ember/tests/routing/router_service_test/transitionTo_test.js
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ import { run } from '@ember/runloop';
 import { get } from '@ember/-internals/metal';
 import { RouterTestCase, moduleFor } from 'internal-test-helpers';
 import { InternalTransition as Transition } from 'router_js';
+import { inject as service } from '@ember/service';
 
 moduleFor(
   'Router Service - transitionTo',
@@ -362,5 +363,31 @@ moduleFor(
         }, 'You passed the `cont_sort` query parameter during a transition into parent.child, please update to url_sort');
       });
     }
+
+    ['@test RouterService#transitionTo with application query params when redirecting form a different route'](
+      assert
+    ) {
+      assert.expect(1);
+
+      this.add(
+        'route:parent.child',
+        Route.extend({
+          router: service(),
+          beforeModel() {
+            this.router.transitionTo('parent');
+          },
+        })
+      );
+      this.add(
+        'controller:parent',
+        Controller.extend({
+          queryParams: ['url_sort'],
+        })
+      );
+
+      return this.visit('/child?url_sort=a').then(() => {
+        assert.equal(this.routerService.get('currentURL'), '/?url_sort=a');
+      });
+    }
   }
 );