diff --git a/lib/webrat/core/elements/form.rb b/lib/webrat/core/elements/form.rb
index 5ab345cc..64828d52 100644
--- a/lib/webrat/core/elements/form.rb
+++ b/lib/webrat/core/elements/form.rb
@@ -110,7 +110,7 @@ def self.query_string_to_params(query_string)
       when :rack, :sinatra
         Rack::Utils.parse_nested_query(query_string)
       else
-        query_string.split('&').map {|query| { query.split('=').first => query.split('=').last }}
+        query_string.split('&').map {|query| Hash[*query.split('=', 2)] }
       end
     end
 
diff --git a/spec/integration/mechanize/sample_app.rb b/spec/integration/mechanize/sample_app.rb
index af5d8850..3274223e 100644
--- a/spec/integration/mechanize/sample_app.rb
+++ b/spec/integration/mechanize/sample_app.rb
@@ -30,6 +30,6 @@ class SampleApp < Sinatra::Default
   end
 
   put "/form" do
-    "Welcome #{params[:email]}"
+    "Welcome '#{params[:email]}'"
   end
 end
diff --git a/spec/integration/mechanize/spec/mechanize_spec.rb b/spec/integration/mechanize/spec/mechanize_spec.rb
index b2ca743d..70ceee65 100644
--- a/spec/integration/mechanize/spec/mechanize_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/integration/mechanize/spec/mechanize_spec.rb
@@ -18,7 +18,15 @@
     fill_in "Email", :with => "albert@example.com"
     response = click_button "Add"
 
-    response.should contain("Welcome albert@example.com")
+    response.should contain("Welcome 'albert@example.com'")
+  end
+
+  it "should submit forms with field whose value is blank" do
+    visit "http://localhost:9292/form"
+    fill_in "Email", :with => ""
+    response = click_button "Add"
+
+    response.should contain("Welcome ''")
   end
 
   it "should not follow external redirects" do