diff --git a/actionpack/lib/action_controller/test_case.rb b/actionpack/lib/action_controller/test_case.rb
index 33b0bcbefeb31..5d784ceb31406 100644
--- a/actionpack/lib/action_controller/test_case.rb
+++ b/actionpack/lib/action_controller/test_case.rb
@@ -109,7 +109,7 @@ def assign_parameters(routes, controller_path, action, parameters, generated_pat
           when :xml
             data = non_path_parameters.to_xml
           when :url_encoded_form
-            data = Rack::Utils.build_nested_query(non_path_parameters)
+            data = non_path_parameters.to_query
           else
             @custom_param_parsers[content_mime_type.symbol] = ->(_) { non_path_parameters }
             data = non_path_parameters.to_query
diff --git a/actionpack/test/controller/test_case_test.rb b/actionpack/test/controller/test_case_test.rb
index 663832e9bbfa9..2d0b6cd60248a 100644
--- a/actionpack/test/controller/test_case_test.rb
+++ b/actionpack/test/controller/test_case_test.rb
@@ -220,7 +220,7 @@ def test_raw_post_handling
     params = Hash[:page, { name: "page name" }, "some key", 123]
     post :render_raw_post, params: params.dup
 
-    assert_equal Rack::Utils.build_nested_query(params), @response.body
+    assert_equal params.to_query, @response.body
   end
 
   def test_params_round_trip
@@ -231,12 +231,25 @@ def test_params_round_trip
     assert_equal params.merge(controller_info), JSON.parse(@response.body)
   end
 
+  def test_handle_to_params
+    klass = Class.new do
+      def to_param
+        "bar"
+      end
+    end
+
+    post :test_params, params: { foo: klass.new }
+
+    assert_equal JSON.parse(@response.body)["foo"], "bar"
+  end
+
+
   def test_body_stream
     params = Hash[:page, { name: "page name" }, "some key", 123]
 
     post :render_body, params: params.dup
 
-    assert_equal Rack::Utils.build_nested_query(params), @response.body
+    assert_equal params.to_query, @response.body
   end
 
   def test_document_body_and_params_with_post
diff --git a/activesupport/lib/active_support/core_ext/object/to_query.rb b/activesupport/lib/active_support/core_ext/object/to_query.rb
index abb461966ad19..bac6ff9c97c94 100644
--- a/activesupport/lib/active_support/core_ext/object/to_query.rb
+++ b/activesupport/lib/active_support/core_ext/object/to_query.rb
@@ -75,11 +75,14 @@ class Hash
   #
   # This method is also aliased as +to_param+.
   def to_query(namespace = nil)
-    collect do |key, value|
+    query = collect do |key, value|
       unless (value.is_a?(Hash) || value.is_a?(Array)) && value.empty?
         value.to_query(namespace ? "#{namespace}[#{key}]" : key)
       end
-    end.compact.sort! * "&"
+    end.compact
+
+    query.sort! unless namespace.to_s.include?("[]")
+    query.join("&")
   end
 
   alias_method :to_param, :to_query
diff --git a/activesupport/test/core_ext/object/to_query_test.rb b/activesupport/test/core_ext/object/to_query_test.rb
index 7593bcfa4d22d..b0b7ef091378d 100644
--- a/activesupport/test/core_ext/object/to_query_test.rb
+++ b/activesupport/test/core_ext/object/to_query_test.rb
@@ -77,6 +77,20 @@ def test_hash_sorted_lexicographically
     assert_equal "name=Nakshay&type=human", hash.to_query
   end
 
+  def test_hash_not_sorted_lexicographically_for_nested_structure
+    params = {
+      "foo" => {
+        "contents" => [
+          { "name" => "gorby", "id" => "123" },
+          { "name" => "puff", "d" => "true" }
+        ]
+      }
+    }
+    expected = "foo[contents][][name]=gorby&foo[contents][][id]=123&foo[contents][][name]=puff&foo[contents][][d]=true"
+
+    assert_equal expected, URI.decode(params.to_query)
+  end
+
   private
     def assert_query_equal(expected, actual)
       assert_equal expected.split("&"), actual.to_query.split("&")