diff --git a/lib/core/util.js b/lib/core/util.js
index c8e446de2d8..eda0d03c30d 100644
--- a/lib/core/util.js
+++ b/lib/core/util.js
@@ -102,13 +102,24 @@ function isBlobLike (object) {
   }
 }
 
+/**
+ * @param {string} url The path to check for query strings or fragments.
+ * @returns {boolean} Returns true if the path contains a query string or fragment.
+ */
+function pathHasQueryOrFragment (url) {
+  return (
+    url.includes('?') ||
+    url.includes('#')
+  )
+}
+
 /**
  * @param {string} url The URL to add the query params to
  * @param {import('node:querystring').ParsedUrlQueryInput} queryParams The object to serialize into a URL query string
  * @returns {string} The URL with the query params added
  */
 function serializePathWithQuery (url, queryParams) {
-  if (url.includes('?') || url.includes('#')) {
+  if (pathHasQueryOrFragment(url)) {
     throw new Error('Query params cannot be passed when url already contains "?" or "#".')
   }
 
@@ -924,6 +935,7 @@ module.exports = {
   assertRequestHandler,
   getSocketInfo,
   isFormDataLike,
+  pathHasQueryOrFragment,
   serializePathWithQuery,
   addAbortListener,
   isValidHTTPToken,
diff --git a/lib/util/cache.js b/lib/util/cache.js
index 3c2eb0dbd29..a05530f783b 100644
--- a/lib/util/cache.js
+++ b/lib/util/cache.js
@@ -1,7 +1,8 @@
 'use strict'
 
 const {
-  safeHTTPMethods
+  safeHTTPMethods,
+  pathHasQueryOrFragment
 } = require('../core/util')
 
 const { serializePathWithQuery } = require('../core/util')
@@ -14,12 +15,10 @@ function makeCacheKey (opts) {
     throw new Error('opts.origin is undefined')
   }
 
-  let fullPath
-  try {
-    fullPath = serializePathWithQuery(opts.path || '/', opts.query)
-  } catch (error) {
-    // If fails (path already has query params), use as-is
-    fullPath = opts.path || '/'
+  let fullPath = opts.path || '/'
+
+  if (opts.query && !pathHasQueryOrFragment(opts.path)) {
+    fullPath = serializePathWithQuery(fullPath, opts.query)
   }
 
   return {