diff --git a/lib/internal/url.js b/lib/internal/url.js
index a37b9bf488f207..49f70668ab2bff 100644
--- a/lib/internal/url.js
+++ b/lib/internal/url.js
@@ -97,12 +97,11 @@ function onParseComplete(flags, protocol, username, password,
   ctx.query = query;
   ctx.fragment = fragment;
   ctx.host = host;
-  if (this[searchParams]) {  // invoked from href setter
-    initSearchParams(this[searchParams], query);
-  } else {
-    this[searchParams] = new URLSearchParams(query);
+  if (!this[searchParams]) { // invoked from URL constructor
+    this[searchParams] = new URLSearchParams();
+    this[searchParams][context] = this;
   }
-  this[searchParams][context] = this;
+  initSearchParams(this[searchParams], query);
 }
 
 // Reused by URL constructor and URL#href setter.