diff --git a/lib/parse.js b/lib/parse.js
index 9530ad41..1307e9d7 100644
--- a/lib/parse.js
+++ b/lib/parse.js
@@ -84,26 +84,27 @@ var parseKeys = function parseQueryStringKeys(givenKey, val, options) {
 
     // The regex chunks
 
-    var parent = /^([^[]*)/;
+    var brackets = /(\[[^[\]]*])/;
     var child = /(\[[^[\]]*])/g;
 
     // Get the parent
 
-    var segment = parent.exec(key);
+    var segment = brackets.exec(key);
+    var parent = segment ? key.slice(0, segment.index) : key;
 
     // Stash the parent if it exists
 
     var keys = [];
-    if (segment[1]) {
+    if (parent) {
         // If we aren't using plain objects, optionally prefix keys
         // that would overwrite object prototype properties
-        if (!options.plainObjects && has.call(Object.prototype, segment[1])) {
+        if (!options.plainObjects && has.call(Object.prototype, parent)) {
             if (!options.allowPrototypes) {
                 return;
             }
         }
 
-        keys.push(segment[1]);
+        keys.push(parent);
     }
 
     // Loop through children appending to the array until we hit depth
diff --git a/test/parse.js b/test/parse.js
index 2e1116ec..e451e91f 100644
--- a/test/parse.js
+++ b/test/parse.js
@@ -439,16 +439,15 @@ test('parse()', function (t) {
 
     t.test('params starting with a closing bracket', function (st) {
         st.deepEqual(qs.parse(']=toString'), { ']': 'toString' });
+        st.deepEqual(qs.parse(']]=toString'), { ']]': 'toString' });
+        st.deepEqual(qs.parse(']hello]=toString'), { ']hello]': 'toString' });
         st.end();
     });
 
     t.test('params starting with a starting bracket', function (st) {
-        st.deepEqual(qs.parse('[=toString'), {});
-        st.end();
-    });
-
-    t.test('params starting with a starting bracket', function (st) {
-        st.deepEqual(qs.parse('[=toString'), {});
+        st.deepEqual(qs.parse('[=toString'), { '[': 'toString' });
+        st.deepEqual(qs.parse('[[=toString'), { '[[': 'toString' });
+        st.deepEqual(qs.parse('[hello[=toString'), { '[hello[': 'toString' });
         st.end();
     });