diff --git a/lib/url.js b/lib/url.js
index 6227c8a057a4ce..8a76d1fc10aef5 100644
--- a/lib/url.js
+++ b/lib/url.js
@@ -196,7 +196,7 @@ Url.prototype.parse = function parse(url, parseQueryString, slashesDenoteHost) {
           this.query = this.search.slice(1);
         }
       } else if (parseQueryString) {
-        this.search = '';
+        this.search = null;
         this.query = Object.create(null);
       }
       return this;
@@ -389,7 +389,7 @@ Url.prototype.parse = function parse(url, parseQueryString, slashesDenoteHost) {
     }
   } else if (parseQueryString) {
     // no query string, but parseQueryString still requested
-    this.search = '';
+    this.search = null;
     this.query = Object.create(null);
   }
 
diff --git a/test/parallel/test-url-parse-query.js b/test/parallel/test-url-parse-query.js
index 34c31d8a3ca229..67682d0aad7fa5 100644
--- a/test/parallel/test-url-parse-query.js
+++ b/test/parallel/test-url-parse-query.js
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ const parseTestsWithQueryString = {
     host: 'example.com',
     hostname: 'example.com',
     query: createWithNoPrototype(),
-    search: '',
+    search: null,
     pathname: '/',
     path: '/'
   },
@@ -48,7 +48,7 @@ const parseTestsWithQueryString = {
     port: null,
     hostname: null,
     hash: null,
-    search: '',
+    search: null,
     query: createWithNoPrototype(),
     pathname: '/example',
     path: '/example',