diff --git a/myst_parser/mdit_to_docutils/base.py b/myst_parser/mdit_to_docutils/base.py
index 85d64be3..a247774e 100644
--- a/myst_parser/mdit_to_docutils/base.py
+++ b/myst_parser/mdit_to_docutils/base.py
@@ -31,7 +31,6 @@
 from docutils.utils import Reporter, SystemMessage, new_document
 from docutils.utils.code_analyzer import Lexer, LexerError, NumberLines
 from markdown_it import MarkdownIt
-from markdown_it.common.utils import escapeHtml
 from markdown_it.renderer import RendererProtocol
 from markdown_it.token import Token
 from markdown_it.tree import SyntaxTreeNode
@@ -954,7 +953,7 @@ def render_link_url(
             if "classes" in conversion:
                 ref_node["classes"].extend(conversion["classes"])
 
-        ref_node["refuri"] = escapeHtml(uri)
+        ref_node["refuri"] = uri
         if implicit_text is not None:
             with self.current_node_context(ref_node, append=True):
                 self.current_node.append(nodes.Text(implicit_text))
diff --git a/tests/test_renderers/fixtures/docutil_syntax_elements.md b/tests/test_renderers/fixtures/docutil_syntax_elements.md
index 8c323b52..c2307953 100644
--- a/tests/test_renderers/fixtures/docutil_syntax_elements.md
+++ b/tests/test_renderers/fixtures/docutil_syntax_elements.md
@@ -747,3 +747,33 @@ a = 1
         <paragraph>
             <reference refname="target">
 .
+
+URL with ampersand in query string
+.
+[link](https://example.com/search?q=foo&bar=baz)
+.
+<document source="notset">
+    <paragraph>
+        <reference refuri="https://example.com/search?q=foo&bar=baz">
+            link
+.
+
+URL with angle brackets (percent-encoded by normalizeLink, not HTML-escaped)
+.
+[link](https://example.com/path<with>brackets)
+.
+<document source="notset">
+    <paragraph>
+        <reference refuri="https://example.com/path%3Cwith%3Ebrackets">
+            link
+.
+
+URL with double quotes (percent-encoded by normalizeLink, not HTML-escaped)
+.
+[link](https://example.com/path"with"quotes)
+.
+<document source="notset">
+    <paragraph>
+        <reference refuri="https://example.com/path%22with%22quotes">
+            link
+.
diff --git a/tests/test_sphinx/sourcedirs/references/index.md b/tests/test_sphinx/sourcedirs/references/index.md
index 5255b475..88bd5d8d 100644
--- a/tests/test_sphinx/sourcedirs/references/index.md
+++ b/tests/test_sphinx/sourcedirs/references/index.md
@@ -8,6 +8,8 @@
 
 [nested *syntax*](https://example.com)
 
+[query params](https://example.com?foo=bar&a=1)
+
 [](title)
 
 [plain text](title)
diff --git a/tests/test_sphinx/test_sphinx_builds/test_references.html b/tests/test_sphinx/test_sphinx_builds/test_references.html
index 23da570c..c3dda3bf 100644
--- a/tests/test_sphinx/test_sphinx_builds/test_references.html
+++ b/tests/test_sphinx/test_sphinx_builds/test_references.html
@@ -33,6 +33,11 @@ <h1>
       </em>
      </a>
     </p>
+    <p>
+     <a class="reference external" href="https://example.com?foo=bar&amp;a=1">
+      query params
+     </a>
+    </p>
     <p>
      <a class="reference internal" href="#title">
       <span class="std std-ref">
diff --git a/tests/test_sphinx/test_sphinx_builds/test_references.resolved.xml b/tests/test_sphinx/test_sphinx_builds/test_references.resolved.xml
index f832d049..4277ec6b 100644
--- a/tests/test_sphinx/test_sphinx_builds/test_references.resolved.xml
+++ b/tests/test_sphinx/test_sphinx_builds/test_references.resolved.xml
@@ -18,6 +18,9 @@
                 nested 
                 <emphasis>
                     syntax
+        <paragraph>
+            <reference refuri="https://example.com?foo=bar&a=1">
+                query params
         <paragraph>
             <reference internal="True" refid="title">
                 <inline classes="std std-ref">
diff --git a/tests/test_sphinx/test_sphinx_builds/test_references.xml b/tests/test_sphinx/test_sphinx_builds/test_references.xml
index 4968ca2f..a3b74005 100644
--- a/tests/test_sphinx/test_sphinx_builds/test_references.xml
+++ b/tests/test_sphinx/test_sphinx_builds/test_references.xml
@@ -18,6 +18,9 @@
                 nested 
                 <emphasis>
                     syntax
+        <paragraph>
+            <reference refuri="https://example.com?foo=bar&a=1">
+                query params
         <paragraph>
             <pending_xref refdoc="index" refdomain="True" refexplicit="False" reftarget="title" reftype="myst">
                 <inline classes="xref myst">