diff --git a/package-lock.json b/package-lock.json
index c83adfeb4..c1c38b325 100644
--- a/package-lock.json
+++ b/package-lock.json
@@ -27644,7 +27644,6 @@
         "@walletconnect/window-metadata": "1.0.1",
         "detect-browser": "5.3.0",
         "elliptic": "6.6.1",
-        "query-string": "7.1.3",
         "uint8arrays": "3.1.0"
       },
       "devDependencies": {
@@ -34379,7 +34378,6 @@
         "@walletconnect/window-metadata": "1.0.1",
         "detect-browser": "5.3.0",
         "elliptic": "6.6.1",
-        "query-string": "7.1.3",
         "uint8arrays": "3.1.0"
       },
       "dependencies": {
diff --git a/packages/utils/package.json b/packages/utils/package.json
index 9e7a9f5e7..e3cabe792 100644
--- a/packages/utils/package.json
+++ b/packages/utils/package.json
@@ -49,7 +49,6 @@
     "@walletconnect/window-metadata": "1.0.1",
     "detect-browser": "5.3.0",
     "elliptic": "6.6.1",
-    "query-string": "7.1.3",
     "uint8arrays": "3.1.0"
   },
   "devDependencies": {
diff --git a/packages/utils/src/misc.ts b/packages/utils/src/misc.ts
index 9e75cc1cb..b1c40e355 100644
--- a/packages/utils/src/misc.ts
+++ b/packages/utils/src/misc.ts
@@ -10,7 +10,6 @@ import { getDocument, getLocation, getNavigator } from "@walletconnect/window-ge
 import { getWindowMetadata } from "@walletconnect/window-metadata";
 import { ErrorResponse } from "@walletconnect/jsonrpc-utils";
 import { IKeyValueStorage } from "@walletconnect/keyvaluestorage";
-import * as qs from "query-string";
 
 // -- constants -----------------------------------------//
 export const REACT_NATIVE_PRODUCT = "ReactNative";
@@ -94,14 +93,22 @@ export function getAppId(): string | undefined {
 
 // -- query -----------------------------------------------//
 
-export function appendToQueryString(queryString: string, newQueryParams: any): string {
-  let queryParams = qs.parse(queryString);
-
-  queryParams = { ...queryParams, ...newQueryParams };
-
-  queryString = qs.stringify(queryParams);
+export function appendToQueryString(
+  queryString: string,
+  newQueryParams: Record<string, any>,
+): string {
+  const urlSearchParams = new URLSearchParams(queryString);
+
+  for (const key of Object.keys(newQueryParams).sort()) {
+    if (newQueryParams.hasOwnProperty(key)) {
+      const value = newQueryParams[key];
+      if (value !== undefined) {
+        urlSearchParams.set(key, value);
+      }
+    }
+  }
 
-  return queryString;
+  return urlSearchParams.toString();
 }
 
 // -- metadata ----------------------------------------------//
diff --git a/packages/utils/src/uri.ts b/packages/utils/src/uri.ts
index a1d450e8e..966553643 100644
--- a/packages/utils/src/uri.ts
+++ b/packages/utils/src/uri.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,3 @@
-import * as qs from "query-string";
 import { EngineTypes, RelayerTypes } from "@walletconnect/types";
 import { fromBase64 } from "./misc";
 
@@ -35,7 +34,11 @@ export function parseUri(str: string): EngineTypes.UriParameters {
   const path: string = str.substring(pathStart + 1, pathEnd);
   const requiredValues = path.split("@");
   const queryString: string = typeof pathEnd !== "undefined" ? str.substring(pathEnd) : "";
-  const queryParams = qs.parse(queryString);
+  const urlSearchParams = new URLSearchParams(queryString);
+  const queryParams: Record<string, string> = {};
+  urlSearchParams.forEach((value, key) => {
+    queryParams[key] = value;
+  });
   const methods =
     typeof queryParams.methods === "string" ? queryParams.methods.split(",") : undefined;
   const result = {
@@ -69,15 +72,25 @@ export function formatRelayParams(relay: RelayerTypes.ProtocolOptions, delimiter
 }
 
 export function formatUri(params: EngineTypes.UriParameters): string {
-  return (
-    `${params.protocol}:${params.topic}@${params.version}?` +
-    qs.stringify({
-      symKey: params.symKey,
-      ...formatRelayParams(params.relay),
-      expiryTimestamp: params.expiryTimestamp,
-      ...(params.methods ? { methods: params.methods.join(",") } : {}),
-    })
-  );
+  const urlSearchParams = new URLSearchParams();
+
+  const relayParams = formatRelayParams(params.relay);
+  Object.keys(relayParams)
+    .sort()
+    .forEach((key) => {
+      urlSearchParams.set(key, relayParams[key]);
+    });
+
+  urlSearchParams.set("symKey", params.symKey);
+  if (params.expiryTimestamp)
+    urlSearchParams.set("expiryTimestamp", params.expiryTimestamp.toString());
+
+  if (params.methods) {
+    urlSearchParams.set("methods", params.methods.join(","));
+  }
+
+  const queryString = urlSearchParams.toString();
+  return `${params.protocol}:${params.topic}@${params.version}?${queryString}`;
 }
 
 export function getLinkModeURL(