diff --git a/packages/@ember/-internals/glimmer/lib/components/link-to.ts b/packages/@ember/-internals/glimmer/lib/components/link-to.ts
index 710ce259959..e57bddd465b 100644
--- a/packages/@ember/-internals/glimmer/lib/components/link-to.ts
+++ b/packages/@ember/-internals/glimmer/lib/components/link-to.ts
@@ -838,14 +838,14 @@ const LinkComponent = EmberComponent.extend({
         )
       );
 
-      if (DEBUG && this.query === UNDEFINED) {
-        let { _models: models } = this;
-        let lastModel = models.length > 0 && models[models.length - 1];
-
-        assert(
-          'The `(query-params)` helper can only be used when invoking the `{{link-to}}` component.',
-          !(lastModel && lastModel.isQueryParams)
-        );
+      let { _models: models } = this;
+      if (models.length > 0) {
+        let lastModel = models[models.length - 1];
+
+        if (typeof lastModel === 'object' && lastModel !== null && lastModel.isQueryParams) {
+          this.query = lastModel.values;
+          models.pop();
+        }
       }
 
       return;
diff --git a/packages/@ember/-internals/glimmer/tests/integration/components/link-to/query-params-curly-test.js b/packages/@ember/-internals/glimmer/tests/integration/components/link-to/query-params-curly-test.js
index dd190616e22..3dd3bc7ec24 100644
--- a/packages/@ember/-internals/glimmer/tests/integration/components/link-to/query-params-curly-test.js
+++ b/packages/@ember/-internals/glimmer/tests/integration/components/link-to/query-params-curly-test.js
@@ -76,13 +76,16 @@ moduleFor(
 
       this.addTemplate(
         'index',
-        `{{#let (query-params foo='456' bar='NAW') as |qp|}}{{link-to 'Index' 'index' qp}}{{/let}}`
+        `{{#let (query-params foo='456' alon='BUKAI') as |qp|}}{{link-to 'Index' 'index' qp}}{{/let}}`
       );
 
-      return assert.rejectsAssertion(
-        this.visit('/'),
-        /The `\(query-params\)` helper can only be used when invoking the `{{link-to}}` component\./
-      );
+      return this.visit('/').then(() => {
+        this.assertComponentElement(this.firstChild, {
+          tagName: 'a',
+          attrs: { href: '/?alon=BUKAI&foo=456', class: classMatcher('ember-view') },
+          content: 'Index',
+        });
+      });
     }
   }
 );