diff --git a/changelog.md b/changelog.md
index af91b49773b8d..ce7596d5b89c2 100644
--- a/changelog.md
+++ b/changelog.md
@@ -84,6 +84,8 @@ parameter and result types, not just their source-level shape. Use
 - `std/pegs` now correctly lexes UTF-8 bytes inside bare identifier-style
   terminals, so case-insensitive matching of non-ASCII terms (e.g. ``\i café``)
   works without single-quoting.
+- `std/uri`: The `?` operator now appends query parameters to an existing query
+  string instead of replacing it. Fixes [#19782](https://github.com/nim-lang/Nim/issues/19782).
 
 ## Language changes
 
diff --git a/lib/pure/uri.nim b/lib/pure/uri.nim
index e57587ba47f72..c20049de12389 100644
--- a/lib/pure/uri.nim
+++ b/lib/pure/uri.nim
@@ -487,11 +487,18 @@ func `/`*(x: Uri, path: string): Uri =
 
 func `?`*(u: Uri, query: openArray[(string, string)]): Uri =
   ## Concatenates the query parameters to the specified URI object.
+  ## If the URI already has a query string, the new parameters are appended.
   runnableExamples:
     let foo = parseUri("https://example.com") / "foo" ? {"bar": "qux"}
     assert $foo == "https://example.com/foo?bar=qux"
+    let bar = parseUri("https://example.com/foo?existing=1") ? {"bar": "qux"}
+    assert $bar == "https://example.com/foo?existing=1&bar=qux"
   result = u
-  result.query = encodeQuery(query)
+  let newQuery = encodeQuery(query)
+  if newQuery.len > 0:
+    if result.query.len > 0:
+      result.query.add('&')
+    result.query.add(newQuery)
 
 func `$`*(u: Uri): string =
   ## Returns the string representation of the specified URI object.
diff --git a/tests/stdlib/turi.nim b/tests/stdlib/turi.nim
index 9c717c5b159a8..71aea6af14e1f 100644
--- a/tests/stdlib/turi.nim
+++ b/tests/stdlib/turi.nim
@@ -289,6 +289,15 @@ template main() =
       var foo = parseUri("http://example.com") / "foo" ? {"do": "do", "bar": ""}
       var foo1 = parseUri("http://example.com/foo?do=do&bar")
       doAssert foo == foo1
+    block: # issue #19782: appends to existing query string
+      var foo = parseUri("http://example.com/foo?existing=1") ? {"bar": "qux"}
+      doAssert $foo == "http://example.com/foo?existing=1&bar=qux"
+    block: # issue #19782: empty params list preserves existing query
+      var foo = parseUri("http://example.com/foo?existing=1") ? {:}
+      doAssert $foo == "http://example.com/foo?existing=1"
+    block: # issue #19782: empty params on uri without query is a no-op
+      var foo = parseUri("http://example.com/foo") ? {:}
+      doAssert $foo == "http://example.com/foo"
 
   block: # getDataUri, dataUriBase64
     doAssert getDataUri("", "text/plain") == "data:text/plain;charset=utf-8;base64,"