diff --git a/src/app/item-page/simple/item-types/publication/publication.component.spec.ts b/src/app/item-page/simple/item-types/publication/publication.component.spec.ts
index 772a83d93e..9f20c81aa8 100644
--- a/src/app/item-page/simple/item-types/publication/publication.component.spec.ts
+++ b/src/app/item-page/simple/item-types/publication/publication.component.spec.ts
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ import { RemoteData } from '../../../../core/data/remote-data';
 import { Bitstream } from '../../../../core/shared/bitstream.model';
 import { HALEndpointService } from '../../../../core/shared/hal-endpoint.service';
 import { Item } from '../../../../core/shared/item.model';
-import { MetadataMap, MetadataValue } from '../../../../core/shared/metadata.models';
+import { MetadataMap  } from '../../../../core/shared/metadata.models';
 import { UUIDService } from '../../../../core/shared/uuid.service';
 import { TranslateLoaderMock } from '../../../../shared/mocks/translate-loader.mock';
 import { NotificationsService } from '../../../../shared/notifications/notifications.service';
@@ -31,7 +31,6 @@ import {
 import { PublicationComponent } from './publication.component';
 import { createPaginatedList } from '../../../../shared/testing/utils.test';
 import { RouteService } from '../../../../core/services/route.service';
-import { UntypedItemComponent } from '../untyped-item/untyped-item.component';
 
 const noMetadata = new MetadataMap();
 
@@ -155,7 +154,7 @@ describe('PublicationComponent', () => {
     beforeEach(waitForAsync(() => {
       const localMockRouteService = {
         getPreviousUrl(): Observable<string> {
-          return of('/search?query=test');
+          return of('/search?query=test%20query&fakeParam=true');
         }
       };
       const iiifEnabledMap: MetadataMap = {
@@ -176,8 +175,7 @@ describe('PublicationComponent', () => {
     });
 
     it('should retrieve the query term for previous route', fakeAsync((): void => {
-      //tick(10)
-      expect(comp.iiifQuery$.subscribe(result => expect(result).toEqual('test')));
+      expect(comp.iiifQuery$.subscribe(result => expect(result).toEqual('test query')));
     }));
 
   });
diff --git a/src/app/item-page/simple/item-types/shared/item-iiif-utils.ts b/src/app/item-page/simple/item-types/shared/item-iiif-utils.ts
index 45bba1e569..fe1070400e 100644
--- a/src/app/item-page/simple/item-types/shared/item-iiif-utils.ts
+++ b/src/app/item-page/simple/item-types/shared/item-iiif-utils.ts
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ import { Item } from '../../../../core/shared/item.model';
 import { Observable } from 'rxjs';
 import { filter, map, take } from 'rxjs/operators';
 import { RouteService } from '../../../../core/services/route.service';
+import { DefaultUrlSerializer, UrlTree } from '@angular/router';
 
 export const isIiifEnabled = (item: Item) => {
   return !!item.firstMetadataValue('dspace.iiif.enabled');
@@ -21,13 +22,14 @@ export const isIiifSearchEnabled = (item: Item) => {
  * @param routeService
  */
 export const getDSpaceQuery = (item: Item, routeService: RouteService): Observable<string> => {
+
   return routeService.getPreviousUrl().pipe(
     filter(r => {
       return r.includes('/search');
     }),
-    map(r => {
-      const v = r.split('query=');
-      return v[1];
+    map((r: string) => {
+      const url: UrlTree = new DefaultUrlSerializer().parse(r);
+      return url.queryParamMap.get('query');
     }),
     take(1)
   );
diff --git a/src/app/item-page/simple/item-types/untyped-item/untyped-item.component.spec.ts b/src/app/item-page/simple/item-types/untyped-item/untyped-item.component.spec.ts
index 308129892a..736916c940 100644
--- a/src/app/item-page/simple/item-types/untyped-item/untyped-item.component.spec.ts
+++ b/src/app/item-page/simple/item-types/untyped-item/untyped-item.component.spec.ts
@@ -173,7 +173,7 @@ describe('UntypedItemComponent', () => {
     beforeEach(waitForAsync(() => {
       const localMockRouteService = {
         getPreviousUrl(): Observable<string> {
-          return of('/search?query=test');
+          return of('/search?query=test%20query&fakeParam=true');
         }
       };
       const iiifEnabledMap: MetadataMap = {
@@ -194,7 +194,7 @@ describe('UntypedItemComponent', () => {
     });
 
     it('should retrieve the query term for previous route', (): void => {
-      expect(comp.iiifQuery$.subscribe(result => expect(result).toEqual('test')));
+      expect(comp.iiifQuery$.subscribe(result => expect(result).toEqual('test query')));
     });
 
   });