diff --git a/plugins/esi/combo_handler.cc b/plugins/esi/combo_handler.cc
index 276d1bcd132..9ff34ccecf2 100644
--- a/plugins/esi/combo_handler.cc
+++ b/plugins/esi/combo_handler.cc
@@ -712,7 +712,7 @@ parseQueryParameters(const char *query, int query_len, ClientRequest &creq)
         }
       }
       param_start_pos = i + 1;
-    } else if (query[i] == ':') {
+    } else if ((query[i] == ':') && (colon_pos < param_start_pos)) {
       colon_pos = i;
     }
   }
diff --git a/tests/gold_tests/pluginTest/combo_handler/combo_handler.test.py b/tests/gold_tests/pluginTest/combo_handler/combo_handler.test.py
index 6cdcc5be7f9..711566a9b70 100644
--- a/tests/gold_tests/pluginTest/combo_handler/combo_handler.test.py
+++ b/tests/gold_tests/pluginTest/combo_handler/combo_handler.test.py
@@ -83,6 +83,7 @@ def add_server_obj(content_type, path):
 add_server_obj("text/javascript", "/sub/obj2")
 add_server_obj("text/argh", "/obj3")
 add_server_obj("application/javascript", "/obj4")
+add_server_obj("application/javascript", "/s/assets/module:variant_v1.js")
 
 ts = Test.MakeATSProcess("ts")
 
@@ -96,6 +97,7 @@ def add_server_obj(content_type, path):
 ts.Disk.remap_config.AddLine('map http://xyz/ http://127.0.0.1/ @plugin=combo_handler.so')
 ts.Disk.remap_config.AddLine(f'map http://localhost/127.0.0.1/ http://127.0.0.1:{server.Variables.Port}/')
 ts.Disk.remap_config.AddLine(f'map http://localhost/sub/ http://127.0.0.1:{server.Variables.Port}/sub/')
+ts.Disk.remap_config.AddLine(f'map http://localhost/s/ http://127.0.0.1:{server.Variables.Port}/s/')
 
 # Configure the combo_handler's configuration file.
 ts.Setup.Copy("ctwl.txt", ts.Variables.CONFIGDIR)
@@ -122,4 +124,14 @@ def add_server_obj(content_type, path):
 f = tr.Disk.File("_output/2-tr-Default/stream.all.txt")
 f.Content = "combo_handler_files/tr2.gold"
 
+tr = Test.AddTestRun()
+tr.Processes.Default.Command = tcp_client(
+    "127.0.0.1", ts.Variables.port,
+    "GET /admin/v1/combo?s:assets/module:variant_v1.js HTTP/1.1\n" + "Host: xyz\n" + "Connection: close\n" + "\n")
+tr.Processes.Default.ReturnCode = 0
+f = tr.Disk.File("_output/3-tr-Default/stream.all.txt")
+f.Content = Testers.ContainsExpression("HTTP/1.1 200 OK", "Should successfully combine an object with a colon in its path")
+f.Content += Testers.ContainsExpression(
+    "Content for /s/assets/module:variant_v1.js", "Should fetch the object path after the first colon")
+
 ts.Disk.diags_log.Content = Testers.ContainsExpression("ERROR", "Some tests are failure tests")