diff --git a/package-lock.json b/package-lock.json
index aa873be..82ab414 100644
--- a/package-lock.json
+++ b/package-lock.json
@@ -9,7 +9,6 @@
       "version": "0.0.0-dev",
       "license": "MIT",
       "dependencies": {
-        "dset": "^3.1.3",
         "fast-decode-uri-component": "^1.0.1"
       },
       "devDependencies": {
@@ -852,14 +851,6 @@
         "node": ">=6.0.0"
       }
     },
-    "node_modules/dset": {
-      "version": "3.1.3",
-      "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/dset/-/dset-3.1.3.tgz",
-      "integrity": "sha512-20TuZZHCEZ2O71q9/+8BwKwZ0QtD9D8ObhrihJPr+vLLYlSuAU3/zL4cSlgbfeoGHTjCSJBa7NGcrF9/Bx/WJQ==",
-      "engines": {
-        "node": ">=4"
-      }
-    },
     "node_modules/eastasianwidth": {
       "version": "0.2.0",
       "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/eastasianwidth/-/eastasianwidth-0.2.0.tgz",
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index a5e5655..7314740 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -49,7 +49,6 @@
     "typescript-eslint": "^7.7.1"
   },
   "dependencies": {
-    "dset": "^3.1.3",
     "fast-decode-uri-component": "^1.0.1"
   }
 }
diff --git a/src/object-util.ts b/src/object-util.ts
index 7c25fbc..6bb3726 100644
--- a/src/object-util.ts
+++ b/src/object-util.ts
@@ -11,6 +11,49 @@ export function getDeepValue(obj: unknown, keys: PropertyKey[]): unknown {
   return obj;
 }
 
+type KeyableObject = Record<PropertyKey, unknown>;
+
+export function setDeepValue(
+  obj: unknown,
+  keys: PropertyKey[],
+  val: unknown
+): void {
+  const len = keys.length;
+  const lastKey = len - 1;
+  let k;
+  let curr = obj as KeyableObject;
+  let currVal;
+  let nextKey;
+
+  for (let i = 0; i < len; i++) {
+    k = keys[i];
+
+    if (k === '__proto__' || k === 'constructor' || k === 'prototype') {
+      break;
+    }
+
+    if (i === lastKey) {
+      curr[k] = val;
+    } else {
+      currVal = curr[k];
+      if (typeof currVal === 'object' && currVal !== null) {
+        curr = currVal as KeyableObject;
+      } else {
+        nextKey = keys[i + 1];
+        if (
+          typeof nextKey === 'string' &&
+          ((nextKey as unknown as number) * 0 !== 0 ||
+            nextKey.indexOf('.') > -1)
+        ) {
+          curr = curr[k] = {};
+        } else {
+          curr = curr[k] = [] as unknown as KeyableObject;
+        }
+      }
+    }
+  }
+}
+
 const MAX_DEPTH = 20;
 const strBracketPair = '[]';
 const strBracketLeft = '[';
diff --git a/src/parse.ts b/src/parse.ts
index 16d0284..594f320 100644
--- a/src/parse.ts
+++ b/src/parse.ts
@@ -5,8 +5,7 @@ import {
   defaultOptions
 } from './shared.js';
 import fastDecode from 'fast-decode-uri-component';
-import {dset} from 'dset';
-import {getDeepValue} from './object-util.js';
+import {getDeepValue, setDeepValue} from './object-util.js';
 
 export type ParsedQuery = Record<PropertyKey, unknown>;
 export type ParseOptions = Partial<Options>;
@@ -147,7 +146,7 @@ export function parse(input: string, options?: ParseOptions): ParsedQuery {
 
         if (currentValue === undefined || !arrayRepeat) {
           if (hasNestedKey) {
-            dset(result, keyPath as string[], newValue);
+            setDeepValue(result, keyPath, newValue);
           } else {
             result[lastKeyPathPart] = newValue;
           }
@@ -157,7 +156,7 @@ export function parse(input: string, options?: ParseOptions): ParsedQuery {
             (currentValue as unknown[]).push(newValue);
           } else {
             if (hasNestedKey) {
-              dset(result, keyPath as string[], [currentValue, newValue]);
+              setDeepValue(result, keyPath, [currentValue, newValue]);
             } else {
               result[lastKeyPathPart] = [currentValue, newValue];
             }
diff --git a/src/test/object-util_test.ts b/src/test/object-util_test.ts
index e26f4e5..22d68a4 100644
--- a/src/test/object-util_test.ts
+++ b/src/test/object-util_test.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 import * as assert from 'node:assert/strict';
 import {test} from 'node:test';
-import {getDeepValue, getNestedValues} from '../object-util.js';
+import {getDeepValue, getNestedValues, setDeepValue} from '../object-util.js';
 
 test('getDeepValue', async (t) => {
   await t.test('retrieves by single key', () => {
@@ -51,6 +51,90 @@ test('getDeepValue', async (t) => {
   });
 });
 
+const disallowedKeys = ['__proto__', 'constructor', 'prototype'];
+
+test('setDeepValue', async (t) => {
+  for (const key of disallowedKeys) {
+    await t.test(`cannot set ${key}`, () => {
+      const obj = {};
+      setDeepValue(obj, [key], 123);
+      assert.deepEqual(obj, {});
+    });
+
+    await t.test('cannot set proto deeply', () => {
+      const obj = {foo: {}};
+      setDeepValue(obj, ['foo', key], 123);
+      assert.deepEqual(obj, {foo: {}});
+    });
+  }
+
+  await t.test('sets top level key', () => {
+    const obj: Record<PropertyKey, unknown> = {};
+    setDeepValue(obj, ['foo'], 303);
+    assert.deepEqual(obj, {foo: 303});
+  });
+
+  await t.test('sets deep key', () => {
+    const obj: Record<PropertyKey, unknown> = {foo: {}};
+    setDeepValue(obj, ['foo', 'bar'], 303);
+    assert.deepEqual(obj, {foo: {bar: 303}});
+  });
+
+  await t.test('replaces null object value with object', () => {
+    const obj: Record<PropertyKey, unknown> = {foo: null};
+    setDeepValue(obj, ['foo', 'bar'], 303);
+    assert.deepEqual(obj, {
+      foo: {
+        bar: 303
+      }
+    });
+  });
+
+  await t.test('replaces null array value with array', () => {
+    const obj: Record<PropertyKey, unknown> = {foo: null};
+    setDeepValue(obj, ['foo', 0], 303);
+    assert.deepEqual(obj, {
+      foo: [303]
+    });
+  });
+
+  await t.test('creates new objects for object values', () => {
+    const obj: Record<PropertyKey, unknown> = {};
+    setDeepValue(obj, ['foo', 'bar'], 303);
+    assert.deepEqual(obj, {
+      foo: {
+        bar: 303
+      }
+    });
+  });
+
+  await t.test('creates new arrays for array values', () => {
+    const obj: Record<PropertyKey, unknown> = {};
+    setDeepValue(obj, ['foo', 0], 303);
+    assert.deepEqual(obj, {
+      foo: [303]
+    });
+  });
+
+  await t.test('creates new arrays with string indices', () => {
+    const obj: Record<PropertyKey, unknown> = {};
+    setDeepValue(obj, ['foo', '0'], 303);
+    assert.deepEqual(obj, {
+      foo: [303]
+    });
+  });
+
+  await t.test('treats decimal strings as regular keys', () => {
+    const obj: Record<PropertyKey, unknown> = {};
+    setDeepValue(obj, ['foo', '10.0'], 303);
+    assert.deepEqual(obj, {
+      foo: {
+        '10.0': 303
+      }
+    });
+  });
+});
+
 test('getNestedValues', async (t) => {
   await t.test('shallow values', () => {
     const obj = {