diff --git a/API.md b/API.md
index 03417a6..c254623 100644
--- a/API.md
+++ b/API.md
@@ -382,7 +382,7 @@ router
 <a name="module_koa-router--Router.url"></a>
 
 #### Router.url(path, params) ⇒ <code>String</code>
-Generate URL from url pattern and given `params`.
+Generate URL from the given URL pattern and `params`. This method URL-encodes the parameters before including them in the URL.
 
 **Kind**: static method of <code>[Router](#exp_module_koa-router--Router)</code>  
 
diff --git a/history.md b/history.md
index cb85e77..5e7cd60 100644
--- a/history.md
+++ b/history.md
@@ -1,3 +1,10 @@
+Next
+==================
+
+- [Breaking] URL-encode parameters passed to `Router.url` with `encodeURIComponent`.
+  - Previously, the parameters to insert in a URL were not encoded: `Router.url('/:x', { x: 'hello world' })` produced `"/hello world"` and `Router.url('/:x', { x: 'a/test?param#' })` would throw an error.
+  - Now, all parameters are safely URL-encoded by default: `Router.url('/:x', { x: 'hello world' })` produces `"/hello%20world"` and `Router.url('/:x', { x: 'a/test?param#' })` produces `"/a%2Ftest%3Fparam%23"`.
+
 9.0.0 / 2020-04-09
 ==================
 
diff --git a/lib/layer.js b/lib/layer.js
index 0f39035..9ab208d 100644
--- a/lib/layer.js
+++ b/lib/layer.js
@@ -118,7 +118,7 @@ Layer.prototype.url = function (params, options) {
     }
   }
 
-  const toPath = compile(url, options);
+  const toPath = compile(url, Object.assign({ encode: encodeURIComponent }, options));
   let replaced;
 
   const tokens = parse(url);
diff --git a/test/lib/layer.js b/test/lib/layer.js
index fe1ef24..64ac5cc 100644
--- a/test/lib/layer.js
+++ b/test/lib/layer.js
@@ -239,11 +239,8 @@ describe('Layer', function() {
 
     it('escapes using encodeURIComponent()', function() {
       const route = new Layer('/:category/:title', ['get'], [function () {}], {name: 'books'});
-      const url = route.url(
-        { category: 'programming', title: 'how to node' },
-        { encode: encodeURIComponent }
-      );
-      url.should.equal('/programming/how%20to%20node');
+      const url = route.url({ category: 'programming', title: 'how to node & js/ts' });
+      url.should.equal('/programming/how%20to%20node%20%26%20js%2Fts');
     });
 
     it('setPrefix method checks Layer for path', function () {
@@ -269,4 +266,4 @@ describe('Layer', function() {
       prefix.path.should.equal(false)
     });
   });
-});
\ No newline at end of file
+});
diff --git a/test/lib/router.js b/test/lib/router.js
index 1344f52..f9f8a8f 100644
--- a/test/lib/router.js
+++ b/test/lib/router.js
@@ -1501,6 +1501,14 @@ describe('Router', function () {
         .url("Picard", "Enterprise")
         .should.Error();
     });
+
+    it('escapes using encodeURIComponent()', function() {
+      const url = Router.url(
+        '/:category/:title',
+        { category: 'programming', title: 'how to node & js/ts' }
+      );
+      url.should.equal('/programming/how%20to%20node%20%26%20js%2Fts');
+    });
   });
 
   describe('Router#param()', function () {