diff --git a/url/url.go b/url/url.go
index f66566f..b03867d 100644
--- a/url/url.go
+++ b/url/url.go
@@ -308,6 +308,10 @@ func ParseURL(inputURL string, unsafe bool) (*URL, error) {
 	}
 	if u.IsRelative {
 		return ParseRelativePath(inputURL, unsafe)
+	} else if unsafe {
+		// we are not relative, but we still need to call this in order to call
+		// the internal parser for paths url.Parse will not handle.
+		u.parseUnsafeRelativePath()
 	}
 	return u, nil
 }
diff --git a/url/url_test.go b/url/url_test.go
index 2183356..8f992fe 100644
--- a/url/url_test.go
+++ b/url/url_test.go
@@ -136,6 +136,20 @@ func TestParseFragmentRelativePath(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+func TestParseInvalidUnsafe(t *testing.T) {
+	testcases := []string{
+		"https://127.0.0.1/%25",
+		"https://127.0.0.1/%25/aaaa",
+		"https://127.0.0.1/%25/bb/%45?a=1",
+	}
+
+	for _, input := range testcases {
+		u, err := ParseURL(input, true)
+		require.Nilf(t, err, "got error for url %v", input)
+		require.Equal(t, input, u.String())
+	}
+}
+
 func TestParseParam(t *testing.T) {
 	testcases := []struct {
 		inputURL      string