diff --git a/mongoose.c b/mongoose.c
index 3b0fd692..76c8bd16 100644
--- a/mongoose.c
+++ b/mongoose.c
@@ -1493,9 +1493,6 @@ int mg_http_parse(const char *s, size_t len, struct mg_http_message *hm) {
   while (s < end && s[0] == ' ') s++;  // Skip spaces
   if ((s = skiptorn(s, end, &hm->proto)) == NULL) return false;
 
-  // Sanity check. Allow protocol/reason to be empty
-  if (hm->method.len == 0 || hm->uri.len == 0) return -1;
-
   // If URI contains '?' character, setup query string
   if ((qs = (const char *) memchr(hm->uri.ptr, '?', hm->uri.len)) != NULL) {
     hm->query.ptr = qs + 1;
@@ -1503,6 +1500,10 @@ int mg_http_parse(const char *s, size_t len, struct mg_http_message *hm) {
     hm->uri.len = (size_t) (qs - hm->uri.ptr);
   }
 
+  // Sanity check. Allow protocol/reason to be empty
+  // Do this check after hm->method.len and hm->uri.len are finalised
+  if (hm->method.len == 0 || hm->uri.len == 0) return -1;
+
   if (!mg_http_parse_headers(s, end, hm->headers,
                              sizeof(hm->headers) / sizeof(hm->headers[0])))
     return -1;  // error when parsing
diff --git a/src/http.c b/src/http.c
index 1ee482b0..73346b8b 100644
--- a/src/http.c
+++ b/src/http.c
@@ -257,9 +257,6 @@ int mg_http_parse(const char *s, size_t len, struct mg_http_message *hm) {
   while (s < end && s[0] == ' ') s++;  // Skip spaces
   if ((s = skiptorn(s, end, &hm->proto)) == NULL) return false;
 
-  // Sanity check. Allow protocol/reason to be empty
-  if (hm->method.len == 0 || hm->uri.len == 0) return -1;
-
   // If URI contains '?' character, setup query string
   if ((qs = (const char *) memchr(hm->uri.ptr, '?', hm->uri.len)) != NULL) {
     hm->query.ptr = qs + 1;
@@ -267,6 +264,10 @@ int mg_http_parse(const char *s, size_t len, struct mg_http_message *hm) {
     hm->uri.len = (size_t) (qs - hm->uri.ptr);
   }
 
+  // Sanity check. Allow protocol/reason to be empty
+  // Do this check after hm->method.len and hm->uri.len are finalised
+  if (hm->method.len == 0 || hm->uri.len == 0) return -1;
+
   if (!mg_http_parse_headers(s, end, hm->headers,
                              sizeof(hm->headers) / sizeof(hm->headers[0])))
     return -1;  // error when parsing