diff --git a/packages/router-core/src/searchParams.ts b/packages/router-core/src/searchParams.ts
index 740d36441c0..3b68ec70f0e 100644
--- a/packages/router-core/src/searchParams.ts
+++ b/packages/router-core/src/searchParams.ts
@@ -9,6 +9,26 @@ export const defaultStringifySearch = stringifySearchWith(
   JSON.parse,
 )
 
+function canStringBeJsonParsed(value: string) {
+  if (!value) {
+    return false
+  }
+
+  const firstCharCode = value.charCodeAt(0)
+
+  return (
+    firstCharCode <= 32 || // ASCII control chars through space (' ')
+    firstCharCode === 34 || // double quote ('"')
+    firstCharCode === 45 || // minus sign ('-')
+    firstCharCode === 91 || // opening bracket ('[')
+    firstCharCode === 123 || // opening brace ('{')
+    (firstCharCode >= 48 && firstCharCode <= 57) || // digits ('0' - '9')
+    value === 'true' ||
+    value === 'false' ||
+    value === 'null'
+  )
+}
+
 /**
  * Build a `parseSearch` function using a provided JSON-like parser.
  *
@@ -20,6 +40,8 @@ export const defaultStringifySearch = stringifySearchWith(
  * @link https://tanstack.com/router/latest/docs/framework/react/guide/custom-search-param-serialization
  */
 export function parseSearchWith(parser: (str: string) => any) {
+  const shouldGuardJsonParse = parser === JSON.parse
+
   return (searchStr: string): AnySchema => {
     if (searchStr[0] === '?') {
       searchStr = searchStr.substring(1)
@@ -30,7 +52,10 @@ export function parseSearchWith(parser: (str: string) => any) {
     // Try to parse any query params that might be json
     for (const key in query) {
       const value = query[key]
-      if (typeof value === 'string') {
+      if (
+        typeof value === 'string' &&
+        (!shouldGuardJsonParse || canStringBeJsonParsed(value))
+      ) {
         try {
           query[key] = parser(value)
         } catch (_err) {
@@ -60,6 +85,8 @@ export function stringifySearchWith(
   parser?: (str: string) => any,
 ) {
   const hasParser = typeof parser === 'function'
+  const shouldGuardJsonParse = parser === JSON.parse
+
   function stringifyValue(val: any) {
     if (typeof val === 'object' && val !== null) {
       try {
@@ -67,7 +94,11 @@ export function stringifySearchWith(
       } catch (_err) {
         // silent
       }
-    } else if (hasParser && typeof val === 'string') {
+    } else if (
+      hasParser &&
+      typeof val === 'string' &&
+      (!shouldGuardJsonParse || canStringBeJsonParsed(val))
+    ) {
       try {
         // Check if it's a valid parseable string.
         // If it is, then stringify it again.
diff --git a/packages/router-core/tests/searchParams.test.ts b/packages/router-core/tests/searchParams.test.ts
index 006e119be53..842cc85c1c0 100644
--- a/packages/router-core/tests/searchParams.test.ts
+++ b/packages/router-core/tests/searchParams.test.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,10 @@
-import { describe, expect, test } from 'vitest'
-import { defaultParseSearch, defaultStringifySearch } from '../src'
+import { describe, expect, test, vi } from 'vitest'
+import {
+  defaultParseSearch,
+  defaultStringifySearch,
+  parseSearchWith,
+  stringifySearchWith,
+} from '../src'
 
 describe('Search Params serialization and deserialization', () => {
   /*
@@ -98,4 +103,70 @@ describe('Search Params serialization and deserialization', () => {
       '?foo=%222024-11-18T00%3A00%3A00.000Z%22',
     )
   })
+
+  test('custom parsers still run for non-json-looking strings', () => {
+    const parser = vi.fn((value: string) => {
+      if (!value.startsWith('~')) {
+        throw new Error('not custom-encoded')
+      }
+
+      return value.slice(1)
+    })
+
+    const parseSearch = parseSearchWith(parser)
+    const stringifySearch = stringifySearchWith((value) => `~${value}`, parser)
+
+    expect(parseSearch('?filter=%7Eauthor')).toEqual({ filter: 'author' })
+    expect(stringifySearch({ filter: '~author' })).toEqual(
+      '?filter=%7E%7Eauthor',
+    )
+    expect(parseSearch(stringifySearch({ filter: '~author' }))).toEqual({
+      filter: '~author',
+    })
+  })
+
+  test('skips JSON.parse work for obviously non-json strings', () => {
+    const parseSpy = vi.spyOn(JSON, 'parse')
+
+    try {
+      const parseSearch = parseSearchWith(JSON.parse)
+      const stringifySearch = stringifySearchWith(JSON.stringify, JSON.parse)
+
+      expect(parseSearch('?plain=value&other=abc123')).toEqual({
+        plain: 'value',
+        other: 'abc123',
+      })
+      expect(stringifySearch({ plain: 'value', other: 'abc123' })).toEqual(
+        '?plain=value&other=abc123',
+      )
+
+      expect(parseSpy).not.toHaveBeenCalled()
+    } finally {
+      parseSpy.mockRestore()
+    }
+  })
+
+  test('still parses json-like strings with JSON.parse', () => {
+    const parseSpy = vi.spyOn(JSON, 'parse')
+
+    try {
+      const parseSearch = parseSearchWith(JSON.parse)
+      const stringifySearch = stringifySearchWith(JSON.stringify, JSON.parse)
+
+      expect(
+        parseSearch('?quoted=%22value%22&object=%7B%22ok%22%3Atrue%7D&num=123'),
+      ).toEqual({
+        quoted: 'value',
+        object: { ok: true },
+        num: 123,
+      })
+      expect(
+        stringifySearch({ quoted: '123', object: { ok: true }, num: '42' }),
+      ).toEqual('?quoted=%22123%22&object=%7B%22ok%22%3Atrue%7D&num=%2242%22')
+
+      expect(parseSpy).toHaveBeenCalled()
+    } finally {
+      parseSpy.mockRestore()
+    }
+  })
 })