diff --git a/lib/parse.js b/lib/parse.js
index 9b6cbd22..c46202eb 100755
--- a/lib/parse.js
+++ b/lib/parse.js
@@ -55,7 +55,7 @@ internals.parseObject = function (chain, val, options) {
         obj = obj.concat(internals.parseObject(chain, val, options));
     } else {
         obj = options.plainObjects ? Object.create(null) : {};
-        var cleanRoot = root[0] === '[' && root[root.length - 1] === ']' ? root.slice(1, root.length - 1) : root;
+        var cleanRoot = root.charAt(0) === '[' && root.charAt(root.length - 1) === ']' ? root.slice(1, -1) : root;
         var index = parseInt(cleanRoot, 10);
         if (
             !isNaN(index) &&
@@ -84,8 +84,8 @@ internals.parseKeys = function (givenKey, val, options) {
 
     // The regex chunks
 
-    var parent = /^([^\[\]]*)/;
-    var child = /(\[[^\[\]]*\])/g;
+    var parent = /^([^[]*)/;
+    var child = /(\[[^[\]]*])/g;
 
     // Get the parent
 
@@ -111,9 +111,9 @@ internals.parseKeys = function (givenKey, val, options) {
     var i = 0;
     while ((segment = child.exec(key)) !== null && i < options.depth) {
         i += 1;
-        if (!options.plainObjects && Object.prototype.hasOwnProperty(segment[1].replace(/\[|\]/g, ''))) {
+        if (!options.plainObjects && Object.prototype.hasOwnProperty.call(Object.prototype, segment[1].slice(1, -1))) {
             if (!options.allowPrototypes) {
-                continue;
+                return;
             }
         }
         keys.push(segment[1]);
diff --git a/test/parse.js b/test/parse.js
index 5665d074..1ea6dfca 100755
--- a/test/parse.js
+++ b/test/parse.js
@@ -120,8 +120,11 @@ test('parse()', function (t) {
         st.deepEqual(qs.parse('foo[]=bar&foo[bad]=baz'), { foo: { '0': 'bar', bad: 'baz' } });
         st.deepEqual(qs.parse('foo[bad]=baz&foo[]=bar&foo[]=foo'), { foo: { bad: 'baz', '0': 'bar', '1': 'foo' } });
         st.deepEqual(qs.parse('foo[0][a]=a&foo[0][b]=b&foo[1][a]=aa&foo[1][b]=bb'), { foo: [{ a: 'a', b: 'b' }, { a: 'aa', b: 'bb' }] });
-        st.deepEqual(qs.parse('a[]=b&a[t]=u&a[hasOwnProperty]=c'), { a: { '0': 'b', t: 'u', c: true } });
-        st.deepEqual(qs.parse('a[]=b&a[hasOwnProperty]=c&a[x]=y'), { a: { '0': 'b', '1': 'c', x: 'y' } });
+
+        st.deepEqual(qs.parse('a[]=b&a[t]=u&a[hasOwnProperty]=c', { allowPrototypes: false }), { a: { 0: 'b', t: 'u' } });
+        st.deepEqual(qs.parse('a[]=b&a[t]=u&a[hasOwnProperty]=c', { allowPrototypes: true }), { a: { 0: 'b', t: 'u', hasOwnProperty: 'c' } });
+        st.deepEqual(qs.parse('a[]=b&a[hasOwnProperty]=c&a[x]=y', { allowPrototypes: false }), { a: { 0: 'b', x: 'y' } });
+        st.deepEqual(qs.parse('a[]=b&a[hasOwnProperty]=c&a[x]=y', { allowPrototypes: true }), { a: { 0: 'b', hasOwnProperty: 'c', x: 'y' } });
         st.end();
     });
 
@@ -370,9 +373,34 @@ test('parse()', function (t) {
         st.end();
     });
 
+    t.test('does not allow overwriting prototype properties', function (st) {
+        st.deepEqual(qs.parse('a[hasOwnProperty]=b', { allowPrototypes: false }), {});
+        st.deepEqual(qs.parse('hasOwnProperty=b', { allowPrototypes: false }), {});
+
+        st.deepEqual(
+            qs.parse('toString', { allowPrototypes: false }),
+            {},
+            'bare "toString" results in {}'
+        );
+
+        st.end();
+    });
+
     t.test('can allow overwriting prototype properties', function (st) {
-        st.deepEqual(qs.parse('a[hasOwnProperty]=b', { allowPrototypes: true }), { a: { hasOwnProperty: 'b' } }, { prototype: false });
-        st.deepEqual(qs.parse('hasOwnProperty=b', { allowPrototypes: true }), { hasOwnProperty: 'b' }, { prototype: false });
+        st.deepEqual(qs.parse('a[hasOwnProperty]=b', { allowPrototypes: true }), { a: { hasOwnProperty: 'b' } });
+        st.deepEqual(qs.parse('hasOwnProperty=b', { allowPrototypes: true }), { hasOwnProperty: 'b' });
+
+        st.deepEqual(
+            qs.parse('toString', { allowPrototypes: true }),
+            { toString: '' },
+            'bare "toString" results in { toString: "" }'
+        );
+
+        st.end();
+    });
+
+    t.test('params starting with a closing bracket', function (st) {
+        st.deepEqual(qs.parse(']=toString'), { ']': 'toString' });
         st.end();
     });