diff --git a/Ellucian.Ethos.Integration/Client/Proxy/EthosFilterQueryClient.cs b/Ellucian.Ethos.Integration/Client/Proxy/EthosFilterQueryClient.cs
index d28d933..3c1d173 100644
--- a/Ellucian.Ethos.Integration/Client/Proxy/EthosFilterQueryClient.cs
+++ b/Ellucian.Ethos.Integration/Client/Proxy/EthosFilterQueryClient.cs
@@ -1483,35 +1483,38 @@ protected Pager PreparePagerForPageSize( Pager pager )
         /// <summary>
         /// <b>Used internally by the SDK.</b>
         /// <p>
-        /// Encodes the given criteriaFilterStr. Supports criteria filter strings that begin with the CRITERIA_FILTER_PREFIX
-        /// value "?criteria=", and also those that do not. Encodes only the JSON criteria portion of the filter string, removing
-        /// the CRITERIA_FILTER_PREFIX portion if the filter string starts with it. If the filter string does not start with
-        /// the CRITERIA_FILTER_PREFIX, the criteriaFilterStr string is simply encoded.</p>
-        /// <p>Returns a criteria filter string that begins with the CRITERIA_FILTER_PREFIX, with the JSON filter portion of the string
+        /// Encodes the given criteriaFilterStr. Supports criteria filter strings that begin with a ?...= section where 
+        /// ... is criteria, personFilter, accountSpecification, etc ("?criteria="). Encodes only the JSON criteria portion of the filter string, leaving 
+        /// the beginning section alone. If the filter string does not start with ?...=, the criteriaFilterStr string is simply encoded.</p>
+        /// <p>Returns a criteria filter string that begins with the ?...=, with the JSON filter portion of the string
         /// encoded. Uses UTF-8 encoding.</p>
         /// </summary>
         /// <param name="criteriaFilterStr">The criteria filter string to encode.</param>
-        /// <returns>A criteria filter string beginning with the CRITERIA_FILTER_PREFIX with the JSON filter syntax portion of the
+        /// <returns>A filter string with the JSON filter syntax portion of the
         /// string encoded in UTF-8.</returns>
         private static string EncodeString( string criteriaFilterStr )
         {
+            char eq = '=';
             StringBuilder sb = new StringBuilder();
             string jsonCriteriaStr;
-            bool isNamedQuery = false;
-            if ( criteriaFilterStr.StartsWith( CRITERIA_FILTER_PREFIX ) )
-            {
-                // It starts with "?criteria=", so substring the rest of the filter and encode it.
-                jsonCriteriaStr = criteriaFilterStr [ ( criteriaFilterStr.IndexOf( "=" ) + 1 ).. ];
-            }
-            else
-            {
-                jsonCriteriaStr = criteriaFilterStr;
-                isNamedQuery = true;
+            string notJsonCriteriaStr;
+
+            /// It starts with "?" and contains "=", so substring the rest of the filter and encode it.
+            if (criteriaFilterStr.Contains(eq) && criteriaFilterStr.StartsWith('?')) {
+                /// everything before the first equals sign
+                notJsonCriteriaStr = criteriaFilterStr[..(criteriaFilterStr.IndexOf(eq) + 1)];
+                /// everything after the first equals sign
+                jsonCriteriaStr = criteriaFilterStr[(criteriaFilterStr.IndexOf(eq) + 1)..];
+
+                /// don't encode the first section of the qstring
+                sb.Append(notJsonCriteriaStr);
+                /// encode the rest
+                sb.Append(System.Web.HttpUtility.UrlEncode(jsonCriteriaStr, Encoding.UTF8));
+
+                return sb.ToString();
             }
-            jsonCriteriaStr = System.Web.HttpUtility.UrlEncode( jsonCriteriaStr, Encoding.UTF8 );
-            if ( !isNamedQuery ) sb.Append( CRITERIA_FILTER_PREFIX );
-            sb.Append( jsonCriteriaStr );
-            return sb.ToString();
+            /// doesn't contain ? or =, encode the whole thing?
+            return System.Web.HttpUtility.UrlEncode(criteriaFilterStr, Encoding.UTF8));
         }
 
         /// <summary>