diff --git a/lib/getOptions.js b/lib/getOptions.js
index 7bac4ca..24bcae4 100644
--- a/lib/getOptions.js
+++ b/lib/getOptions.js
@@ -4,9 +4,13 @@ const parseQuery = require("./parseQuery");
 
 function getOptions(loaderContext) {
 	const query = loaderContext.query;
-	if(typeof query === "string") {
+	if(typeof query === "string" && query !== "") {
 		return parseQuery(loaderContext.query);
 	}
+	if(!query || typeof query !== "object") {
+		// Not object-like queries are not supported.
+		return null;
+	}
 	return query;
 }
 
diff --git a/lib/parseQuery.js b/lib/parseQuery.js
index b586739..5748cde 100644
--- a/lib/parseQuery.js
+++ b/lib/parseQuery.js
@@ -13,6 +13,9 @@ function parseQuery(query) {
 		throw new Error("A valid query string passed to parseQuery should begin with '?'");
 	}
 	query = query.substr(1);
+	if(!query) {
+		return {};
+	}
 	if(query.substr(0, 1) === "{" && query.substr(-1) === "}") {
 		return JSON5.parse(query);
 	}
diff --git a/test/getOptions.test.js b/test/getOptions.test.js
index 120f269..8d244e3 100644
--- a/test/getOptions.test.js
+++ b/test/getOptions.test.js
@@ -4,8 +4,13 @@ const assert = require("assert");
 const loaderUtils = require("../lib");
 
 describe("getOptions()", () => {
-	describe("when loaderContext.query is a string", () => {
+	describe("when loaderContext.query is a query string starting with ?", () => {
 		[{
+			it: "should return an empty object by default",
+			query: "?",
+			expected: {}
+		},
+		{
 			it: "should parse query params",
 			query: "?name=cheesecake&slices=8&delicious&warm=false",
 			expected: {
@@ -66,17 +71,27 @@ describe("getOptions()", () => {
 				);
 			});
 		});
-		describe("and the query string does not start with ?", () => {
-			it("should throw an error", () => {
-				assert.throws(
-					() => loaderUtils.getOptions({ query: "a" }),
-					"A valid query string passed to parseQuery should begin with '?'"
-				);
-			});
+	});
+	describe("when loaderContext.query is an empty string", () => {
+		it("should return null", () => {
+			assert.strictEqual(
+				loaderUtils.getOptions({
+					query: ""
+				}),
+				null
+			);
+		});
+	});
+	describe("when loaderContext.query is any other string not starting with ?", () => {
+		it("should throw an error", () => {
+			assert.throws(
+				() => loaderUtils.getOptions({ query: "a" }),
+				"A valid query string passed to parseQuery should begin with '?'"
+			);
 		});
 	});
 	describe("when loaderContext.query is an object", () => {
-		it("should just return the object", () => {
+		it("should just return it", () => {
 			const query = {};
 			assert.strictEqual(
 				loaderUtils.getOptions({
@@ -86,7 +101,7 @@ describe("getOptions()", () => {
 			);
 		});
 	});
-	describe("when loaderContext.query is anything else", () => {
+	describe("when loaderContext.query is an array", () => {
 		it("should just return it", () => {
 			const query = [];
 			assert.strictEqual(
@@ -95,11 +110,15 @@ describe("getOptions()", () => {
 				}),
 				query
 			);
+		});
+	});
+	describe("when loaderContext.query is anything else", () => {
+		it("should return null", () => {
 			assert.strictEqual(
 				loaderUtils.getOptions({
 					query: undefined
 				}),
-				undefined
+				null
 			);
 			assert.strictEqual(
 				loaderUtils.getOptions({
@@ -107,6 +126,18 @@ describe("getOptions()", () => {
 				}),
 				null
 			);
+			assert.strictEqual(
+				loaderUtils.getOptions({
+					query: 1
+				}),
+				null
+			);
+			assert.strictEqual(
+				loaderUtils.getOptions({
+					query: 0
+				}),
+				null
+			);
 		});
 	});
 });