diff --git a/ring-core/src/ring/middleware/nested_params.clj b/ring-core/src/ring/middleware/nested_params.clj
index 7a6abb4b..830331a8 100644
--- a/ring-core/src/ring/middleware/nested_params.clj
+++ b/ring-core/src/ring/middleware/nested_params.clj
@@ -58,9 +58,11 @@
   See: wrap-nested-params."
   {:arglists '([request] [request options])
    :added "1.2"}
-  [request & [opts]]
+  [{:keys [params] :as request} & [opts]]
   (let [parse (:key-parser opts parse-nested-keys)]
-    (update-in request [:params] nest-params parse)))
+    (if (or (empty? params) (-> params meta :nested-params))
+      request
+      (assoc request :params ^:nested-params (nest-params params parse)))))
 
 (defn wrap-nested-params
   "Middleware to converts a flat map of parameters into a nested map.
diff --git a/ring-core/src/ring/middleware/params.clj b/ring-core/src/ring/middleware/params.clj
index c1ed351e..09588a3e 100644
--- a/ring-core/src/ring/middleware/params.clj
+++ b/ring-core/src/ring/middleware/params.clj
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@
       {:form-params {}, :params {}})))
 
 (defn params-request
-  "Adds parameters from the query string and the request body to the request
+  "Adds parameters from the request body and the query string to the request
   map. See: wrap-params."
   {:arglists '([request] [request options])
    :added "1.2"}
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@
 
   :query-params - a map of parameters from the query string
   :form-params  - a map of parameters from the body
-  :params       - a merged map of all types of parameter
+  :params       - a merged map of all types of parameter, query-params last
 
   Accepts the following options: