diff --git a/lib/sprockets/legacy.rb b/lib/sprockets/legacy.rb
index 6de91ba20..c57f0bb71 100644
--- a/lib/sprockets/legacy.rb
+++ b/lib/sprockets/legacy.rb
@@ -154,18 +154,10 @@ def matches_filter(filters, logical_path, filename)
         end
       end
 
-      # URI.unescape is deprecated on 1.9. We need to use URI::Parser
-      # if its available.
-      if defined? URI::DEFAULT_PARSER
-        def unescape(str)
-          str = URI::DEFAULT_PARSER.unescape(str)
-          str.force_encoding(Encoding.default_internal) if Encoding.default_internal
-          str
-        end
-      else
-        def unescape(str)
-          URI.unescape(str)
-        end
+      def unescape(str)
+        URIUtils::URI_PARSER.unescape(str)
+        str.force_encoding(Encoding.default_internal) if Encoding.default_internal
+        str
       end
   end
 
diff --git a/lib/sprockets/uri_utils.rb b/lib/sprockets/uri_utils.rb
index 605d956db..8f2f825f9 100644
--- a/lib/sprockets/uri_utils.rb
+++ b/lib/sprockets/uri_utils.rb
@@ -20,6 +20,8 @@ module Sprockets
   module URIUtils
     extend self
 
+    URI_PARSER = defined?(URI::RFC2396_PARSER) ? URI::RFC2396_PARSER : URI::RFC2396_Parser.new
+
     # Internal: Parse URI into component parts.
     #
     # uri - String uri
@@ -44,7 +46,7 @@ def join_uri(scheme, userinfo, host, port, registry, path, opaque, query, fragme
     def split_file_uri(uri)
       scheme, _, host, _, _, path, _, query, _ = URI.split(uri)
 
-      path = URI::Generic::DEFAULT_PARSER.unescape(path)
+      path = URI_PARSER.unescape(path)
       path.force_encoding(Encoding::UTF_8)
 
       # Hack for parsing Windows "file:///C:/Users/IEUser" paths
@@ -63,7 +65,7 @@ def join_file_uri(scheme, host, path, query)
       str = "#{scheme}://"
       str << host if host
       path = "/#{path}" unless path.start_with?("/")
-      str << URI::Generic::DEFAULT_PARSER.escape(path)
+      str << URI_PARSER.escape(path)
       str << "?#{query}" if query
       str
     end
@@ -162,7 +164,7 @@ def encode_uri_query_params(params)
         when Integer
           query << "#{key}=#{value}"
         when String, Symbol
-          query << "#{key}=#{URI::Generic::DEFAULT_PARSER.escape(value.to_s)}"
+          query << "#{key}=#{URI_PARSER.escape(value.to_s)}"
         when TrueClass
           query << "#{key}"
         when FalseClass, NilClass
@@ -182,7 +184,7 @@ def encode_uri_query_params(params)
     def parse_uri_query_params(query)
       query.to_s.split('&').reduce({}) do |h, p|
         k, v = p.split('=', 2)
-        v = URI::Generic::DEFAULT_PARSER.unescape(v) if v
+        v = URI_PARSER.unescape(v) if v
         h[k.to_sym] = v || true
         h
       end