diff --git a/packages/routes-gen/src/route.test.ts b/packages/routes-gen/src/route.test.ts
index 9c3bb6e..9a10c8e 100644
--- a/packages/routes-gen/src/route.test.ts
+++ b/packages/routes-gen/src/route.test.ts
@@ -1,16 +1,28 @@
 import { route } from "./route";
 
 it("supports optional params (issue 31)", () => {
-  expect(route("/reports/:type?/:id/", { id: "123" })).toEqual("/reports/123/");
+  expect(route('/special?/foo')).toEqual('/foo');
+  expect(route('/special/foo')).toEqual('/special/foo');
 
-  expect(route("/reports/:type?/:id/", { id: "123", type: "annual" })).toEqual(
-    "/reports/annual/123/"
+  expect(route("/reports/:type?/:id", { id: "123" })).toEqual("/reports/123");
+
+  expect(route("/reports/:type?/:id", { id: "123", type: "annual" })).toEqual(
+    "/reports/annual/123"
+  );
+
+
+  expect(route("/reports/:id/:type?", { id: "123" })).toEqual("/reports/123");
+
+  expect(route("/reports/:id/:type?", { id: "123", type: "annual" })).toEqual(
+    "/reports/123/annual"
   );
 
-  expect(route("/reports/:id/:type?/", { id: "123" })).toEqual("/reports/123/");
+  expect(route("/categories?/:category?/products")).toEqual(
+    "/products"
+  );
 
-  expect(route("/reports/:id/:type?/", { id: "123", type: "annual" })).toEqual(
-    "/reports/123/annual/"
+  expect(route("/categories?/:category?/products", { category: 'tees'})).toEqual(
+    "/categories/tees/products"
   );
 });
 
diff --git a/packages/routes-gen/src/route.ts b/packages/routes-gen/src/route.ts
index bd6212c..295c219 100644
--- a/packages/routes-gen/src/route.ts
+++ b/packages/routes-gen/src/route.ts
@@ -1,28 +1,33 @@
-export function route<T extends string>(
-  path: T,
-  params?: Record<string, any>
-): T {
-  if (params) {
-    const segments = path.split(/\/+/).map((segment) => {
-      if (segment.startsWith(":")) {
-        const key = segment.replace(":", "").replace("?", "");
-
-        if (key in params) {
-          return params[key];
-        }
+export function route<T extends string>(path: T, params: Record<string, any> = {}): T {
+  if (!path.includes('?') && !path.includes(':')) {
+    return path;
+  }
 
-        // If the segment is optional and it doesn't exist in params, return null to omit it from the resulting path
-        if (segment.endsWith("?")) {
-          return null;
-        }
-      }
+  let realPath = "";
+  let currentIndex = path.length;
+  let lastSegmentHadParam = false;
 
-      return segment;
-    });
+  while (currentIndex > 0) {
+    const startSegmentIndex = path.lastIndexOf('/', currentIndex);
+    const segment = path.slice(startSegmentIndex, currentIndex + 1);
+    currentIndex = startSegmentIndex - 1;
 
-    // Filter out any null/undefined segments and join remaining segments
-    return segments.filter((value) => value != null).join("/") as T;
+    if (segment.startsWith('/:')) {
+      const paramName = segment.endsWith('?') ? segment.slice(2, -1) : segment.slice(2);
+      const paramValue = params[paramName];
+      if (paramValue !== undefined) {
+        lastSegmentHadParam = true;
+        realPath = `/${paramValue}` + realPath;
+      }
+    } else if (segment.endsWith('?')) {
+      if (lastSegmentHadParam) {
+        realPath = segment.slice(0, -1) + realPath;
+      }
+    } else {
+      lastSegmentHadParam = false;
+      realPath = segment + realPath;
+    }
   }
 
-  return path;
-}
+  return realPath as T;
+}
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