diff --git a/lib/util/http/github.spec.ts b/lib/util/http/github.spec.ts
index 26d2714252801e4dc8a5bb5a070d79e4367f34c7..1a36c4efcf82c4161e60ba38ae6d70c0ec5cc6ea 100644
--- a/lib/util/http/github.spec.ts
+++ b/lib/util/http/github.spec.ts
@@ -80,21 +80,21 @@ describe('util/http/github', () => {
     });
 
     it('paginates', async () => {
-      const url = '/some-url';
+      const url = '/some-url?per_page=2';
       httpMock
         .scope(githubApiHost)
         .get(url)
-        .reply(200, ['a'], {
-          link: `<${url}?page=2>; rel="next", <${url}?page=3>; rel="last"`,
+        .reply(200, ['a', 'b'], {
+          link: `<${url}&page=2>; rel="next", <${url}&page=3>; rel="last"`,
         })
-        .get(`${url}?page=2`)
-        .reply(200, ['b', 'c'], {
-          link: `<${url}?page=3>; rel="next", <${url}?page=3>; rel="last"`,
+        .get(`${url}&page=2`)
+        .reply(200, ['c', 'd'], {
+          link: `<${url}&page=3>; rel="next", <${url}&page=3>; rel="last"`,
         })
-        .get(`${url}?page=3`)
-        .reply(200, ['d']);
-      const res = await githubApi.getJson('some-url', { paginate: true });
-      expect(res.body).toEqual(['a', 'b', 'c', 'd']);
+        .get(`${url}&page=3`)
+        .reply(200, ['e']);
+      const res = await githubApi.getJson(url, { paginate: true });
+      expect(res.body).toEqual(['a', 'b', 'c', 'd', 'e']);
       const trace = httpMock.getTrace();
       expect(trace).toHaveLength(3);
     });
diff --git a/lib/util/http/github.ts b/lib/util/http/github.ts
index ec0e949a687e4296b85aebf14dd28e019862df3d..dd5373602a2a33021dc36c48f11cce28740a64f0 100644
--- a/lib/util/http/github.ts
+++ b/lib/util/http/github.ts
@@ -210,31 +210,24 @@ export class GithubHttp extends Http<GithubHttpOptions, GithubHttpOptions> {
       if (opts.paginate) {
         // Check if result is paginated
         const pageLimit = opts.pageLimit ?? 10;
-        const linkHeader =
-          result?.headers?.link &&
-          parseLinkHeader(result.headers.link as string);
+        const linkHeader = parseLinkHeader(result?.headers?.link);
         if (linkHeader?.next && linkHeader?.last) {
-          let lastPage = +linkHeader.last.page;
+          let lastPage = parseInt(linkHeader.last.page, 10);
           // istanbul ignore else: needs a test
           if (!process.env.RENOVATE_PAGINATE_ALL && opts.paginate !== 'all') {
             lastPage = Math.min(pageLimit, lastPage);
           }
-          const pageNumbers = Array.from(
-            new Array(lastPage),
-            (x, i) => i + 1
-          ).slice(1);
-          const queue = pageNumbers.map(
-            (page) => (): Promise<HttpResponse<T>> => {
+          const queue = Array.from(new Array(lastPage), (_, i) => `${i + 1}`)
+            .slice(1)
+            .map((pageNumber) => (): Promise<HttpResponse<T>> => {
               const nextUrl = new URL(linkHeader.next.url, baseUrl);
-              nextUrl.search = '';
-              nextUrl.searchParams.set('page', page.toString());
+              nextUrl.searchParams.set('page', pageNumber);
               return this.request<T>(
                 nextUrl,
                 { ...opts, paginate: false },
                 okToRetry
               );
-            }
-          );
+            });
           const pages = await pAll(queue, { concurrency: 5 });
           if (opts.paginationField && is.plainObject(result.body)) {
             const paginatedResult = result.body[opts.paginationField];