diff --git a/packages/gitbook-v2/src/middleware.ts b/packages/gitbook-v2/src/middleware.ts
index 79d5929bb..b7904a578 100644
--- a/packages/gitbook-v2/src/middleware.ts
+++ b/packages/gitbook-v2/src/middleware.ts
@@ -141,10 +141,12 @@ async function serveSiteRoutes(requestURL: URL, request: NextRequest) {
         // Make sure the URL is clean of any va token after a successful lookup
         // The token is stored in a cookie that is set on the redirect response
         //
-        const requestURLWithoutToken = normalizeVisitorAuthURL(
-            mode === 'url' ? requestURL : siteURL
-        );
-        if (requestURLWithoutToken.toString() !== requestURL.toString()) {
+        const incomingURL = mode === 'url' ? requestURL : siteURL;
+        const requestURLWithoutToken = normalizeVisitorAuthURL(incomingURL);
+        if (
+            requestURLWithoutToken !== incomingURL &&
+            requestURLWithoutToken.toString() !== incomingURL.toString()
+        ) {
             return writeResponseCookies(
                 NextResponse.redirect(requestURLWithoutToken.toString()),
                 cookies
diff --git a/packages/gitbook/src/lib/visitor-token.ts b/packages/gitbook/src/lib/visitor-token.ts
index 3350da828..64f0c9793 100644
--- a/packages/gitbook/src/lib/visitor-token.ts
+++ b/packages/gitbook/src/lib/visitor-token.ts
@@ -151,9 +151,13 @@ export function getVisitorAuthCookieValue(basePath: string, token: string): stri
  * Normalize the URL by removing the visitor authentication token from the query parameters (if present).
  */
 export function normalizeVisitorAuthURL(url: URL): URL {
-    const withoutVAParam = new URL(url);
-    withoutVAParam.searchParams.delete(VISITOR_AUTH_PARAM);
-    return withoutVAParam;
+    if (url.searchParams.has(VISITOR_AUTH_PARAM)) {
+        const withoutVAParam = new URL(url);
+        withoutVAParam.searchParams.delete(VISITOR_AUTH_PARAM);
+        return withoutVAParam;
+    }
+
+    return url;
 }
 
 /**