diff --git a/src/app/browse-by/browse-by-metadata-page/browse-by-metadata-page.component.ts b/src/app/browse-by/browse-by-metadata-page/browse-by-metadata-page.component.ts
index 75dbfcfc82a..6c6a2f07ed9 100644
--- a/src/app/browse-by/browse-by-metadata-page/browse-by-metadata-page.component.ts
+++ b/src/app/browse-by/browse-by-metadata-page/browse-by-metadata-page.component.ts
@@ -167,6 +167,8 @@ export class BrowseByMetadataPageComponent implements OnInit, OnDestroy {
 
         if (typeof params.startsWith === 'string'){
             this.startsWith = params.startsWith.trim();
+          } else {
+            this.startsWith = '';
           }
 
           if (isNotEmpty(this.value)) {
diff --git a/src/app/shared/object-list/browse-entry-list-element/browse-entry-list-element.component.html b/src/app/shared/object-list/browse-entry-list-element/browse-entry-list-element.component.html
index ff7efcc309d..3f59a347770 100644
--- a/src/app/shared/object-list/browse-entry-list-element/browse-entry-list-element.component.html
+++ b/src/app/shared/object-list/browse-entry-list-element/browse-entry-list-element.component.html
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 <div class="d-flex flex-row">
-    <a *ngIf="linkType != linkTypes.None" [target]="(linkType == linkTypes.ExternalLink) ? '_blank' : '_self'" [attr.rel]="(linkType == linkTypes.ExternalLink) ? 'noopener noreferrer' : null" [routerLink]="[]" [queryParams]="queryParams$ | async" [queryParamsHandling]="'merge'" class="lead">
+    <a *ngIf="linkType != linkTypes.None" [target]="(linkType == linkTypes.ExternalLink) ? '_blank' : '_self'" [attr.rel]="(linkType == linkTypes.ExternalLink) ? 'noopener noreferrer' : null" [routerLink]="[]" [queryParams]="queryParams$ | async" class="lead">
         {{object.value}}
     </a>
     <span *ngIf="linkType == linkTypes.None" class="lead">
diff --git a/src/app/shared/starts-with/starts-with-abstract.component.ts b/src/app/shared/starts-with/starts-with-abstract.component.ts
index ad9c56c9702..72226c2af7b 100644
--- a/src/app/shared/starts-with/starts-with-abstract.component.ts
+++ b/src/app/shared/starts-with/starts-with-abstract.component.ts
@@ -80,11 +80,10 @@ export abstract class StartsWithAbstractComponent implements OnInit, OnDestroy {
       this.startsWith = undefined;
     }
     if (resetPage) {
-      this.paginationService.updateRoute(this.paginationId, {page: 1}, { startsWith: this.startsWith });
+      this.paginationService.updateRoute(this.paginationId, {page: 1}, { startsWith: this.startsWith }, undefined, { queryParamsHandling: '' });
     } else {
       this.router.navigate([], {
         queryParams: Object.assign({ startsWith: this.startsWith }),
-        queryParamsHandling: 'merge'
       });
     }
   }
diff --git a/src/app/shared/starts-with/text/starts-with-text.component.spec.ts b/src/app/shared/starts-with/text/starts-with-text.component.spec.ts
index b717c72d76b..157dbc77d00 100644
--- a/src/app/shared/starts-with/text/starts-with-text.component.spec.ts
+++ b/src/app/shared/starts-with/text/starts-with-text.component.spec.ts
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ import { StartsWithTextComponent } from './starts-with-text.component';
 import { PaginationService } from '../../../core/pagination/pagination.service';
 import { PaginationServiceStub } from '../../testing/pagination-service.stub';
 
-describe('StartsWithTextComponent', () => {
+fdescribe('StartsWithTextComponent', () => {
   let comp: StartsWithTextComponent;
   let fixture: ComponentFixture<StartsWithTextComponent>;
   let route: ActivatedRoute;
@@ -62,8 +62,8 @@ describe('StartsWithTextComponent', () => {
       expect(comp.startsWith).toEqual(expectedValue);
     });
 
-    it('should add a startsWith query parameter', () => {
-      expect(paginationService.updateRoute).toHaveBeenCalledWith('page-id', {page: 1}, {startsWith: expectedValue});
+    it('should add a startsWith query parameter and clear all others', () => {
+      expect(paginationService.updateRoute).toHaveBeenCalledWith('page-id', {page: 1}, {startsWith: expectedValue}, undefined, { queryParamsHandling: '' });
     });
   });