diff --git a/awx/ui_next/src/util/qs.js b/awx/ui_next/src/util/qs.js
index d10585aa99..cf182445c5 100644
--- a/awx/ui_next/src/util/qs.js
+++ b/awx/ui_next/src/util/qs.js
@@ -1,10 +1,226 @@
+/**
+ * Returns queryset config with defaults, if needed
+ * @param {string} namespace for appending to url querystring
+ * @param {object} default params that are not handled with search (page, page_size and order_by)
+ * @param {array} params that are number fields
+ * @return {object} query param object
+ */
+export function getQSConfig(
+  namespace,
+  defaultParams = { page: 1, page_size: 5, order_by: 'name' },
+  integerFields = ['page', 'page_size'],
+  dateFields = ['modified', 'created']
+) {
+  if (!namespace) {
+    throw new Error('a QS namespace is required');
+  }
+  return {
+    namespace,
+    defaultParams,
+    integerFields,
+    dateFields,
+  };
+}
+
+/**
+ * Convert url query string to query param object
+ * @param {object} qs config object (used for getting defaults, current query params etc.)
+ * @param {string} url query string
+ * @return {object} query param object
+ */
+// TODO: rename to parseNamespacedQueryString?
+export function parseQueryString(config, queryString) {
+  if (!queryString) {
+    return config.defaultParams;
+  }
+  const params = stringToObject(config, queryString);
+  return addDefaultsToObject(config, params);
+}
+
+/**
+ * Convert query param object to url query string
+ * Used to encode params for interacting with the api
+ * @param {object} qs config object for namespacing params, filtering defaults
+ * @param {object} query param object
+ * @return {string} url query string
+ */
+export const encodeQueryString = params => {
+  if (!params) return '';
+
+  return Object.keys(params)
+    .sort()
+    .filter(key => params[key] !== null)
+    .map(key => [key, params[key]])
+    .map(([key, value]) => {
+      // if value is array, should return more than one key value pair
+      if (Array.isArray(value)) {
+        return value
+          .map(val => `${encodeURIComponent(key)}=${encodeURIComponent(val)}`)
+          .join('&');
+      }
+      return `${encodeURIComponent(key)}=${encodeURIComponent(value)}`;
+    })
+    .join('&');
+};
+
+/**
+ * Convert query param object to url query string, adding namespace and removing defaults
+ * Used to put into url bar after ui route
+ * @param {object} qs config object for namespacing params, filtering defaults
+ * @param {object} query param object
+ * @return {string} url query string
+ */
+export const encodeNonDefaultQueryString = (config, params) => {
+  if (!params) return '';
+
+  const namespacedParams = namespaceParams(config.namespace, params);
+  const namespacedDefaults = namespaceParams(
+    config.namespace,
+    config.defaultParams
+  );
+  const namespacedDefaultKeys = Object.keys(namespacedDefaults);
+  const namespacedParamsWithoutDefaultsKeys = Object.keys(
+    namespacedParams
+  ).filter(
+    key =>
+      namespacedDefaultKeys.indexOf(key) === -1 ||
+      !paramValueIsEqual(namespacedParams[key], namespacedDefaults[key])
+  );
+
+  return namespacedParamsWithoutDefaultsKeys
+    .sort()
+    .filter(key => namespacedParams[key] !== null)
+    .map(key => {
+      return [key, namespacedParams[key]];
+    })
+    .map(([key, value]) => {
+      // if value is array, should return more than one key value pair
+      if (Array.isArray(value)) {
+        return value
+          .map(val => `${encodeURIComponent(key)}=${encodeURIComponent(val)}`)
+          .join('&');
+      }
+      return `${encodeURIComponent(key)}=${encodeURIComponent(value)}`;
+    })
+    .join('&');
+};
+
+/**
+ * Merges existing params of search string with new ones and returns the updated list of params
+ * @param {object} qs config object (used for getting defaults, current query params etc.)
+ * @param {object} object with params from existing search
+ * @param {object} object with new params to add
+ * @return {object} query param object
+ */
+export function addParams(config, oldParams, paramsToAdd) {
+  const namespacedOldParams = namespaceParams(config.namespace, oldParams);
+  const namespacedParamsToAdd = namespaceParams(config.namespace, paramsToAdd);
+  const namespacedDefaultParams = namespaceParams(
+    config.namespace,
+    config.defaultParams
+  );
+
+  const namespacedOldParamsNotDefaults = getNonDefaultParams(
+    namespacedOldParams,
+    namespacedDefaultParams
+  );
+  const namespacedMergedParams = getMergedParams(
+    namespacedOldParamsNotDefaults,
+    namespacedParamsToAdd
+  );
+
+  // return updated params.
+  // If newParams includes updates to the defaults, they will be replaced,
+  // not concatenated.
+  return denamespaceParams(config.namespace, {
+    ...getDefaultParams(namespacedOldParams, namespacedDefaultParams),
+    ...namespacedMergedParams,
+    ...getRemainingNewParams(namespacedMergedParams, namespacedParamsToAdd),
+  });
+}
+
+/**
+ * Removes params from the search string and returns the updated list of params
+ * @param {object} qs config object (used for getting defaults, current query params etc.)
+ * @param {object} object with params from existing search
+ * @param {object} object with new params to remove
+ * @return {object} query param object
+ */
+export function removeParams(config, oldParams, paramsToRemove) {
+  const paramsEntries = [];
+  Object.entries(oldParams).forEach(([key, value]) => {
+    if (Array.isArray(value)) {
+      value.forEach(val => {
+        paramsEntries.push([key, val]);
+      });
+    } else {
+      paramsEntries.push([key, value]);
+    }
+  });
+  const paramsToRemoveEntries = Object.entries(paramsToRemove);
+  const remainingEntries = paramsEntries.filter(
+    ([key, value]) =>
+      paramsToRemoveEntries.filter(
+        ([newKey, newValue]) => key === newKey && value === newValue
+      ).length === 0
+  );
+  const remainingObject = arrayToObject(remainingEntries);
+  const defaultEntriesLeftover = Object.entries(config.defaultParams).filter(
+    ([key]) => !remainingObject[key]
+  );
+  const finalParamsEntries = remainingEntries;
+  defaultEntriesLeftover.forEach(value => {
+    finalParamsEntries.push(value);
+  });
+  return arrayToObject(finalParamsEntries);
+}
+
+const stringToObject = (config, qs) => {
+  const params = {};
+  qs.replace(/^\?/, '')
+    .split('&')
+    .map(s => s.split('='))
+    .forEach(([nsKey, rawValue]) => {
+      if (!nsKey || !nsKey.startsWith(`${config.namespace}.`)) {
+        return;
+      }
+      const key = decodeURIComponent(nsKey.substr(config.namespace.length + 1));
+      const value = parseValue(config, key, rawValue);
+      if (!params[key]) {
+        params[key] = value;
+      } else if (Array.isArray(params[key])) {
+        params[key].push(value);
+      } else {
+        params[key] = [params[key], value];
+      }
+    });
+  return params;
+};
+export { stringToObject as _stringToObject };
+
+function addDefaultsToObject(config, params) {
+  return {
+    ...config.defaultParams,
+    ...params,
+  };
+}
+export { addDefaultsToObject as _addDefaultsToObject };
+
+function parseValue(config, key, rawValue) {
+  if (config.integerFields && config.integerFields.some(v => v === key)) {
+    return parseInt(rawValue, 10);
+  }
+  // TODO: parse date fields
+  return decodeURIComponent(rawValue);
+}
+
 /**
  * helper function used to convert from
  * Object.entries format ([ [ key, value ], ... ]) to object
  * @param {array} array in the format [ [ key, value ], ...]
  * @return {object} object in the forms { key: value, ... }
  */
-const toObject = entriesArr =>
+const arrayToObject = entriesArr =>
   entriesArr.reduce((acc, [key, value]) => {
     if (acc[key] && Array.isArray(acc[key])) {
       acc[key].push(value);
@@ -83,176 +299,6 @@ const paramValueIsEqual = (one, two) => {
   return isEqual;
 };
 
-/**
- * Convert query param object to url query string
- * Used to encode params for interacting with the api
- * @param {object} qs config object for namespacing params, filtering defaults
- * @param {object} query param object
- * @return {string} url query string
- */
-export const encodeQueryString = params => {
-  if (!params) return '';
-
-  return Object.keys(params)
-    .sort()
-    .filter(key => params[key] !== null)
-    .map(key => [key, params[key]])
-    .map(([key, value]) => {
-      // if value is array, should return more than one key value pair
-      if (Array.isArray(value)) {
-        return value
-          .map(val => `${encodeURIComponent(key)}=${encodeURIComponent(val)}`)
-          .join('&');
-      }
-      return `${encodeURIComponent(key)}=${encodeURIComponent(value)}`;
-    })
-    .join('&');
-};
-
-/**
- * Convert query param object to url query string, adding namespace and removing defaults
- * Used to put into url bar after ui route
- * @param {object} qs config object for namespacing params, filtering defaults
- * @param {object} query param object
- * @return {string} url query string
- */
-export const encodeNonDefaultQueryString = (config, params) => {
-  if (!params) return '';
-
-  const namespacedParams = namespaceParams(config.namespace, params);
-  const namespacedDefaults = namespaceParams(
-    config.namespace,
-    config.defaultParams
-  );
-  const namespacedDefaultKeys = Object.keys(namespacedDefaults);
-  const namespacedParamsWithoutDefaultsKeys = Object.keys(
-    namespacedParams
-  ).filter(
-    key =>
-      namespacedDefaultKeys.indexOf(key) === -1 ||
-      !paramValueIsEqual(namespacedParams[key], namespacedDefaults[key])
-  );
-
-  return namespacedParamsWithoutDefaultsKeys
-    .sort()
-    .filter(key => namespacedParams[key] !== null)
-    .map(key => {
-      return [key, namespacedParams[key]];
-    })
-    .map(([key, value]) => {
-      // if value is array, should return more than one key value pair
-      if (Array.isArray(value)) {
-        return value
-          .map(val => `${encodeURIComponent(key)}=${encodeURIComponent(val)}`)
-          .join('&');
-      }
-      return `${encodeURIComponent(key)}=${encodeURIComponent(value)}`;
-    })
-    .join('&');
-};
-
-/**
- * Returns queryset config with defaults, if needed
- * @param {string} namespace for appending to url querystring
- * @param {object} default params that are not handled with search (page, page_size and order_by)
- * @param {array} params that are number fields
- * @return {object} query param object
- */
-export function getQSConfig(
-  namespace,
-  defaultParams = { page: 1, page_size: 5, order_by: 'name' },
-  integerFields = ['page', 'page_size'],
-  dateFields = ['modified', 'created']
-) {
-  if (!namespace) {
-    throw new Error('a QS namespace is required');
-  }
-  return {
-    namespace,
-    defaultParams,
-    integerFields,
-    dateFields,
-  };
-}
-
-/**
- * Convert url query string to query param object
- * @param {object} qs config object (used for getting defaults, current query params etc.)
- * @param {string} url query string
- * @return {object} query param object
- */
-export function parseQueryString(config, queryString) {
-  if (!queryString) return config.defaultParams;
-
-  const namespacedIntegerFields = config.integerFields.map(f =>
-    config.namespace ? `${config.namespace}.${f}` : f
-  );
-
-  const keyValuePairs = queryString
-    .replace(/^\?/, '')
-    .split('&')
-    .map(s => s.split('='))
-    .map(([key, value]) => {
-      if (namespacedIntegerFields.includes(key)) {
-        return [decodeURIComponent(key), parseInt(value, 10)];
-      }
-
-      return [decodeURIComponent(key), decodeURIComponent(value)];
-    });
-
-  const keyValueObject = toObject(keyValuePairs);
-
-  // needs to return array for duplicate keys
-  // ie [[k1, v1], [k1, v2], [k2, v3]]
-  // -> [[k1, [v1, v2]], [k2, v3]]
-  const dedupedKeyValuePairs = Object.keys(keyValueObject).map(key => {
-    const values = keyValuePairs.filter(([k]) => k === key).map(([, v]) => v);
-
-    if (values.length === 1) {
-      return [key, values[0]];
-    }
-
-    return [key, values];
-  });
-
-  const parsed = Object.assign(
-    ...dedupedKeyValuePairs.map(([k, v]) => ({
-      [k]: v,
-    }))
-  );
-
-  const namespacedParams = {};
-
-  Object.keys(parsed).forEach(field => {
-    if (namespaceMatches(config.namespace, field)) {
-      let fieldname = field;
-      if (config.namespace) {
-        fieldname = field.substr(config.namespace.length + 1);
-      }
-      namespacedParams[fieldname] = parsed[field];
-    }
-  });
-
-  const namespacedDefaults = namespaceParams(
-    config.namespace,
-    config.defaultParams
-  );
-
-  Object.keys(namespacedDefaults)
-    .filter(key => Object.keys(parsed).indexOf(key) === -1)
-    .forEach(field => {
-      if (namespaceMatches(config.namespace, field)) {
-        let fieldname = field;
-        if (config.namespace) {
-          fieldname = field.substr(config.namespace.length + 1);
-        }
-        namespacedParams[fieldname] = namespacedDefaults[field];
-      }
-    });
-
-  return namespacedParams;
-}
-
 /**
  * helper function to get params that are defaults
  * @param {object} namespaced params object
@@ -260,7 +306,7 @@ export function parseQueryString(config, queryString) {
  * @return {object} namespaced params object of only defaults
  */
 const getDefaultParams = (params, defaults) =>
-  toObject(
+  arrayToObject(
     Object.keys(params)
       .filter(key => Object.keys(defaults).indexOf(key) > -1)
       .map(key => [key, params[key]])
@@ -273,7 +319,7 @@ const getDefaultParams = (params, defaults) =>
  * @return {object} namespaced params object of non-defaults
  */
 const getNonDefaultParams = (params, defaults) =>
-  toObject(
+  arrayToObject(
     Object.keys(params)
       .filter(key => Object.keys(defaults).indexOf(key) === -1)
       .map(key => [key, params[key]])
@@ -286,7 +332,7 @@ const getNonDefaultParams = (params, defaults) =>
  * @return {object} merged namespaced params object
  */
 const getMergedParams = (oldParams, newParams) =>
-  toObject(
+  arrayToObject(
     Object.keys(oldParams).map(key => {
       let oldVal = oldParams[key];
       const newVal = newParams[key];
@@ -308,78 +354,8 @@ const getMergedParams = (oldParams, newParams) =>
  * @return {object} remaining new namespaced params object
  */
 const getRemainingNewParams = (mergedParams, newParams) =>
-  toObject(
+  arrayToObject(
     Object.keys(newParams)
       .filter(key => Object.keys(mergedParams).indexOf(key) === -1)
       .map(key => [key, newParams[key]])
   );
-
-/**
- * Merges existing params of search string with new ones and returns the updated list of params
- * @param {object} qs config object (used for getting defaults, current query params etc.)
- * @param {object} object with params from existing search
- * @param {object} object with new params to add
- * @return {object} query param object
- */
-export function addParams(config, oldParams, paramsToAdd) {
-  const namespacedOldParams = namespaceParams(config.namespace, oldParams);
-  const namespacedParamsToAdd = namespaceParams(config.namespace, paramsToAdd);
-  const namespacedDefaultParams = namespaceParams(
-    config.namespace,
-    config.defaultParams
-  );
-
-  const namespacedOldParamsNotDefaults = getNonDefaultParams(
-    namespacedOldParams,
-    namespacedDefaultParams
-  );
-  const namespacedMergedParams = getMergedParams(
-    namespacedOldParamsNotDefaults,
-    namespacedParamsToAdd
-  );
-
-  // return updated params.
-  // If newParams includes updates to the defaults, they will be replaced,
-  // not concatenated.
-  return denamespaceParams(config.namespace, {
-    ...getDefaultParams(namespacedOldParams, namespacedDefaultParams),
-    ...namespacedMergedParams,
-    ...getRemainingNewParams(namespacedMergedParams, namespacedParamsToAdd),
-  });
-}
-
-/**
- * Removes params from the search string and returns the updated list of params
- * @param {object} qs config object (used for getting defaults, current query params etc.)
- * @param {object} object with params from existing search
- * @param {object} object with new params to remove
- * @return {object} query param object
- */
-export function removeParams(config, oldParams, paramsToRemove) {
-  const paramsEntries = [];
-  Object.entries(oldParams).forEach(([key, value]) => {
-    if (Array.isArray(value)) {
-      value.forEach(val => {
-        paramsEntries.push([key, val]);
-      });
-    } else {
-      paramsEntries.push([key, value]);
-    }
-  });
-  const paramsToRemoveEntries = Object.entries(paramsToRemove);
-  const remainingEntries = paramsEntries.filter(
-    ([key, value]) =>
-      paramsToRemoveEntries.filter(
-        ([newKey, newValue]) => key === newKey && value === newValue
-      ).length === 0
-  );
-  const remainingObject = toObject(remainingEntries);
-  const defaultEntriesLeftover = Object.entries(config.defaultParams).filter(
-    ([key]) => !remainingObject[key]
-  );
-  const finalParamsEntries = remainingEntries;
-  defaultEntriesLeftover.forEach(value => {
-    finalParamsEntries.push(value);
-  });
-  return toObject(finalParamsEntries);
-}
diff --git a/awx/ui_next/src/util/qs.test.js b/awx/ui_next/src/util/qs.test.js
index b3c459b9ba..3ddd3a94c4 100644
--- a/awx/ui_next/src/util/qs.test.js
+++ b/awx/ui_next/src/util/qs.test.js
@@ -5,6 +5,9 @@ import {
   getQSConfig,
   addParams,
   removeParams,
+  _paramStringToArray,
+  _stringToObject,
+  _addDefaultsToObject,
 } from './qs';
 
 describe('qs (qs.js)', () => {
@@ -81,6 +84,7 @@ describe('qs (qs.js)', () => {
         dateFields: ['modified', 'created'],
         defaultParams: { page: 1, page_size: 5, order_by: 'name' },
         integerFields: ['page', 'page_size'],
+        dateFields: ['modified', 'created'],
       });
     });
 
@@ -98,6 +102,7 @@ describe('qs (qs.js)', () => {
         dateFields: ['modified', 'created'],
         defaultParams: { page: 1, page_size: 15 },
         integerFields: ['page', 'page_size'],
+        dateFields: ['modified', 'created'],
       });
     });
   });
@@ -105,11 +110,11 @@ describe('qs (qs.js)', () => {
   describe('parseQueryString', () => {
     test('should get query params', () => {
       const config = {
-        namespace: null,
+        namespace: 'item',
         defaultParams: { page: 1, page_size: 15 },
         integerFields: ['page', 'page_size'],
       };
-      const query = '?baz=bar&page=3';
+      const query = '?item.baz=bar&item.page=3';
       expect(parseQueryString(config, query)).toEqual({
         baz: 'bar',
         page: 3,
@@ -132,11 +137,11 @@ describe('qs (qs.js)', () => {
 
     test('should get query params with correct integer fields', () => {
       const config = {
-        namespace: null,
+        namespace: 'item',
         defaultParams: {},
         integerFields: ['page', 'foo'],
       };
-      const query = '?foo=4&bar=5';
+      const query = '?item.foo=4&item.bar=5';
       expect(parseQueryString(config, query)).toEqual({
         foo: 4,
         bar: '5',
@@ -145,16 +150,28 @@ describe('qs (qs.js)', () => {
 
     test('should decode parsed params', () => {
       const config = {
-        namespace: null,
+        namespace: 'item',
         defaultParams: {},
         integerFields: ['page'],
       };
-      const query = '?foo=bar%20baz';
+      const query = '?item.foo=bar%20baz';
       expect(parseQueryString(config, query)).toEqual({
         foo: 'bar baz',
       });
     });
 
+    test('should decode param keys', () => {
+      const config = {
+        namespace: 'item',
+        defaultParams: {},
+        integerFields: ['page'],
+      };
+      const query = '?item.foo%20bar=baz';
+      expect(parseQueryString(config, query)).toEqual({
+        'foo bar': 'baz',
+      });
+    });
+
     test('should get namespaced query params', () => {
       const config = {
         namespace: 'inventory',
@@ -199,11 +216,11 @@ describe('qs (qs.js)', () => {
 
     test('should add duplicate non-default params as array', () => {
       const config = {
-        namespace: null,
+        namespace: 'item',
         defaultParams: { page: 1, page_size: 15 },
         integerFields: ['page', 'page_size'],
       };
-      const query = '?baz=bar&baz=boo&page=3';
+      const query = '?item.baz=bar&item.baz=boo&item.page=3';
       expect(parseQueryString(config, query)).toEqual({
         baz: ['bar', 'boo'],
         page: 3,
@@ -550,4 +567,79 @@ describe('qs (qs.js)', () => {
       });
     });
   });
+
+  describe('_stringToObject', () => {
+    it('should convert to object', () => {
+      const config = { namespace: 'unit' };
+      expect(_stringToObject(config, '?unit.foo=bar&unit.baz=bam')).toEqual({
+        foo: 'bar',
+        baz: 'bam',
+      });
+    });
+
+    it('should convert duplicated keys to array', () => {
+      const config = { namespace: 'unit' };
+      expect(_stringToObject(config, '?unit.foo=bar&unit.foo=bam')).toEqual({
+        foo: ['bar', 'bam'],
+      });
+    });
+
+    it('should omit keys from other namespaces', () => {
+      const config = { namespace: 'unit' };
+      expect(
+        _stringToObject(config, '?unit.foo=bar&other.bar=bam&one=two')
+      ).toEqual({
+        foo: 'bar',
+      });
+    });
+
+    it('should convert numbers to correct type', () => {
+      const config = {
+        namespace: 'unit',
+        integerFields: ['page'],
+      };
+      expect(_stringToObject(config, '?unit.page=3')).toEqual({
+        page: 3,
+      });
+    });
+  });
+
+  describe('_addDefaultsToObject', () => {
+    it('should add missing default values', () => {
+      const config = {
+        defaultParams: { page: 1, page_size: 5, order_by: 'name' },
+      }
+      expect(_addDefaultsToObject(config, {})).toEqual({
+        page: 1,
+        page_size: 5,
+        order_by: 'name',
+      });
+    });
+
+    it('should not override existing params', () => {
+      const config = {
+        defaultParams: { page: 1, page_size: 5, order_by: 'name' },
+      }
+      const params = {
+        page: 2,
+        order_by: 'date_created',
+      }
+      expect(_addDefaultsToObject(config, params)).toEqual({
+        page: 2,
+        page_size: 5,
+        order_by: 'date_created',
+      });
+    });
+
+    it('should handle missing defaultParams', () => {
+      const params = {
+        page: 2,
+        order_by: 'date_created',
+      }
+      expect(_addDefaultsToObject({}, params)).toEqual({
+        page: 2,
+        order_by: 'date_created',
+      });
+    })
+  })
 });