diff --git a/pydruid/db/api.py b/pydruid/db/api.py
index a06e970a..41f6a64f 100644
--- a/pydruid/db/api.py
+++ b/pydruid/db/api.py
@@ -429,7 +429,7 @@ def rows_from_chunks(chunks):
 
 def apply_parameters(operation, parameters):
     if not parameters:
-        return operation
+        return operation % ()
 
     escaped_parameters = {key: escape(value) for key, value in parameters.items()}
     return operation % escaped_parameters
diff --git a/tests/db/test_cursor.py b/tests/db/test_cursor.py
index 9287b403..3dc25954 100644
--- a/tests/db/test_cursor.py
+++ b/tests/db/test_cursor.py
@@ -121,11 +121,11 @@ def test_names_with_underscores(self, requests_post_mock):
 
     def test_apply_parameters(self):
         self.assertEqual(
-            apply_parameters('SELECT 100 AS "100%"', None), 'SELECT 100 AS "100%"'
+            apply_parameters('SELECT 100 AS "100%%"', None), 'SELECT 100 AS "100%"'
         )
 
         self.assertEqual(
-            apply_parameters('SELECT 100 AS "100%"', {}), 'SELECT 100 AS "100%"'
+            apply_parameters('SELECT 100 AS "100%%"', {}), 'SELECT 100 AS "100%"'
         )
 
         self.assertEqual(
@@ -147,6 +147,11 @@ def test_apply_parameters(self):
             apply_parameters("SELECT %(key)s", {"key": False}), "SELECT FALSE"
         )
 
+        self.assertEqual(
+            apply_parameters("SELECT * FROM t WHERE name LIKE '%%a'", None),
+            "SELECT * FROM t WHERE name LIKE '%a'",
+        )
+
 
 if __name__ == "__main__":
     unittest.main()