diff --git a/mitmproxy/net/http/cookies.py b/mitmproxy/net/http/cookies.py
index 7bef87579..39e8d60f8 100644
--- a/mitmproxy/net/http/cookies.py
+++ b/mitmproxy/net/http/cookies.py
@@ -159,13 +159,17 @@ def _read_set_cookie_pairs(s: str, off=0) -> Tuple[List[TPairs], int]:
                 if len(rhs) <= 3:
                     trail, off = _read_value(s, off + 1, ";,")
                     rhs = rhs + "," + trail
-        if rhs or lhs:
+
+            # as long as there's a "=", we consider it a pair
             pairs.append([lhs, rhs])
 
-            # comma marks the beginning of a new cookie
-            if off < len(s) and s[off] == ",":
-                cookies.append(pairs)
-                pairs = []
+        elif lhs:
+            pairs.append([lhs, rhs])
+
+        # comma marks the beginning of a new cookie
+        if off < len(s) and s[off] == ",":
+            cookies.append(pairs)
+            pairs = []
 
         off += 1
 
diff --git a/test/mitmproxy/net/http/test_cookies.py b/test/mitmproxy/net/http/test_cookies.py
index e12b0f005..74233cca9 100644
--- a/test/mitmproxy/net/http/test_cookies.py
+++ b/test/mitmproxy/net/http/test_cookies.py
@@ -142,6 +142,27 @@ def test_cookie_roundtrips():
 
 def test_parse_set_cookie_pairs():
     pairs = [
+        [
+            "=",
+            [[
+                ["", ""]
+            ]]
+        ],
+        [
+            "=;foo=bar",
+            [[
+                ["", ""],
+                ["foo", "bar"]
+            ]]
+        ],
+        [
+            "=;=;foo=bar",
+            [[
+                ["", ""],
+                ["", ""],
+                ["foo", "bar"]
+            ]]
+        ],
         [
             "=uno",
             [[