diff --git a/module_citeq.lua b/module_citeq.lua
index af84898..e08d61e 100644
--- a/module_citeq.lua
+++ b/module_citeq.lua
@@ -1020,16 +1020,22 @@ local function _cite_q (citeq_args)
 	end
 
 	for k, v in pairs(citeq_args) do
-		if v == "" then citeq_args[k] = nil end									-- remove blank parameters
-		local link = tostring (v):match ('%[%[([^|]+)|%1%]%]');					-- get <link> from <v> wikilink [[<link>|<label>]] when <link> and <label> are same value
-		if link then															-- if <link> and <label> are the same thing
-			citeq_args[k] = '[[' .. link .. ']]';								-- rewrite <v> as [[<link>]]
+		if v == "" then
+			citeq_args[k] = nil;												-- remove blank parameters
+
+		elseif 'string' == type (v) then										-- here when not blank; must be a string; |pmid= and the like are type 'number'
+			local changed;														-- flag is a number when changes have been made; nil else
+			local pattern = '%[%[([^|]+)|%1%]%]';								-- pattern that looks for [[<link>|<label>]] wikilinks where <link> and <label> are identical
+			v, changed = v:gsub (pattern, '[[%1]]');							-- where <link> and <label> are identical, rewrite all such [[<link>|<label>]] wikilinks in <v> using [[<link>]]
+
+			if changed then														-- when changes have been made
+				citeq_args[k] = v;												-- update <citeq_args[k]>
+			end
 		end
 	end
 
 	-- if |expand=<anything>, write a nowiki'd version to see what the {{citation}} template call looks like
 	if expand then
-
 		local expand_args = { "{{" .. (template and ("Cite "..template) or "Citation") }	-- init with citation template
 		if expand == "self" then
 			citeq_args.id = old_id -- restore original |id= parameter