diff --git a/runtime/mux.go b/runtime/mux.go
index 6d483e8cccd..69edf5eff8d 100644
--- a/runtime/mux.go
+++ b/runtime/mux.go
@@ -481,6 +481,7 @@ func (s *ServeMux) ServeHTTP(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
 					HTTPStatus: http.StatusBadRequest,
 					Err:        mse,
 				})
+				return
 			}
 			continue
 		}
@@ -523,6 +524,7 @@ func (s *ServeMux) ServeHTTP(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
 						HTTPStatus: http.StatusBadRequest,
 						Err:        mse,
 					})
+					return
 				}
 				continue
 			}
diff --git a/runtime/mux_test.go b/runtime/mux_test.go
index 1efd21224d4..62be90324b7 100644
--- a/runtime/mux_test.go
+++ b/runtime/mux_test.go
@@ -3,10 +3,12 @@ package runtime_test
 import (
 	"bytes"
 	"context"
+	"encoding/json"
 	"fmt"
 	"net/http"
 	"net/http/httptest"
 	"net/url"
+	"reflect"
 	"strconv"
 	"strings"
 	"testing"
@@ -561,6 +563,23 @@ func TestMuxServeHTTP(t *testing.T) {
 			unescapingMode: runtime.UnescapingModeAllCharacters,
 			respContent:    "POST /api/v1/organizations:verb",
 		},
+		{
+			patterns: []stubPattern{
+				{
+					method: "GET",
+					ops:    []int{int(utilities.OpLitPush), 0, int(utilities.OpPush), 0, int(utilities.OpConcatN), 1},
+					pool:   []string{"foo", "id"},
+				},
+			},
+			reqMethod: "GET",
+			reqPath:   "/foo/%25",
+			headers: map[string]string{
+				"Content-Type": "application/json",
+			},
+			respStatus:     http.StatusBadRequest,
+			unescapingMode: runtime.UnescapingModeAllExceptReserved,
+			respContent:    `{"code":2,"message":"malformed path escape \"%\"","details":[]}`,
+		},
 	} {
 		t.Run(strconv.Itoa(i), func(t *testing.T) {
 			var opts []runtime.ServeMuxOption
@@ -599,7 +618,13 @@ func TestMuxServeHTTP(t *testing.T) {
 				t.Errorf("w.Code = %d; want %d; patterns=%v; req=%v", got, want, spec.patterns, r)
 			}
 			if spec.respContent != "" {
-				if got, want := w.Body.String(), spec.respContent; got != want {
+				got, want := w.Body.String(), spec.respContent
+				var gotJSON, wantJSON map[string]any
+				if json.Unmarshal([]byte(got), &gotJSON) == nil && json.Unmarshal([]byte(want), &wantJSON) == nil {
+					if !reflect.DeepEqual(gotJSON, wantJSON) {
+						t.Errorf("w.Body = %q; want %q; patterns=%v; req=%v", got, want, spec.patterns, r)
+					}
+				} else if got != want {
 					t.Errorf("w.Body = %q; want %q; patterns=%v; req=%v", got, want, spec.patterns, r)
 				}
 			}