diff --git a/.changelog/17525.txt b/.changelog/17525.txt
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..66bdcb8d9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changelog/17525.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+```release-note:improvement
+http: accept query parameters `datacenter`, `ap` (enterprise-only), and `namespace` (enterprise-only). Both short-hand and long-hand forms of these query params are now supported via the HTTP API (dc/datacenter, ap/partition, ns/namespace).
+```
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/agent/http.go b/agent/http.go
index 701674b55..1706794ad 100644
--- a/agent/http.go
+++ b/agent/http.go
@@ -983,9 +983,12 @@ func parseConsistencyReadRequest(resp http.ResponseWriter, req *http.Request, b
 	}
 }
 
-// parseDC is used to parse the ?dc query param
+// parseDC is used to parse the datacenter from the query params.
+// ?datacenter has precedence over ?dc.
 func (s *HTTPHandlers) parseDC(req *http.Request, dc *string) {
-	if other := req.URL.Query().Get("dc"); other != "" {
+	if other := req.URL.Query().Get("datacenter"); other != "" {
+		*dc = other
+	} else if other = req.URL.Query().Get("dc"); other != "" {
 		*dc = other
 	} else if *dc == "" {
 		*dc = s.agent.config.Datacenter
diff --git a/agent/http_test.go b/agent/http_test.go
index 37acc5f8e..967b1b0b4 100644
--- a/agent/http_test.go
+++ b/agent/http_test.go
@@ -881,6 +881,15 @@ func TestParseSource(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Fatalf("bad: %v", source)
 	}
 
+	// We should follow whatever datacenter parameter was given so that the node is
+	// looked up correctly on the receiving end.
+	req, _ = http.NewRequest("GET", "/v1/catalog/nodes?near=bob&datacenter=foo", nil)
+	source = structs.QuerySource{}
+	a.srv.parseSource(req, &source)
+	if source.Datacenter != "foo" || source.Node != "bob" {
+		t.Fatalf("bad: %v", source)
+	}
+
 	// The magic "_agent" node name will use the agent's local node name.
 	req, _ = http.NewRequest("GET", "/v1/catalog/nodes?near=_agent", nil)
 	source = structs.QuerySource{}
diff --git a/api/api.go b/api/api.go
index e7109141b..1fe0c71b6 100644
--- a/api/api.go
+++ b/api/api.go
@@ -836,12 +836,21 @@ func (r *request) setQueryOptions(q *QueryOptions) {
 		return
 	}
 	if q.Namespace != "" {
+		// For backwards-compatibility with existing tests,
+		// use the short-hand query param name "ns"
+		// rather than the alternative long-hand "namespace"
 		r.params.Set("ns", q.Namespace)
 	}
 	if q.Partition != "" {
+		// For backwards-compatibility with existing tests,
+		// use the long-hand query param name "partition"
+		// rather than the alternative short-hand "ap"
 		r.params.Set("partition", q.Partition)
 	}
 	if q.Datacenter != "" {
+		// For backwards-compatibility with existing tests,
+		// use the short-hand query param name "dc"
+		// rather than the alternative long-hand "datacenter"
 		r.params.Set("dc", q.Datacenter)
 	}
 	if q.Peer != "" {
@@ -949,12 +958,16 @@ func (r *request) setWriteOptions(q *WriteOptions) {
 	if q == nil {
 		return
 	}
+	// For backwards-compatibility, continue to use the shorthand "ns"
+	// rather than "namespace"
 	if q.Namespace != "" {
 		r.params.Set("ns", q.Namespace)
 	}
 	if q.Partition != "" {
 		r.params.Set("partition", q.Partition)
 	}
+	// For backwards-compatibility, continue to use the shorthand "dc"
+	// rather than "datacenter"
 	if q.Datacenter != "" {
 		r.params.Set("dc", q.Datacenter)
 	}
diff --git a/command/connect/envoy/envoy_test.go b/command/connect/envoy/envoy_test.go
index d1105df0d..86c48a8e3 100644
--- a/command/connect/envoy/envoy_test.go
+++ b/command/connect/envoy/envoy_test.go
@@ -1466,6 +1466,9 @@ func testMockAgentGatewayConfig(namespacesEnabled bool) http.HandlerFunc {
 func namespaceFromQuery(r *http.Request) string {
 	// Use the namespace in the request if there is one, otherwise
 	// use-default.
+	if queryNamespace := r.URL.Query().Get("namespace"); queryNamespace != "" {
+		return queryNamespace
+	}
 	if queryNs := r.URL.Query().Get("ns"); queryNs != "" {
 		return queryNs
 	}
@@ -1475,8 +1478,11 @@ func namespaceFromQuery(r *http.Request) string {
 func partitionFromQuery(r *http.Request) string {
 	// Use the partition in the request if there is one, otherwise
 	// use-default.
-	if queryAP := r.URL.Query().Get("partition"); queryAP != "" {
-		return queryAP
+	if queryPartition := r.URL.Query().Get("partition"); queryPartition != "" {
+		return queryPartition
+	}
+	if queryAp := r.URL.Query().Get("ap"); queryAp != "" {
+		return queryAp
 	}
 	return "default"
 }