---
 lib/sqlalchemy/engine/url.py      |   14 ++++++++++----
 test/dialect/mssql/test_engine.py |    3 ++-
 2 files changed, 12 insertions(+), 5 deletions(-)

--- a/lib/sqlalchemy/engine/url.py
+++ b/lib/sqlalchemy/engine/url.py
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ argument; alternatively, the URL is a pu
 be used directly and is also accepted directly by ``create_engine()``.
 """
 
+import inspect
 import re
 
 from .interfaces import Dialect
@@ -218,7 +219,7 @@ class URL(object):
         return translated
 
 
-def make_url(name_or_url):
+def make_url(name_or_url, separator='&'):
     """Given a string or unicode instance, produce a new URL instance.
 
     The given string is parsed according to the RFC 1738 spec.  If an
@@ -226,12 +227,12 @@ def make_url(name_or_url):
     """
 
     if isinstance(name_or_url, util.string_types):
-        return _parse_rfc1738_args(name_or_url)
+        return _parse_rfc1738_args(name_or_url, separator)
     else:
         return name_or_url
 
 
-def _parse_rfc1738_args(name):
+def _parse_rfc1738_args(name, qs_sep):
     pattern = re.compile(
         r"""
             (?P<name>[\w\+]+)://
@@ -261,7 +262,12 @@ def _parse_rfc1738_args(name):
             if len(tokens) > 1:
                 query = {}
 
-                for key, value in util.parse_qsl(tokens[1]):
+                if 'separator' in inspect.signature(util.parse_qsl).parameters:
+                    qs_dict = util.parse_qsl(tokens[1], separator=qs_sep)
+                else:
+                    qs_dict = util.parse_qsl(tokens[1])
+
+                for key, value in qs_dict:
                     if util.py2k:
                         key = key.encode("ascii")
                     if key in query:
--- a/test/dialect/mssql/test_engine.py
+++ b/test/dialect/mssql/test_engine.py
@@ -164,7 +164,8 @@ class ParseConnectTest(fixtures.TestBase
         u = url.make_url(
             "mssql+pyodbc://@server_name/db_name?"
             "driver=ODBC+Driver+17+for+SQL+Server;"
-            "authentication=ActiveDirectoryIntegrated"
+            "authentication=ActiveDirectoryIntegrated",
+            separator=';'
         )
         connection = dialect.create_connect_args(u)
         eq_(connection[1], {})