diff --git a/test/test_networking_utils.py b/test/test_networking_utils.py
index a2feacba71..d3b3a688d4 100644
--- a/test/test_networking_utils.py
+++ b/test/test_networking_utils.py
@@ -63,13 +63,13 @@ class TestNetworkingUtils:
             'username': 'user',
             'password': '',
         }),
-        ('socks4://u%40ser:pa%20ss@127.0.0.1:1080', {
+        ('socks4://u%40ser+name:pa%20ss+word@127.0.0.1:1080', {
             'proxytype': ProxyType.SOCKS4,
             'addr': '127.0.0.1',
             'port': 1080,
             'rdns': False,
-            'username': 'u@ser',
-            'password': 'pa ss',
+            'username': 'u@ser+name',
+            'password': 'pa ss+word',
         }),
         ('socks4a://:pa%20ss@127.0.0.1', {
             'proxytype': ProxyType.SOCKS4A,
diff --git a/yt_dlp/networking/_helper.py b/yt_dlp/networking/_helper.py
index c75306bfae..809641a3e9 100644
--- a/yt_dlp/networking/_helper.py
+++ b/yt_dlp/networking/_helper.py
@@ -52,25 +52,27 @@ def ssl_load_windows_store_certs(ssl_context, storename):
 
 def make_socks_proxy_opts(socks_proxy):
     url_components = urllib.parse.urlparse(socks_proxy)
-    if url_components.scheme.lower() == 'socks5':
+    scheme = url_components.scheme.lower()
+
+    if scheme == 'socks5':
         socks_type = ProxyType.SOCKS5
         rdns = False
-    elif url_components.scheme.lower() == 'socks5h':
+    elif scheme == 'socks5h':
         socks_type = ProxyType.SOCKS5
         rdns = True
-    elif url_components.scheme.lower() == 'socks4':
+    elif scheme == 'socks4':
         socks_type = ProxyType.SOCKS4
         rdns = False
-    elif url_components.scheme.lower() == 'socks4a':
+    elif scheme == 'socks4a':
         socks_type = ProxyType.SOCKS4A
         rdns = True
     else:
-        raise ValueError(f'Unknown SOCKS proxy version: {url_components.scheme.lower()}')
+        raise ValueError(f'Unknown SOCKS proxy version: {scheme}')
 
     def unquote_if_non_empty(s):
         if not s:
             return s
-        return urllib.parse.unquote_plus(s)
+        return urllib.parse.unquote(s)
     return {
         'proxytype': socks_type,
         'addr': url_components.hostname,