Lee Cook's first-half strike gave QPR their first win since November 27 and took Ian Holloway's side above Stoke and back into the top half of the Championship table.
Cook finished off an excellent move - one of few in a pitiful match - to fire his team ahead after 17 minutes.
Rangers will be relieved to get the victory, but both teams made numerous errors in defence and attack and did little to suggest they can push for a play-off spot between now and May.
Although they had a goal ruled out late in the game, Stoke failed to reach the standard set in defeat against Arsenal in the FA Cup last weekend, while Rangers - ever unlucky with injury - saw debutant Andrew Davies taken off at half time.
Holloway handed starts to the on-loan duo of defender Davies and goalkeeper Simon Royce, but neither side could find cohesion early on - so it was doubly surprising that the only goal was created with such intelligence.
Jamie Cureton deceived Wayne Thomas - who had failed to control a through-ball - with a neat back-heel that allowed Paul Furlong to release Cook on the left side of the area.
The winger's left-foot shot was hit crisply and found the top-left corner - although Stoke 'keeper Steve Simonsen will be disappointed to have been beaten
at his near post.
Cook almost scored again just after the re-start, Simonsen fumbling his
initial shot but gathering at the second attempt.
But QPR looked nervous in defence. In the 59th minute, Georges Santos and
Matthew Rose - making his first appearance since November after replacing the
injured Davies - both made defensive mistakes, but Dan Shittu was there to make
a superb clearance that took the ball away from the dangerous Ade Akinbiyi.
Rose repaid the favour four minutes later, making a terrific block to deny
Chris Greenacre after Shittu had inadvertently headed Lewis Buxton's long ball
into the striker's path.
Between those incidents, Gareth Ainsworth shot centimetres wide of the far
post after being released down the right by Kevin Gallen.
Chances continued to arrive thanks to the poor defending. Simonsen saved a
close-range header from the unmarked Furlong, and at the other end Greenacre
lobbed just over after Gallen and Shittu both failed to deal with Clive Clarke's
punt forward.
Stoke substitute John Eustace had the ball in the net five minutes from time -
but the effort was disallowed for offside.
Teams
QPR Royce, Edghill, Shittu, Davies (Rose 46), Padula,
Ainsworth, Santos, Gallen, Cook (McLeod 87), Cureton (Bean 77),
Furlong.
Subs Not Used: Day, Miller.
Booked: Cook, Furlong, Santos.
Goals: Cook 18.
Stoke Simonsen, Buxton, Thomas, Taggart, Hall (Asaba 70),
Russell, Brammer, Jarrett (Eustace 64), Clarke,
Greenacre (Noel-Williams 80), Akinbiyi.
Subs Not Used: de Goey, Henry.
Booked: Eustace.
Att: 13,559
Ref: R Styles (Hampshire).
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