diff --git a/src/test/java/com/microsoft/sqlserver/jdbc/AlwaysEncrypted/AESetup.java b/src/test/java/com/microsoft/sqlserver/jdbc/AlwaysEncrypted/AESetup.java
index e42767bda..5decbcabe 100644
--- a/src/test/java/com/microsoft/sqlserver/jdbc/AlwaysEncrypted/AESetup.java
+++ b/src/test/java/com/microsoft/sqlserver/jdbc/AlwaysEncrypted/AESetup.java
@@ -1082,7 +1082,7 @@ protected static void populateCharSetObjectWithJDBCTypes(String[] charValues) th
         String sql = "insert into " + CHAR_TABLE_AE + " values( " + "?,?,?," + "?,?,?," + "?,?,?," + "?,?,?," + "?,?,?,"
                 + "?,?,?," + "?,?,?," + "?,?,?," + "?,?,?" + ")";
 
-        try (SQLServerConnection con = (SQLServerConnection) PrepUtil.getConnection(AETestConnectionString, AEInfo);
+        try (SQLServerConnection con = (SQLServerConnection) PrepUtil.getConnection(AETestConnectionString + ";sendStringParametersAsUnicode=false;", AEInfo);
                 SQLServerPreparedStatement pstmt = (SQLServerPreparedStatement) TestUtils.getPreparedStmt(con, sql,
                         stmtColEncSetting)) {
 
@@ -1144,7 +1144,7 @@ protected static void populateCharNullCase() throws SQLException {
         String sql = "insert into " + CHAR_TABLE_AE + " values( " + "?,?,?," + "?,?,?," + "?,?,?," + "?,?,?," + "?,?,?,"
                 + "?,?,?," + "?,?,?," + "?,?,?," + "?,?,?" + ")";
 
-        try (SQLServerConnection con = (SQLServerConnection) PrepUtil.getConnection(AETestConnectionString, AEInfo);
+        try (SQLServerConnection con = (SQLServerConnection) PrepUtil.getConnection(AETestConnectionString + ";sendStringParametersAsUnicode=false;", AEInfo);
                 SQLServerPreparedStatement pstmt = (SQLServerPreparedStatement) TestUtils.getPreparedStmt(con, sql,
                         stmtColEncSetting)) {
 
diff --git a/src/test/java/com/microsoft/sqlserver/jdbc/AlwaysEncrypted/CallableStatementTest.java b/src/test/java/com/microsoft/sqlserver/jdbc/AlwaysEncrypted/CallableStatementTest.java
index cb1c7c1f3..0e5830ccc 100644
--- a/src/test/java/com/microsoft/sqlserver/jdbc/AlwaysEncrypted/CallableStatementTest.java
+++ b/src/test/java/com/microsoft/sqlserver/jdbc/AlwaysEncrypted/CallableStatementTest.java
@@ -540,7 +540,7 @@ private void createMultiInsertionSelection() throws SQLException {
                 + TestUtils.escapeSingleQuotes(multiStatementsProcedure)
                 + "') and OBJECTPROPERTY(id, N'IsProcedure') = 1)" + " DROP PROCEDURE " + multiStatementsProcedure;
 
-        try (Connection con = PrepUtil.getConnection(AETestConnectionString, AEInfo);
+        try (Connection con = PrepUtil.getConnection(AETestConnectionString + ";sendStringParametersAsUnicode=false;", AEInfo);
                 SQLServerStatement stmt = (SQLServerStatement) con.createStatement()) {
             stmt.execute(sql);
 
@@ -556,7 +556,7 @@ private void createMultiInsertionSelection() throws SQLException {
     private void MultiInsertionSelection() throws SQLException {
 
         String sql = "{call " + multiStatementsProcedure + " (?,?,?,?,?,?)}";
-        try (Connection con = PrepUtil.getConnection(AETestConnectionString, AEInfo);
+        try (Connection con = PrepUtil.getConnection(AETestConnectionString + ";sendStringParametersAsUnicode=false;", AEInfo);
                 SQLServerCallableStatement callableStatement = (SQLServerCallableStatement) TestUtils
                         .getCallableStmt(con, sql, stmtColEncSetting)) {
 
@@ -673,7 +673,7 @@ private void createInputProcedure2() throws SQLException {
                 + TestUtils.escapeSingleQuotes(inputProcedure2) + "') and OBJECTPROPERTY(id, N'IsProcedure') = 1)"
                 + " DROP PROCEDURE " + inputProcedure2;
 
-        try (Connection con = PrepUtil.getConnection(AETestConnectionString, AEInfo);
+        try (Connection con = PrepUtil.getConnection(AETestConnectionString + ";sendStringParametersAsUnicode=false;", AEInfo);
                 SQLServerStatement stmt = (SQLServerStatement) con.createStatement()) {
             stmt.execute(sql);
 
@@ -690,7 +690,7 @@ private void createInputProcedure2() throws SQLException {
 
     private void testInputProcedure2(String sql) throws SQLException {
 
-        try (Connection con = PrepUtil.getConnection(AETestConnectionString, AEInfo);
+        try (Connection con = PrepUtil.getConnection(AETestConnectionString + ";sendStringParametersAsUnicode=false;", AEInfo);
                 SQLServerCallableStatement callableStatement = (SQLServerCallableStatement) TestUtils
                         .getCallableStmt(con, sql, stmtColEncSetting)) {
 
diff --git a/src/test/java/com/microsoft/sqlserver/jdbc/AlwaysEncrypted/EnclaveTest.java b/src/test/java/com/microsoft/sqlserver/jdbc/AlwaysEncrypted/EnclaveTest.java
index fe47cd5be..f6a61a3e3 100644
--- a/src/test/java/com/microsoft/sqlserver/jdbc/AlwaysEncrypted/EnclaveTest.java
+++ b/src/test/java/com/microsoft/sqlserver/jdbc/AlwaysEncrypted/EnclaveTest.java
@@ -210,7 +210,7 @@ public void testVerifyBadJksSignature(String serverName, String url, String prot
         String badTable = TestUtils.escapeSingleQuotes(
                 AbstractSQLGenerator.escapeIdentifier(RandomUtil.getIdentifier("testVerifyBadJksSignature")));
 
-        try (SQLServerConnection c = PrepUtil.getConnection(AETestConnectionString, AEInfo);
+        try (SQLServerConnection c = PrepUtil.getConnection(AETestConnectionString + ";sendStringParametersAsUnicode=false;", AEInfo);
                 Statement s = c.createStatement()) {
             createCMK(AETestConnectionString, badCmk, Constants.JAVA_KEY_STORE_NAME, javaKeyAliases, "0x666");
             createCEK(AETestConnectionString, badCmk, badCek, jksProvider);
@@ -256,7 +256,7 @@ public void testVerifyBadAkvSignature(String serverName, String url, String prot
         String badTable = TestUtils.escapeSingleQuotes(
                 AbstractSQLGenerator.escapeIdentifier(RandomUtil.getIdentifier("testVerifyBadAkvSignature")));
 
-        try (SQLServerConnection c = PrepUtil.getConnection(AETestConnectionString, AEInfo);
+        try (SQLServerConnection c = PrepUtil.getConnection(AETestConnectionString + ";sendStringParametersAsUnicode=false;", AEInfo);
                 Statement s = c.createStatement()) {
             createCMK(AETestConnectionString, badCmk, Constants.AZURE_KEY_VAULT_NAME, keyIDs[0], "0x666");
             createCEK(AETestConnectionString, badCmk, badCek, akvProvider);
@@ -301,7 +301,7 @@ public void testVerifyBadWinSignature(String serverName, String url, String prot
         String badTable = TestUtils.escapeSingleQuotes(
                 AbstractSQLGenerator.escapeIdentifier(RandomUtil.getIdentifier("testVerifyBadWinSignature")));
 
-        try (SQLServerConnection c = PrepUtil.getConnection(AETestConnectionString, AEInfo);
+        try (SQLServerConnection c = PrepUtil.getConnection(AETestConnectionString + ";sendStringParametersAsUnicode=false;", AEInfo);
                 Statement s = c.createStatement()) {
             // create CMK with a bad signature
             createCMK(AETestConnectionString, badCmk, Constants.WINDOWS_KEY_STORE_NAME, windowsKeyPath, "0x666");
@@ -397,7 +397,7 @@ public void testAEFMTOnly(String serverName, String url, String protocol) throws
     @MethodSource("enclaveParams")
     public void testAlter(String serverName, String url, String protocol) throws Exception {
         setAEConnectionString(serverName, url, protocol);
-        try (SQLServerConnection c = PrepUtil.getConnection(AETestConnectionString, AEInfo);
+        try (SQLServerConnection c = PrepUtil.getConnection(AETestConnectionString + ";sendStringParametersAsUnicode=false;", AEInfo);
                 Statement s = c.createStatement()) {
             createTable(CHAR_TABLE_AE, cekJks, varcharTableSimple);
             PreparedStatement pstmt = c.prepareStatement("INSERT INTO " + CHAR_TABLE_AE + " VALUES (?,?,?)");
@@ -445,7 +445,7 @@ public void testNumericRichQuery(String serverName, String url, String protocol)
     @MethodSource("enclaveParams")
     public void testStringRichQuery(String serverName, String url, String protocol) throws Exception {
         setAEConnectionString(serverName, url, protocol);
-        try (SQLServerConnection c = PrepUtil.getConnection(AETestConnectionString, AEInfo);
+        try (SQLServerConnection c = PrepUtil.getConnection(AETestConnectionString + ";sendStringParametersAsUnicode=false;", AEInfo);
                 Statement s = c.createStatement()) {
             createTable(CHAR_TABLE_AE, cekJks, varcharTableSimple);
 
@@ -473,7 +473,7 @@ public void testStringRichQuery(String serverName, String url, String protocol)
     @MethodSource("enclaveParams")
     public void testAlterNoEncrypt(String serverName, String url, String protocol) throws Exception {
         setAEConnectionString(serverName, url, protocol);
-        try (SQLServerConnection c = PrepUtil.getConnection(AETestConnectionString, AEInfo);
+        try (SQLServerConnection c = PrepUtil.getConnection(AETestConnectionString + ";sendStringParametersAsUnicode=false;", AEInfo);
                 Statement s = c.createStatement()) {
             createTable(CHAR_TABLE_AE, cekJks, varcharTableSimple);
             PreparedStatement pstmt = c.prepareStatement("INSERT INTO " + CHAR_TABLE_AE + " VALUES (?,?,?)");
diff --git a/src/test/java/com/microsoft/sqlserver/jdbc/AlwaysEncrypted/MultiUserAKVTest.java b/src/test/java/com/microsoft/sqlserver/jdbc/AlwaysEncrypted/MultiUserAKVTest.java
index 2619a79b5..5bd65c26a 100644
--- a/src/test/java/com/microsoft/sqlserver/jdbc/AlwaysEncrypted/MultiUserAKVTest.java
+++ b/src/test/java/com/microsoft/sqlserver/jdbc/AlwaysEncrypted/MultiUserAKVTest.java
@@ -526,7 +526,7 @@ public void testStatementCustomKeyStoreProviderDuringAeQuery() throws Exception
     private void insertData(String tableName, int customId, String customName) {
         String sqlQuery = "INSERT INTO " + tableName + " VALUES ( ?, ? )";
 
-        try (SQLServerConnection con = PrepUtil.getConnection(AETestConnectionString, AEInfo);
+        try (SQLServerConnection con = PrepUtil.getConnection(AETestConnectionString + ";sendStringParametersAsUnicode=false;", AEInfo);
                 SQLServerPreparedStatement pstmt = (SQLServerPreparedStatement) TestUtils.getPreparedStmt(con, sqlQuery,
                         SQLServerStatementColumnEncryptionSetting.ENABLED)) {
             pstmt.setInt(1, customId);
diff --git a/src/test/java/com/microsoft/sqlserver/jdbc/AlwaysEncrypted/RegressionAlwaysEncryptedTest.java b/src/test/java/com/microsoft/sqlserver/jdbc/AlwaysEncrypted/RegressionAlwaysEncryptedTest.java
index d8725cdbe..22ab28627 100644
--- a/src/test/java/com/microsoft/sqlserver/jdbc/AlwaysEncrypted/RegressionAlwaysEncryptedTest.java
+++ b/src/test/java/com/microsoft/sqlserver/jdbc/AlwaysEncrypted/RegressionAlwaysEncryptedTest.java
@@ -75,7 +75,7 @@ public void alwaysEncrypted1(String serverName, String url, String protocol) thr
     public void alwaysEncrypted2(String serverName, String url, String protocol) throws Exception {
         setAEConnectionString(serverName, url, protocol);
         try (Connection connection = PrepUtil
-                .getConnection(AETestConnectionString + ";columnEncryptionSetting=enabled;", AEInfo);
+                .getConnection(AETestConnectionString + ";sendStringParametersAsUnicode=false;columnEncryptionSetting=enabled;", AEInfo);
                 Statement stmt = connection.createStatement()) {
             dropTables(stmt);