diff --git a/source/shared/core_conn.cpp b/source/shared/core_conn.cpp
index 2be2c4e2..4aaefad7 100644
--- a/source/shared/core_conn.cpp
+++ b/source/shared/core_conn.cpp
@@ -149,7 +149,11 @@ sqlsrv_conn* core_sqlsrv_connect( _In_ sqlsrv_context& henv_cp, _In_ sqlsrv_cont
     
     build_connection_string_and_set_conn_attr(conn, server, uid, pwd, options_ht, valid_conn_opts, driver, conn_str TSRMLS_CC);
     bool missing_driver_error = false;
-    if (conn->ce_option.enabled) {
+
+    if (conn->is_driver_set) {
+        r = core_odbc_connect( conn, conn_str, wconn_string, wconn_len, missing_driver_error );
+    }
+    else if (conn->ce_option.enabled) {
         conn_str = conn_str + CONNECTION_STRING_DRIVER_NAME[DRIVER_VERSION::ODBC_DRIVER_17];
         r = core_odbc_connect( conn, conn_str, wconn_string, wconn_len, missing_driver_error );
 
@@ -231,7 +235,7 @@ sqlsrv_conn* core_sqlsrv_connect( _In_ sqlsrv_context& henv_cp, _In_ sqlsrv_cont
     return return_conn;
 }
 
-SQLRETURN core_odbc_connect(_Inout_ sqlsrv_conn* conn, _Inout_ std::string conn_str, _Inout_ SQLWCHAR* wconn_string, _Inout_ unsigned int& wconn_len, _Inout_ bool& missing_driver_error)
+SQLRETURN core_odbc_connect(_Inout_ sqlsrv_conn* conn, _Inout_ std::string& conn_str, _Inout_ SQLWCHAR* wconn_string, _Inout_ unsigned int& wconn_len, _Inout_ bool& missing_driver_error)
 {
     SQLRETURN r = SQL_SUCCESS;
 
@@ -909,6 +913,8 @@ void driver_set_func::func( _In_ connection_option const* option, _In_ zval* val
     CHECK_CUSTOM_ERROR( std::find( valid_odbc_drivers.begin(), valid_odbc_drivers.end(), conn_str ) == valid_odbc_drivers.end(), conn, SQLSRV_ERROR_KEYSTORE_INVALID_VALUE ){
         throw core::CoreException();
     }
+    
+    conn->is_driver_set = true;
 
 }
 
diff --git a/source/shared/core_sqlsrv.h b/source/shared/core_sqlsrv.h
index 4437dcf7..d8df04ac 100644
--- a/source/shared/core_sqlsrv.h
+++ b/source/shared/core_sqlsrv.h
@@ -1070,6 +1070,7 @@ struct sqlsrv_conn : public sqlsrv_context {
     DRIVER_VERSION	driver_version;
 
     col_encryption_option ce_option;    // holds the details of what are required to enable column encryption
+    bool is_driver_set;
 
     // initialize with default values
     sqlsrv_conn( _In_ SQLHANDLE h, _In_ error_callback e, _In_opt_ void* drv, _In_ SQLSRV_ENCODING encoding TSRMLS_DC ) :
@@ -1077,6 +1078,7 @@ struct sqlsrv_conn : public sqlsrv_context {
     {
         server_version = SERVER_VERSION_UNKNOWN;
         driver_version = ODBC_DRIVER_UNKNOWN;
+        is_driver_set = false;
     }
 
     // sqlsrv_conn has no destructor since its allocated using placement new, which requires that the destructor be 
@@ -1237,7 +1239,7 @@ sqlsrv_conn* core_sqlsrv_connect( _In_ sqlsrv_context& henv_cp, _In_ sqlsrv_cont
                                   _Inout_z_ const char* server, _Inout_opt_z_ const char* uid, _Inout_opt_z_ const char* pwd, 
                                   _Inout_opt_ HashTable* options_ht, _In_ error_callback err, _In_ const connection_option valid_conn_opts[], 
                                   _In_ void* driver, _In_z_ const char* driver_func TSRMLS_DC );
-SQLRETURN core_odbc_connect( _Inout_ sqlsrv_conn* conn, _Inout_ std::string conn_str, _Inout_ SQLWCHAR* wconn_string, _Inout_ unsigned int& wconn_len, _Inout_ bool& missing_driver_error);
+SQLRETURN core_odbc_connect( _Inout_ sqlsrv_conn* conn, _Inout_ std::string& conn_str, _Inout_ SQLWCHAR* wconn_string, _Inout_ unsigned int& wconn_len, _Inout_ bool& missing_driver_error);
 void core_sqlsrv_close( _Inout_opt_ sqlsrv_conn* conn TSRMLS_DC );
 void core_sqlsrv_prepare( _Inout_ sqlsrv_stmt* stmt, _In_reads_bytes_(sql_len) const char* sql, _In_ SQLLEN sql_len TSRMLS_DC );
 void core_sqlsrv_begin_transaction( _Inout_ sqlsrv_conn* conn TSRMLS_DC );