diff --git a/test/functional/sqlsrv/MsCommon.inc b/test/functional/sqlsrv/MsCommon.inc
index 964e5efe..e01802e1 100644
--- a/test/functional/sqlsrv/MsCommon.inc
+++ b/test/functional/sqlsrv/MsCommon.inc
@@ -84,18 +84,6 @@ function isDaasMode()
     return ($daasMode ? true : false);
 }
 
-// function isAEQualified($conn)
-// {
-    // $msodbcsql_ver = sqlsrv_client_info($conn)['DriverVer'];
-    // $server_ver = sqlsrv_server_info($conn)['SQLServerVersion'];
-    // $msodbcsql_maj = explode(".", $msodbcsql_ver)[0];
-    // $msodbcsql_min = explode(".", $msodbcsql_ver)[1];
-    // if ($msodbcsql_maj < 17 || explode('.', $server_ver)[0] < 13) {
-        // return false;
-    // }
-    // return true;
-// }
-
 function startTest($testName)
 {
     if (traceMode()) {
@@ -455,10 +443,17 @@ function handleErrors()
 }
 
 // non-UTF8 locale support in ODBC 17 and above only
+// if AE enabled, only supported in Windows (AE limitations)
 function isLocaleSupported()
 {
+    if (isWindows()) {
+        return true;
+    }
+    if (AE\isColEncrypted()) {
+        return false;
+    }
+    // now check ODBC version
     $conn = AE\connect();
-
     $msodbcsql_ver = sqlsrv_client_info($conn)['DriverVer'];
     if (explode(".", $msodbcsql_ver)[0] < 17) {
         return false;
diff --git a/test/functional/sqlsrv/MsHelper.inc b/test/functional/sqlsrv/MsHelper.inc
index 988253b1..f7cecd4d 100644
--- a/test/functional/sqlsrv/MsHelper.inc
+++ b/test/functional/sqlsrv/MsHelper.inc
@@ -330,12 +330,8 @@ function getSeqPlaceholders($num)
  */
 function isColEncrypted()
 {
-    global $keystore, $dataEncrypted;
-    if ($keystore === KEYSTORE_NONE) {
-        return false;
-    } else {
-        return true;
-    }
+    global $keystore;
+    return ($keystore !== KEYSTORE_NONE);
 }
 
 /**
@@ -345,11 +341,7 @@ function isColEncrypted()
 function isDataEncrypted()
 {
     global $keystore, $dataEncrypted;
-    if ($keystore === KEYSTORE_NONE || !$dataEncrypted) {
-        return false;
-    } else {
-        return true;
-    }
+    return ($keystore !== KEYSTORE_NONE && $dataEncrypted);
 }
 
 /**
diff --git a/test/functional/sqlsrv/TC34_PrepAndExec.phpt b/test/functional/sqlsrv/TC34_PrepAndExec.phpt
index d8e5d210..d77fef2c 100644
--- a/test/functional/sqlsrv/TC34_PrepAndExec.phpt
+++ b/test/functional/sqlsrv/TC34_PrepAndExec.phpt
@@ -6,18 +6,25 @@ Validates that a prepared statement can be successfully executed more than once.
 --ENV--
 PHPT_EXEC=true
 --SKIPIF--
-<?php require('skipif_versions_old.inc'); ?>
+<?php 
+// locale must be set before 1st connection
+if (!isWindows()) {
+    setlocale(LC_ALL, "en_US.ISO-8859-1");
+}
+require('skipif_versions_old.inc');
+?>
 --FILE--
 <?php
 require_once('MsCommon.inc');
 
 function prepareAndExecute($noPasses)
 {
-    $testName = "Statement - Prepare and Execute";
-    startTest($testName);
-
     setup();
-    $conn1 = AE\connect();
+    if (useUTF8Data()) {
+        $conn1 = AE\connect(array('CharacterSet'=>'UTF-8'));
+    } else {
+        $conn1 = AE\connect();
+    }
 
     $tableName = 'TC34test';
     AE\createTestTable($conn1, $tableName);
@@ -80,20 +87,38 @@ function prepareAndExecute($noPasses)
     dropTable($conn1, $tableName);
 
     sqlsrv_close($conn1);
-
-    endTest($testName);
 }
 
+// locale must be set before 1st connection
 if (!isWindows()) {
-    setUTF8Data(true);
+    setlocale(LC_ALL, "en_US.ISO-8859-1");
 }
+
+$testName = "Statement - Prepare and Execute";
+
+// test ansi only if windows or non-UTF8 locales are supported (ODBC 17 and above)
+startTest($testName);
+if (isLocaleSupported()) {
+    try {
+        setUTF8Data(false);
+        prepareAndExecute(5);
+    } catch (Exception $e) {
+        echo $e->getMessage();
+    }
+}
+endTest($testName);
+
+// test utf8
+startTest($testName);
 try {
+    setUTF8Data(true);
     prepareAndExecute(5);
 } catch (Exception $e) {
     echo $e->getMessage();
 }
-setUTF8Data(false);
+endTest($testName);
 
 ?>
 --EXPECT--
 Test "Statement - Prepare and Execute" completed successfully.
+Test "Statement - Prepare and Execute" completed successfully.
diff --git a/test/functional/sqlsrv/TC42_FetchField.phpt b/test/functional/sqlsrv/TC42_FetchField.phpt
index b1395b5a..dc715b19 100644
--- a/test/functional/sqlsrv/TC42_FetchField.phpt
+++ b/test/functional/sqlsrv/TC42_FetchField.phpt
@@ -6,20 +6,22 @@ retrieving fields from a table including rows with all supported SQL types (28 t
 --ENV--
 PHPT_EXEC=true
 --SKIPIF--
-<?php require('skipif_versions_old.inc'); ?>
+<?php 
+// locale must be set before 1st connection
+if (!isWindows()) {
+    setlocale(LC_ALL, "en_US.ISO-8859-1");
+}
+require('skipif_versions_old.inc');
+?>
 --FILE--
 <?php
 require_once('MsCommon.inc');
 
 function fetchFields()
 {
-    $testName = "Fetch - Field";
-    startTest($testName);
-
     setup();
     $tableName = 'TC42test';
-
-    if (! isWindows()) {
+    if (useUTF8Data()) {
         $conn1 = AE\connect(array('CharacterSet'=>'UTF-8'));
     } else {
         $conn1 = AE\connect();
@@ -63,16 +65,38 @@ function fetchFields()
     dropTable($conn1, $tableName);
 
     sqlsrv_close($conn1);
-
-    endTest($testName);
 }
 
+// locale must be set before 1st connection
+if (!isWindows()) {
+    setlocale(LC_ALL, "en_US.ISO-8859-1");
+}
+
+$testName = "Fetch - Field";
+
+// test ansi only if windows or non-UTF8 locales are supported (ODBC 17 and above)
+startTest($testName);
+if (isLocaleSupported()) {
+    try {
+        setUTF8Data(false);
+        fetchFields();
+    } catch (Exception $e) {
+        echo $e->getMessage();
+    }
+}
+endTest($testName);
+
+// test utf8
+startTest($testName);
 try {
+    setUTF8Data(true);
     fetchFields();
 } catch (Exception $e) {
     echo $e->getMessage();
 }
+endTest($testName);
 
 ?>
 --EXPECT--
 Test "Fetch - Field" completed successfully.
+Test "Fetch - Field" completed successfully.
diff --git a/test/functional/sqlsrv/TC43_FetchData.phpt b/test/functional/sqlsrv/TC43_FetchData.phpt
index 58a7c9d6..5e03407c 100644
--- a/test/functional/sqlsrv/TC43_FetchData.phpt
+++ b/test/functional/sqlsrv/TC43_FetchData.phpt
@@ -5,9 +5,10 @@ PHPT_EXEC=true
 --SKIPIF--
 <?
 // locale must be set before 1st connection
-if ( !isWindows() ) {
+if (!isWindows()) {
     setlocale(LC_ALL, "en_US.ISO-8859-1");
 }
+require('skipif_versions_old.inc');
 ?>
 --FILE--
 <?php
@@ -104,7 +105,7 @@ $testName = "Fetch - Field Data";
 
 // test ansi only if windows or non-UTF8 locales are supported (ODBC 17 and above)
 startTest($testName);
-if (isWindows() || isLocaleSupported()) {
+if (isLocaleSupported()) {
 
     try {
         setUTF8Data(false);
diff --git a/test/functional/sqlsrv/TC44_FetchArray.phpt b/test/functional/sqlsrv/TC44_FetchArray.phpt
index 7e338257..556bd562 100644
--- a/test/functional/sqlsrv/TC44_FetchArray.phpt
+++ b/test/functional/sqlsrv/TC44_FetchArray.phpt
@@ -8,9 +8,10 @@ PHPT_EXEC=true
 --SKIPIF--
 <?
 // locale must be set before 1st connection
-if ( !isWindows() ) {
+if (!isWindows()) {
     setlocale(LC_ALL, "en_US.ISO-8859-1");
 }
+require('skipif_versions_old.inc');
 ?>
 --FILE--
 <?php
@@ -161,7 +162,7 @@ $testName = "Fetch - Array";
 
 // test ansi only if windows or non-UTF8 locales are supported (ODBC 17 and above)
 startTest($testName);
-if (isWindows() || isLocaleSupported()) {
+if (isLocaleSupported()) {
     try {
         setUTF8Data(false);
         fetchRow(1, 4);
diff --git a/test/functional/sqlsrv/TC45_FetchObject.phpt b/test/functional/sqlsrv/TC45_FetchObject.phpt
index ec20c417..1c4e8f30 100644
--- a/test/functional/sqlsrv/TC45_FetchObject.phpt
+++ b/test/functional/sqlsrv/TC45_FetchObject.phpt
@@ -5,7 +5,13 @@ Verifies data retrieval via "sqlsrv_fetch_object".
 --ENV--
 PHPT_EXEC=true
 --SKIPIF--
-<?php require('skipif_versions_old.inc'); ?>
+<?php 
+// locale must be set before 1st connection
+if (!isWindows()) {
+    setlocale(LC_ALL, "en_US.ISO-8859-1");
+}
+require('skipif_versions_old.inc');
+?>
 --FILE--
 <?php
 require_once('MsCommon.inc');
@@ -19,14 +25,10 @@ class TestClass
 
 function fetchRow($minFetchMode, $maxFetchMode)
 {
-    $testName = "Fetch - Object";
-    startTest($testName);
-
     setup();
     $tableName = 'TC45test';
-
-    if (! isWindows()) {
-        $conn1 = AE\connect(array( 'CharacterSet'=>'UTF-8' ));
+    if (useUTF8Data()) {
+        $conn1 = AE\connect(array('CharacterSet'=>'UTF-8'));
     } else {
         $conn1 = AE\connect();
     }
@@ -73,8 +75,6 @@ function fetchRow($minFetchMode, $maxFetchMode)
     dropTable($conn1, $tableName);
 
     sqlsrv_close($conn1);
-
-    endTest($testName);
 }
 
 
@@ -89,7 +89,7 @@ function fetchObject($stmt, $rows, $fields, $useClass)
             $obj = sqlsrv_fetch_object($stmt);
         }
         if ($obj === false) {
-            fatalError("Row $i is missing");
+            fatalError("In fetchObject: Row $i is missing");
         }
         $values[$i] = $obj;
     }
@@ -103,7 +103,7 @@ function fetchArray($stmt, $rows, $fields)
     for ($i = 0; $i < $rows; $i++) {
         $row = sqlsrv_fetch_array($stmt);
         if ($row === false) {
-            fatalError("Row $i is missing");
+            fatalError("In fetchArray: Row $i is missing");
         }
         $values[$i] = $row;
     }
@@ -127,12 +127,36 @@ function checkData($rows, $fields, $actualValues, $expectedValues)
     }
 }
 
+// locale must be set before 1st connection
+if (!isWindows()) {
+    setlocale(LC_ALL, "en_US.ISO-8859-1");
+}
+
+$testName = "Fetch - Object";
+
+// test ansi only if windows or non-UTF8 locales are supported (ODBC 17 and above)
+startTest($testName);
+if (isLocaleSupported()) {
+    try {
+        setUTF8Data(false);
+        fetchRow(0, 2);
+    } catch (Exception $e) {
+        echo $e->getMessage();
+    }
+}
+endTest($testName);
+
+// test utf8
+startTest($testName);
 try {
+    setUTF8Data(true);
     fetchRow(0, 2);
 } catch (Exception $e) {
     echo $e->getMessage();
 }
+endTest($testName);
 
 ?>
 --EXPECT--
 Test "Fetch - Object" completed successfully.
+Test "Fetch - Object" completed successfully.
diff --git a/test/functional/sqlsrv/TC46_FetchNextResult.phpt b/test/functional/sqlsrv/TC46_FetchNextResult.phpt
index 6848d2e6..bcd5e9e8 100644
--- a/test/functional/sqlsrv/TC46_FetchNextResult.phpt
+++ b/test/functional/sqlsrv/TC46_FetchNextResult.phpt
@@ -7,9 +7,10 @@ PHPT_EXEC=true
 --SKIPIF--
 <?
 // locale must be set before 1st connection
-if ( !isWindows() ) {
+if (!isWindows()) {
     setlocale(LC_ALL, "en_US.ISO-8859-1");
 }
+require('skipif_versions_old.inc');
 ?>
 --FILE--
 <?php
@@ -94,7 +95,7 @@ $testName = "Fetch - Next Result";
 
 // test ansi only if windows or non-UTF8 locales are supported (ODBC 17 and above)
 startTest($testName);
-if (isWindows() || isLocaleSupported()) {
+if (isLocaleSupported()) {
     try {
         setUTF8Data(false);
         fetchFields();
diff --git a/test/functional/sqlsrv/TC48_FetchScrollable.phpt b/test/functional/sqlsrv/TC48_FetchScrollable.phpt
index 44090245..09012e67 100644
--- a/test/functional/sqlsrv/TC48_FetchScrollable.phpt
+++ b/test/functional/sqlsrv/TC48_FetchScrollable.phpt
@@ -5,19 +5,22 @@ Verifies data retrieval with scrollable result sets.
 --ENV--
 PHPT_EXEC=true
 --SKIPIF--
-<?php require('skipif_versions_old.inc'); ?>
+<?php 
+// locale must be set before 1st connection
+if (!isWindows()) {
+    setlocale(LC_ALL, "en_US.ISO-8859-1");
+}
+require('skipif_versions_old.inc'); 
+?>
 --FILE--
 <?php
 require_once('MsCommon.inc');
 
 function fetchRow($noRows)
 {
-    $testName = "Fetch - Scrollable";
-    startTest($testName);
-
     setup();
     $tableName = 'TC48test';
-    if (! isWindows()) {
+    if (useUTF8Data()) {
         $conn1 = AE\connect(array('CharacterSet'=>'UTF-8'));
     } else {
         $conn1 = AE\connect();
@@ -72,8 +75,6 @@ function fetchRow($noRows)
     dropTable($conn1, $tableName);
 
     sqlsrv_close($conn1);
-
-    endTest($testName);
 }
 
 function fetchArray($stmt, $rows, $fields)
@@ -135,12 +136,36 @@ function checkData($rows, $fields, $actualValues, $expectedValues)
     }
 }
 
+// locale must be set before 1st connection
+if (!isWindows()) {
+    setlocale(LC_ALL, "en_US.ISO-8859-1");
+}
+
+$testName = "Fetch - Scrollable";
+
+// test ansi only if windows or non-UTF8 locales are supported (ODBC 17 and above)
+startTest($testName);
+if (isLocaleSupported()) {
+    try {
+        setUTF8Data(false);
+        fetchRow(10);
+    } catch (Exception $e) {
+        echo $e->getMessage();
+    }
+}
+endTest($testName);
+
+// test utf8
+startTest($testName);
 try {
+    setUTF8Data(true);
     fetchRow(10);
 } catch (Exception $e) {
     echo $e->getMessage();
 }
+endTest($testName);
 
 ?>
 --EXPECT--
 Test "Fetch - Scrollable" completed successfully.
+Test "Fetch - Scrollable" completed successfully.
diff --git a/test/functional/sqlsrv/TC51_StreamRead.phpt b/test/functional/sqlsrv/TC51_StreamRead.phpt
index f81f2c82..6268bceb 100644
--- a/test/functional/sqlsrv/TC51_StreamRead.phpt
+++ b/test/functional/sqlsrv/TC51_StreamRead.phpt
@@ -7,9 +7,10 @@ can be successfully retrieved as streams.
 PHPT_EXEC=true
 --SKIPIF--
 <?// locale must be set before 1st connection
-if ( !isWindows() ) {
+if (!isWindows()) {
     setlocale(LC_ALL, "en_US.ISO-8859-1");
 }
+require('skipif_versions_old.inc');
 ?>
 --FILE--
 <?php
@@ -138,7 +139,7 @@ $errMessage = 'Connection with Column Encryption enabled does not support fetchi
 
 // test ansi only if windows or non-UTF8 locales are supported (ODBC 17 and above)
 startTest($testName);
-if (isWindows() || isLocaleSupported()) {
+if (isLocaleSupported()) {
     try {
         setUTF8Data(false);
         streamRead(20, 1);
diff --git a/test/functional/sqlsrv/TC55_StreamScrollable.phpt b/test/functional/sqlsrv/TC55_StreamScrollable.phpt
index 45d5a8a3..14d8b345 100644
--- a/test/functional/sqlsrv/TC55_StreamScrollable.phpt
+++ b/test/functional/sqlsrv/TC55_StreamScrollable.phpt
@@ -7,9 +7,10 @@ PHPT_EXEC=true
 --SKIPIF--
 <?
 // locale must be set before 1st connection
-if ( !isWindows() ) {
+if (!isWindows()) {
     setlocale(LC_ALL, "en_US.ISO-8859-1");
 }
+require('skipif_versions_old.inc');
 ?>
 --FILE--
 <?php
@@ -175,7 +176,7 @@ $errMessage = 'Connection with Column Encryption enabled does not support fetchi
 
 // test ansi only if windows or non-UTF8 locales are supported (ODBC 17 and above)
 startTest($testName);
-if (isWindows() || isLocaleSupported()) {
+if (isLocaleSupported()) {
     try {
         setUTF8Data(false);
         streamScroll(20, 1);
diff --git a/test/functional/sqlsrv/test_stream_large_data.phpt b/test/functional/sqlsrv/test_stream_large_data.phpt
index c14f9e27..d5a26070 100644
--- a/test/functional/sqlsrv/test_stream_large_data.phpt
+++ b/test/functional/sqlsrv/test_stream_large_data.phpt
@@ -3,11 +3,11 @@ streaming large amounts of data into a database and getting it out as a string e
 --SKIPIF--
 <?
 // locale must be set before 1st connection
-if ( !isWindows() ) {
+if (!isWindows() ) {
     setlocale(LC_ALL, "en_US.ISO-8859-1");
 }
 
-php require('skipif.inc');
+require('skipif.inc');
 ?>
 --FILE--
 <?php
@@ -259,7 +259,7 @@ if (!isWindows()) {
 }
 
 // test ansi only if windows or non-UTF8 locales are supported (ODBC 17 and above)
-if (isWindows() || isLocaleSupported()) {
+if (isLocaleSupported()) {
     setUTF8Data(false);
     runtest();
 }