diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index f3ce572..eae4c04 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -99,7 +99,7 @@ CREATE TABLE {your_journal_table_name} (
   Payload VARBINARY(MAX) NOT NULL,
   Tags NVARCHAR(100) NULL,
   SerializerId INTEGER NULL
-	CONSTRAINT PK_{your_journal_table_name} PRIMARY KEY (Ordering),
+  CONSTRAINT PK_{your_journal_table_name} PRIMARY KEY (Ordering),
   CONSTRAINT QU_{your_journal_table_name} UNIQUE (PersistenceID, SequenceNr)
 );
 
@@ -145,6 +145,7 @@ ALTER TABLE {your_snapshot_table_name} ADD COLUMN SerializerId INTEGER NULL
 
 ```sql
 ALTER TABLE {your_journal_table_name} DROP CONSTRAINT PK_{your_journal_table_name};
+ALTER TABLE {your_journal_table_name} ADD Ordering BIGINT IDENTITY(1,1) PRIMARY KEY NOT NULL;
 ALTER TABLE {your_journal_table_name} ADD Ordering BIGINT IDENTITY(1,1) NOT NULL;
 ALTER TABLE {your_journal_table_name} ADD CONSTRAINT PK_EventJournal PRIMARY KEY (Ordering);
 ALTER TABLE {your_journal_table_name} ADD CONSTRAINT QU_{your_journal_table_name} UNIQUE (PersistenceID, SequenceNr);
@@ -192,9 +193,11 @@ RETURN CONVERT(bigint,
 END;
 ALTER TABLE {your_journal_table_name} ADD Timestamp_tmp BIGINT NULL;
 UPDATE {your_journal_table_name} SET Timestamp_tmp = dbo.Ticks(Timestamp);
+DROP INDEX [IX_EventJournal_Timestamp] ON {your_journal_table_name};
 ALTER TABLE {your_journal_table_name} DROP COLUMN Timestamp;
 ALTER TABLE {your_journal_table_name} ALTER COLUMN Timestamp_tmp BIGINT NOT NULL;
 EXEC sp_RENAME '{your_journal_table_name}.Timestamp_tmp' , 'Timestamp', 'COLUMN';
+CREATE NONCLUSTERED INDEX [IX_EventJournal_Timestamp] ON {your_journal_table_name}([Timestamp] ASC);
 ALTER TABLE {your_journal_table_name} ADD Tags NVARCHAR(100) NULL;
 ```
 
diff --git a/RELEASE_NOTES.md b/RELEASE_NOTES.md
index 8589d36..f939b18 100644
--- a/RELEASE_NOTES.md
+++ b/RELEASE_NOTES.md
@@ -1,3 +1,9 @@
+#### 1.3.17 January 20 2020 ####
+* Upgrades to Akka.Persistence v1.3.17.
+* Upgrades to latest SqlClient.
+* [Resolved: Generated SQL creates a large number of cached query plans in SQL Server](https://github.com/akkadotnet/akka.net/issues/4141)
+
+
 #### 1.3.14 July 30 2019 ####
 * Upgrades to Akka.Persistence v1.3.14 - resolves major issues with Akka.Cluster.Sharding serialization.
 * [BatchingSqlJournal now preserves Sender in PersistCallback](https://github.com/akkadotnet/akka.net/pull/3779)
diff --git a/src/Akka.Persistence.SqlServer/Akka.Persistence.SqlServer.csproj b/src/Akka.Persistence.SqlServer/Akka.Persistence.SqlServer.csproj
index c9d9a14..000fdde 100644
--- a/src/Akka.Persistence.SqlServer/Akka.Persistence.SqlServer.csproj
+++ b/src/Akka.Persistence.SqlServer/Akka.Persistence.SqlServer.csproj
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@
 
   <ItemGroup Condition="'$(TargetFramework)' == '$(NetStandardLibVersion)'">
     <PackageReference Include="System.Data.SqlClient">
-      <Version>4.3.0</Version>
+      <Version>4.8.0</Version>
     </PackageReference>
   </ItemGroup>
 </Project>
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/Akka.Persistence.SqlServer/Journal/BatchingSqlServerJournal.cs b/src/Akka.Persistence.SqlServer/Journal/BatchingSqlServerJournal.cs
index d23838a..d6680eb 100644
--- a/src/Akka.Persistence.SqlServer/Journal/BatchingSqlServerJournal.cs
+++ b/src/Akka.Persistence.SqlServer/Journal/BatchingSqlServerJournal.cs
@@ -53,6 +53,8 @@ public BatchingSqlServerJournal(Config config) : this(new BatchingSqlServerJourn
             var c = Setup.NamingConventions;
 
             ByTagSql = ByTagSql = $@"
+             DECLARE @Tag_sized NVARCHAR(100);
+             SET @Tag_sized = @Tag;
              SELECT TOP (@Take)
              e.{c.PersistenceIdColumnName} as PersistenceId, 
              e.{c.SequenceNrColumnName} as SequenceNr, 
@@ -63,7 +65,7 @@ SELECT TOP (@Take)
              e.{c.SerializerIdColumnName} as SerializerId,
              e.{c.OrderingColumnName} as Ordering
              FROM {c.FullJournalTableName} e
-             WHERE e.{c.OrderingColumnName} > @Ordering AND e.{c.TagsColumnName} LIKE @Tag
+             WHERE e.{c.OrderingColumnName} > @Ordering AND e.{c.TagsColumnName} LIKE @Tag_sized
              ORDER BY {c.OrderingColumnName} ASC
              ";
         }
diff --git a/src/Akka.Persistence.SqlServer/Journal/SqlServerQueryExecutor.cs b/src/Akka.Persistence.SqlServer/Journal/SqlServerQueryExecutor.cs
index e639e3a..c2902c2 100644
--- a/src/Akka.Persistence.SqlServer/Journal/SqlServerQueryExecutor.cs
+++ b/src/Akka.Persistence.SqlServer/Journal/SqlServerQueryExecutor.cs
@@ -17,6 +17,8 @@ public SqlServerQueryExecutor(QueryConfiguration configuration, Akka.Serializati
             : base(configuration, serialization, timestampProvider)
         {
             ByTagSql = $@"
+            DECLARE @Tag_sized NVARCHAR(100);
+            SET @Tag_sized = @Tag;
             SELECT TOP (@Take)
             e.{Configuration.PersistenceIdColumnName} as PersistenceId, 
             e.{Configuration.SequenceNrColumnName} as SequenceNr, 
@@ -27,7 +29,7 @@ SELECT TOP (@Take)
             e.{Configuration.SerializerIdColumnName} as SerializerId,
             e.{Configuration.OrderingColumnName} as Ordering
             FROM {Configuration.FullJournalTableName} e
-            WHERE e.{Configuration.OrderingColumnName} > @Ordering AND e.{Configuration.TagsColumnName} LIKE @Tag
+            WHERE e.{Configuration.OrderingColumnName} > @Ordering AND e.{Configuration.TagsColumnName} LIKE @Tag_sized
             ORDER BY {Configuration.OrderingColumnName} ASC
             ";
             CreateEventsJournalSql = $@"
diff --git a/src/Akka.Persistence.SqlServer/Snapshot/SqlServerQueryExecutor.cs b/src/Akka.Persistence.SqlServer/Snapshot/SqlServerQueryExecutor.cs
index 9ba2ab0..a7f413f 100644
--- a/src/Akka.Persistence.SqlServer/Snapshot/SqlServerQueryExecutor.cs
+++ b/src/Akka.Persistence.SqlServer/Snapshot/SqlServerQueryExecutor.cs
@@ -41,21 +41,27 @@ CREATE INDEX IX_{configuration.SnapshotTableName}_{configuration.TimestampColumn
             ";
 
             InsertSnapshotSql = $@"
+            DECLARE @Manifest_sized NVARCHAR(500);
+            DECLARE @Payload_sized VARBINARY(MAX);
+            DECLARE @PersistenceId_sized NVARCHAR(255);
+            SET @Manifest_sized = @Manifest;
+            SET @Payload_sized = @Payload;
+            SET @PersistenceId_sized = @PersistenceId;
             IF (
                 SELECT COUNT(*) 
                 FROM {configuration.FullSnapshotTableName}
                 WHERE {configuration.SequenceNrColumnName} = @SequenceNr 
-                AND {configuration.PersistenceIdColumnName} = @PersistenceId) > 0 
+                AND {configuration.PersistenceIdColumnName} = @PersistenceId_sized) > 0 
             UPDATE {configuration.FullSnapshotTableName} 
             SET 
-                {configuration.PersistenceIdColumnName} = @PersistenceId, 
+                {configuration.PersistenceIdColumnName} = @PersistenceId_sized, 
                 {configuration.SequenceNrColumnName} = @SequenceNr, 
                 {configuration.TimestampColumnName} = @Timestamp, 
-                {configuration.ManifestColumnName} = @Manifest, 
-                {configuration.PayloadColumnName} = @Payload,
+                {configuration.ManifestColumnName} = @Manifest_sized,
+                {configuration.PayloadColumnName} = @Payload_sized,
                 {configuration.SerializerIdColumnName} = @SerializerId
             WHERE {configuration.SequenceNrColumnName} = @SequenceNr 
-            AND {configuration.PersistenceIdColumnName} = @PersistenceId ELSE 
+            AND {configuration.PersistenceIdColumnName} = @PersistenceId_sized ELSE 
             INSERT INTO {configuration.FullSnapshotTableName} (
                 {configuration.PersistenceIdColumnName}, 
                 {configuration.SequenceNrColumnName}, 
@@ -63,9 +69,11 @@ SELECT COUNT(*)
                 {configuration.ManifestColumnName}, 
                 {configuration.PayloadColumnName},
                 {configuration.SerializerIdColumnName}) 
-            VALUES (@PersistenceId, @SequenceNr, @Timestamp, @Manifest, @Payload, @SerializerId);";
+            VALUES (@PersistenceId_sized, @SequenceNr, @Timestamp, @Manifest_sized, @Payload_sized, @SerializerId);";
 
             SelectSnapshotSql = $@"
+                DECLARE @PersistenceId_sized NVARCHAR(255);
+                SET @PersistenceId_sized = @PersistenceId;
                 SELECT TOP 1 {Configuration.PersistenceIdColumnName},
                     {Configuration.SequenceNrColumnName}, 
                     {Configuration.TimestampColumnName}, 
@@ -73,7 +81,7 @@ SELECT COUNT(*)
                     {Configuration.PayloadColumnName},
                     {Configuration.SerializerIdColumnName}
                 FROM {Configuration.FullSnapshotTableName} 
-                WHERE {Configuration.PersistenceIdColumnName} = @PersistenceId 
+                WHERE {Configuration.PersistenceIdColumnName} = @PersistenceId_sized
                     AND {Configuration.SequenceNrColumnName} <= @SequenceNr
                     AND {Configuration.TimestampColumnName} <= @Timestamp
                 ORDER BY {Configuration.SequenceNrColumnName} DESC";
diff --git a/src/common.props b/src/common.props
index a781ac5..ea8db88 100644
--- a/src/common.props
+++ b/src/common.props
@@ -2,18 +2,19 @@
   <PropertyGroup>
     <Copyright>Copyright © 2013-2019 Akka.NET Team</Copyright>
     <Authors>Akka.NET Team</Authors>
-    <VersionPrefix>1.3.14</VersionPrefix>
+    <VersionPrefix>1.3.17</VersionPrefix>
     <PackageIconUrl>http://getakka.net/images/akkalogo.png</PackageIconUrl>
     <PackageProjectUrl>https://github.com/akkadotnet/Akka.Persistence.SqlServer</PackageProjectUrl>
     <PackageLicenseUrl>https://github.com/akkadotnet/Akka.Persistence.SqlServer/blob/master/LICENSE</PackageLicenseUrl>
-    <PackageReleaseNotes>Upgrades to Akka.Persistence v1.3.14 - resolves major issues with Akka.Cluster.Sharding serialization.
-[BatchingSqlJournal now preserves Sender in PersistCallback](https://github.com/akkadotnet/akka.net/pull/3779)</PackageReleaseNotes>
+    <PackageReleaseNotes>Upgrades to Akka.Persistence v1.3.17.
+Upgrades to latest SqlClient.
+[Resolved: Generated SQL creates a large number of cached query plans in SQL Server](https://github.com/akkadotnet/akka.net/issues/4141)</PackageReleaseNotes>
     <NoWarn>$(NoWarn);CS1591</NoWarn>
   </PropertyGroup>
   <PropertyGroup>
     <XunitVersion>2.4.1</XunitVersion>
-    <AkkaVersion>1.3.14</AkkaVersion>
-    <TestSdkVersion>15.9.0</TestSdkVersion>
+    <AkkaVersion>1.3.17</AkkaVersion>
+    <TestSdkVersion>16.4.0</TestSdkVersion>
     <NetCoreTestVersion>netcoreapp2.1</NetCoreTestVersion>
     <NetFrameworkTestVersion>net461</NetFrameworkTestVersion>
     <NetStandardLibVersion>netstandard1.6</NetStandardLibVersion>