diff --git a/nf-test.config b/nf-test.config
index 69f28960..a1359d77 100644
--- a/nf-test.config
+++ b/nf-test.config
@@ -1,5 +1,3 @@
-config {
-
 config {
     // location for all nf-tests
     testsDir "tests"
@@ -15,6 +13,6 @@ config {
 
     // run all test with the defined docker profile from the main nextflow.config
     profile ""
-}
 
 }
+
diff --git a/tests/nextflow.config b/tests/nextflow.config
index 3d45039a..4dd1ad12 100644
--- a/tests/nextflow.config
+++ b/tests/nextflow.config
@@ -1 +1,4 @@
-// Impose same minimum Nextflow version as the pipeline for testing
+//env {
+//    NCBI_EMAIL = '\$"\u007B""\u007B" NCBI_EMAIL "\u007D""\u007D"'
+//   NCBI_KEY   = '\$"\u007B""\u007B" NCBI_KEY "\u007D""\u007D"'
+//    }
diff --git a/tests/pipeline/test_all.nf.test b/tests/pipeline/test_all.nf.test
index 45c68854..77126cd5 100644
--- a/tests/pipeline/test_all.nf.test
+++ b/tests/pipeline/test_all.nf.test
@@ -10,8 +10,8 @@ nextflow_pipeline {
         when {
             params {
                 outdir = "$outputDir"
-                ncbi_email = "$NCBI_EMAIL"
-                ncbi_key = "$NCBI_KEY"
+                ncbi_email = "\$NCBI_EMAIL"
+                ncbi_key = "\$NCBI_KEY"
             }
         }
 
diff --git a/tests/pipeline/test_mouse.nf.test b/tests/pipeline/test_mouse.nf.test
index 69c9399e..071201ac 100644
--- a/tests/pipeline/test_mouse.nf.test
+++ b/tests/pipeline/test_mouse.nf.test
@@ -10,8 +10,8 @@ nextflow_pipeline {
         when {
             params {
                 outdir = "$outputDir"
-                ncbi_email = "$NCBI_EMAIL"
-                ncbi_key = "$NCBI_KEY"
+                ncbi_email = "\$NCBI_EMAIL"
+                ncbi_key = "\$NCBI_KEY"
             }
         }
 
diff --git a/tests/pipeline/test_taxa_only.nf.test b/tests/pipeline/test_taxa_only.nf.test
index 30fa5926..d14f3c16 100644
--- a/tests/pipeline/test_taxa_only.nf.test
+++ b/tests/pipeline/test_taxa_only.nf.test
@@ -10,8 +10,8 @@ nextflow_pipeline {
         when {
             params {
                 outdir = "$outputDir"
-                ncbi_email = "$NCBI_EMAIL"
-                ncbi_key = "$NCBI_KEY"
+                ncbi_email = "\$NCBI_EMAIL"
+                ncbi_key = "\$NCBI_KEY"
             }
         }
 
diff --git a/tests/pipeline/test_taxa_specific_assembly.nf.test b/tests/pipeline/test_taxa_specific_assembly.nf.test
index c8f1c508..c6de1357 100644
--- a/tests/pipeline/test_taxa_specific_assembly.nf.test
+++ b/tests/pipeline/test_taxa_specific_assembly.nf.test
@@ -10,8 +10,8 @@ nextflow_pipeline {
         when {
             params {
                 outdir = "$outputDir"
-                ncbi_email = "$NCBI_EMAIL"
-                ncbi_key = "$NCBI_KEY"
+                ncbi_email = "\\\$NCBI_EMAIL"
+                ncbi_key = "\\\$NCBI_KEY"
             }
         }