diff --git a/R/ISCon-cytometry.R b/R/ISCon-cytometry.R
index 1d81c14..bb3ff96 100644
--- a/R/ISCon-cytometry.R
+++ b/R/ISCon-cytometry.R
@@ -51,6 +51,14 @@ ISCon$set(
   which = "public",
   name = "summarizeCyto",
   value = function() {
+
+    # set Waf encoding FALSE for Rlabkey versions greater or equal to 3.0.0
+    # this needs to be repeated in the helper functions that make use of
+    # labkey.executeSql
+    if (packageVersion('Rlabkey') >= '3.0.0') {
+      labkey.setWafEncoding(FALSE)
+    }
+
     # retrieve stats
     nSamples <- suppressWarnings(labkey.executeSql(
       folderPath = self$config$labkey.url.path,
diff --git a/R/ISCon-geneExpression.R b/R/ISCon-geneExpression.R
index 7d0a78d..4b281e2 100644
--- a/R/ISCon-geneExpression.R
+++ b/R/ISCon-geneExpression.R
@@ -24,6 +24,12 @@ ISCon$set(
       )
     }
 
+    # set Waf encoding FALSE for Rlabkey versions greater or equal to 3.0.0
+    # this needs to be repeated in the helper functions that make use of
+    # labkey.executeSql
+    if (packageVersion('Rlabkey') >= '3.0.0') {
+      labkey.setWafEncoding(FALSE)
+    }
 
     ## MAIN
     if (is.null(self$cache[[private$.constants$matrices]]) | reload) {
@@ -622,6 +628,13 @@ ISCon$set(
     cacheinfo <- .getCacheInfo(outputType, annotation)
     cache_name <- .getMatrixCacheName(matrixName, outputType, annotation)
 
+    # set Waf encoding FALSE for Rlabkey versions greater or equal to 3.0.0
+    # this needs to be repeated in the helper functions that make use of
+    # labkey.executeSql
+    if (packageVersion('Rlabkey') >= '3.0.0') {
+      labkey.setWafEncoding(FALSE)
+    }
+    
     if (!(matrixName %in% self$cache[[private$.constants$matrices]]$name)) {
       stop("Invalid gene expression matrix name")
     }
diff --git a/R/ISCon.R b/R/ISCon.R
index 9a9f820..4af296e 100644
--- a/R/ISCon.R
+++ b/R/ISCon.R
@@ -360,6 +360,13 @@ ISCon$set(
     labkey.url.path <- .get_url_path(study)
     curlOptions <- .set_curl_options(login, password)
 
+    # set Waf encoding FALSE for Rlabkey versions greater or equal to 3.0.0
+    # this needs to be repeated in the helper functions that make use of
+    # labkey.executeSql
+    if (packageVersion('Rlabkey') >= '3.0.0') {
+      labkey.setWafEncoding(FALSE)
+    }
+
     # set fields
     self$config <- list(
       labkey.url.base = labkey.url.base,