diff --git a/src/main/java/software/amazon/nio/spi/s3/config/S3NioSpiConfiguration.java b/src/main/java/software/amazon/nio/spi/s3/config/S3NioSpiConfiguration.java
index 0804befa..caebd21e 100644
--- a/src/main/java/software/amazon/nio/spi/s3/config/S3NioSpiConfiguration.java
+++ b/src/main/java/software/amazon/nio/spi/s3/config/S3NioSpiConfiguration.java
@@ -65,6 +65,10 @@ public class S3NioSpiConfiguration extends HashMap<String, Object> {
      * The name of the force path style property
      */
     public static final String S3_SPI_FORCE_PATH_STYLE_PROPERTY = "s3.spi.force-path-style";
+    /**
+     * The default value of the force path style property
+     */
+    public static final boolean S3_SPI_FORCE_PATH_STYLE_DEFAULT = false;
     /**
      * The default value of the credentials property
      */
@@ -98,6 +102,7 @@ public S3NioSpiConfiguration(Map<String, ?> overrides) {
         put(S3_SPI_READ_MAX_FRAGMENT_NUMBER_PROPERTY, String.valueOf(S3_SPI_READ_MAX_FRAGMENT_NUMBER_DEFAULT));
         put(S3_SPI_READ_MAX_FRAGMENT_SIZE_PROPERTY, String.valueOf(S3_SPI_READ_MAX_FRAGMENT_SIZE_DEFAULT));
         put(S3_SPI_ENDPOINT_PROTOCOL_PROPERTY, S3_SPI_ENDPOINT_PROTOCOL_DEFAULT);
+        put(S3_SPI_FORCE_PATH_STYLE_PROPERTY, String.valueOf(S3_SPI_FORCE_PATH_STYLE_DEFAULT));
 
         //
         // With the below we pick existing environment variables and system
@@ -286,7 +291,7 @@ public S3NioSpiConfiguration withForcePathStyle(Boolean forcePathStyle) {
         if (forcePathStyle == null) {
             remove(S3_SPI_FORCE_PATH_STYLE_PROPERTY);
         } else {
-            put(S3_SPI_FORCE_PATH_STYLE_PROPERTY, forcePathStyle);
+            put(S3_SPI_FORCE_PATH_STYLE_PROPERTY, String.valueOf(forcePathStyle));
         }
 
         return this;
@@ -387,7 +392,8 @@ public String getBucketName() {
     }
 
     public boolean getForcePathStyle() {
-        return (boolean) getOrDefault(S3_SPI_FORCE_PATH_STYLE_PROPERTY, false);
+        return Boolean.parseBoolean((String) getOrDefault(S3_SPI_FORCE_PATH_STYLE_PROPERTY, 
+                                                          String.valueOf(S3_SPI_FORCE_PATH_STYLE_DEFAULT)));
     }
 
     /**
diff --git a/src/test/java/software/amazon/nio/spi/s3/config/S3NioSpiConfigurationTest.java b/src/test/java/software/amazon/nio/spi/s3/config/S3NioSpiConfigurationTest.java
index 0f354c74..3bc65f8e 100644
--- a/src/test/java/software/amazon/nio/spi/s3/config/S3NioSpiConfigurationTest.java
+++ b/src/test/java/software/amazon/nio/spi/s3/config/S3NioSpiConfigurationTest.java
@@ -234,15 +234,15 @@ public void withAndGetBucketName() {
     
     @Test
     public void withAndGetForcePathStyle() {
-        then(config).doesNotContainKey(S3_SPI_FORCE_PATH_STYLE_PROPERTY);
+        then(config).contains(entry(S3_SPI_FORCE_PATH_STYLE_PROPERTY, "false"));
         then(config.withForcePathStyle(true)).isSameAs(config);
-        then(config).contains(entry(S3_SPI_FORCE_PATH_STYLE_PROPERTY, true));
+        then(config).contains(entry(S3_SPI_FORCE_PATH_STYLE_PROPERTY, "true"));
         then(config.getForcePathStyle()).isTrue();
         then(config.withForcePathStyle(false).getForcePathStyle()).isFalse();
         
         Map<String, Object> map = new HashMap<>(); config = new S3NioSpiConfiguration(map);
         then(config.getForcePathStyle()).isFalse();
-        map.put(S3_SPI_FORCE_PATH_STYLE_PROPERTY, true); config = new S3NioSpiConfiguration(map);
+        map.put(S3_SPI_FORCE_PATH_STYLE_PROPERTY, "true"); config = new S3NioSpiConfiguration(map);
         then(config .getForcePathStyle()).isTrue();
         map.remove(S3_SPI_FORCE_PATH_STYLE_PROPERTY); // same S3NioSpiConfiguration on purpose
         then(config.getForcePathStyle()).isTrue();