diff --git a/tests/testScenario.py b/tests/testScenario.py
index 1fc4cd453f51fc3129df4543621254895eca9f19..98a3a54f0fdd862e16fb54fddc2a74c085be4d6f 100644
--- a/tests/testScenario.py
+++ b/tests/testScenario.py
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@
 #                                                                       #
 # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # #
 
+import utils
 from utils import APIRequest
 
 import sys
@@ -358,6 +359,8 @@ def _test_layers(target, map_name):
 
 def test_scenario():
 
+    # utils.default_encoding = "xml"
+
     target = "http://localhost:8080"
     map_name = "tests"
 
diff --git a/tests/utils.py b/tests/utils.py
index 73e4491dfb8f438946638228e88b8e454844f023..d6d92507c94fd1d5c5e5ae65b2110190fc4b3b5c 100644
--- a/tests/utils.py
+++ b/tests/utils.py
@@ -31,6 +31,8 @@ import json
 
 import sys
 
+default_encoding = "json"
+
 def deduce_content_type(type):
     if type == "json":
         return "application/json"
@@ -38,7 +40,7 @@ def deduce_content_type(type):
         return "application/xml"
 
 
-def APIRequest(method, url, data=None, encode="json", decode="json", content_type=None, expected_type=None,
+def APIRequest(method, url, data=None, encode=default_encoding, decode=default_encoding, content_type=None, expected_type=None,
                get_response=False):
 
     if encode == "json":