diff --git a/pkg/funcspec/function_api_test.go b/pkg/funcspec/function_api_test.go
index 39f6076..f8ece7d 100644
--- a/pkg/funcspec/function_api_test.go
+++ b/pkg/funcspec/function_api_test.go
@@ -821,7 +821,7 @@ func TestReplaceMetaVariables(t *testing.T) {
 			name:     "Replace [user]",
 			sqlQuery: "SELECT * FROM audit WHERE username = [user]",
 			expectedCheck: func(result string) bool {
-				return strings.Contains(result, "'testuser'")
+				return strings.Contains(result, "$USR$testuser$USR$")
 			},
 		},
 		{
diff --git a/pkg/restheadspec/headers.go b/pkg/restheadspec/headers.go
index fb19255..c347850 100644
--- a/pkg/restheadspec/headers.go
+++ b/pkg/restheadspec/headers.go
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ import (
 	"regexp"
 	"strconv"
 	"strings"
+	"unicode/utf8"
 
 	"github.com/bitechdev/ResolveSpec/pkg/common"
 	"github.com/bitechdev/ResolveSpec/pkg/logger"
@@ -103,7 +104,7 @@ func DecodeParam(pStr string) (string, error) {
 		code, _ = DecodeParam(code)
 	} else {
 		strDat, err := base64.StdEncoding.DecodeString(code)
-		if err == nil {
+		if err == nil && utf8.Valid(strDat) {
 			code = string(strDat)
 		}
 	}