diff --git a/.github/workflows/golang-test-windows.yml b/.github/workflows/golang-test-windows.yml
index a50c81918..6027d3626 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/golang-test-windows.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/golang-test-windows.yml
@@ -44,7 +44,6 @@ jobs:
 
       - run: PsExec64 -s -w ${{ github.workspace }} C:\hostedtoolcache\windows\go\${{ steps.go.outputs.go-version }}\x64\bin\go.exe env -w GOMODCACHE=C:\Users\runneradmin\go\pkg\mod
       - run: PsExec64 -s -w ${{ github.workspace }} C:\hostedtoolcache\windows\go\${{ steps.go.outputs.go-version }}\x64\bin\go.exe env -w GOCACHE=C:\Users\runneradmin\AppData\Local\go-build
-      - run: "[Environment]::SetEnvironmentVariable('NETBIRD_STORE_ENGINE', 'jsonfile', 'Machine')"
 
       - name: test
         run: PsExec64 -s -w ${{ github.workspace }} cmd.exe /c "C:\hostedtoolcache\windows\go\${{ steps.go.outputs.go-version }}\x64\bin\go.exe test -timeout 5m -p 1 ./... > test-out.txt 2>&1"
diff --git a/client/internal/dns/server_test.go b/client/internal/dns/server_test.go
index f3282f1f4..22966d89c 100644
--- a/client/internal/dns/server_test.go
+++ b/client/internal/dns/server_test.go
@@ -750,6 +750,11 @@ func TestDNSPermanent_matchOnly(t *testing.T) {
 						NSType: nbdns.UDPNameServerType,
 						Port:   53,
 					},
+					{
+						IP:     netip.MustParseAddr("9.9.9.9"),
+						NSType: nbdns.UDPNameServerType,
+						Port:   53,
+					},
 				},
 				Domains: []string{"customdomain.com"},
 				Primary: false,
diff --git a/management/server/store.go b/management/server/store.go
index 7ef090a67..77b8d0dad 100644
--- a/management/server/store.go
+++ b/management/server/store.go
@@ -103,7 +103,14 @@ func NewStoreFromJson(dataDir string, metrics telemetry.AppMetrics) (Store, erro
 		return nil, err
 	}
 
-	switch kind := getStoreEngineFromEnv(); kind {
+	// if store engine is not set in the config we first try to evaluate NETBIRD_STORE_ENGINE
+	kind := getStoreEngineFromEnv()
+	if kind == "" {
+		// NETBIRD_STORE_ENGINE is not set we evaluate default based on dataDir
+		kind = getStoreEngineFromDatadir(dataDir)
+	}
+
+	switch kind {
 	case FileStoreEngine:
 		return fstore, nil
 	case SqliteStoreEngine: