diff --git a/jbpm-workitem-itests/src/test/resources/application-test-async.properties b/jbpm-workitem-itests/src/test/resources/application-test-async.properties
index b571222f0..2c4715782 100644
--- a/jbpm-workitem-itests/src/test/resources/application-test-async.properties
+++ b/jbpm-workitem-itests/src/test/resources/application-test-async.properties
@@ -8,6 +8,9 @@ server.port=8090
 spring.jpa.properties.hibernate.hbm2ddl.auto=create
 spring.jpa.properties.hibernate.show_sql=false
 
+#override datasource url to skip VALUE as a keyword for embedded h2
+spring.datasource.url=jdbc:h2:mem:jbpm-db;MODE=LEGACY;NON_KEYWORDS=VALUE
+
 # Taken from https://docs.spring.io/spring-boot/docs/2.4.0-M2/reference/htmlsingle/#common-application-properties
 # Used in Kafka tests where publish blocking connection timeout (max.block.ms) is 60 seconds, same as default 
 # transaction timeout for nayarana. If this timeout is not increased, following exception is raised:
diff --git a/jbpm-workitem-itests/src/test/resources/application-test.properties b/jbpm-workitem-itests/src/test/resources/application-test.properties
index 2b3fa074a..605d0b8bc 100644
--- a/jbpm-workitem-itests/src/test/resources/application-test.properties
+++ b/jbpm-workitem-itests/src/test/resources/application-test.properties
@@ -8,6 +8,10 @@ server.port=8090
 spring.jpa.properties.hibernate.hbm2ddl.auto=create
 spring.jpa.properties.hibernate.show_sql=false
 
+
+#override datasource url to skip VALUE as a keyword for embedded h2
+spring.datasource.url=jdbc:h2:mem:jbpm-db;MODE=LEGACY;NON_KEYWORDS=VALUE
+
 # Taken from https://docs.spring.io/spring-boot/docs/2.4.0-M2/reference/htmlsingle/#common-application-properties
 # Used in Kafka tests where publish blocking connection timeout (max.block.ms) is 60 seconds, same as default 
 # transaction timeout for nayarana. If this timeout is not increased, following exception is raised: