diff --git a/cuda_bindings/tests/cufile.json b/cuda_bindings/tests/cufile.json
index 36b3b9bd72..21ab1f3b6b 100644
--- a/cuda_bindings/tests/cufile.json
+++ b/cuda_bindings/tests/cufile.json
@@ -3,6 +3,10 @@
     // e.g : export CUFILE_ENV_PATH_JSON="/home/<xxx>/cufile.json"
 
 
+            "properties" : {
+                    "allow_compat_mode" : true
+            },
+
             "execution" : {
                     // max number of workitems in the queue;
                     "max_io_queue_depth": 128,
diff --git a/cuda_bindings/tests/test_cufile.py b/cuda_bindings/tests/test_cufile.py
index f6dbc2b50c..6e614ca1b0 100644
--- a/cuda_bindings/tests/test_cufile.py
+++ b/cuda_bindings/tests/test_cufile.py
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@
 import platform
 import subprocess
 import tempfile
-from contextlib import suppress
+from contextlib import contextmanager, suppress
 from functools import cache
 
 import pytest
@@ -28,6 +28,16 @@
 cufile = pytest.importorskip("cuda.bindings.cufile", reason="skipping tests on Windows")
 
 
+@contextmanager
+def _cufile_driver_session():
+    """Open the cuFile driver for a block; always close in a finally (mirrors try/finally)."""
+    cufile.driver_open()
+    try:
+        yield
+    finally:
+        cufile.driver_close()
+
+
 @pytest.fixture
 def cufile_env_json(monkeypatch):
     """Set CUFILE_ENV_PATH_JSON environment variable for async tests."""
@@ -1422,7 +1432,7 @@ def test_batch_io_large_operations():
 @pytest.mark.skipif(
     cufileVersionLessThan(1140), reason="cuFile parameter APIs require cuFile library version 1.14.0 or later"
 )
-@pytest.mark.usefixtures("ctx")
+@pytest.mark.usefixtures("ctx", "cufile_env_json")
 def test_set_get_parameter_size_t():
     """Test setting and getting size_t parameters with cuFile validation."""
     param_val_pairs = (
@@ -1439,8 +1449,13 @@ def test_set_get_parameter_size_t():
         (cufile.SizeTConfigParameter.EXECUTION_MAX_REQUEST_PARALLELISM, 4),  # Max 4 parallel requests
     )
 
+    # Snapshot baselines after driver_open so getters reflect merged config (defaults + JSON),
+    # not pre-open pending state that could restore invalid values (e.g. 0 for per-buffer cache).
+    with _cufile_driver_session():
+        originals = {param: cufile.get_parameter_size_t(param) for param, _ in param_val_pairs}
+
     def test_param(param, val):
-        orig_val = cufile.get_parameter_size_t(param)
+        orig_val = originals[param]
         cufile.set_parameter_size_t(param, val)
         retrieved_val = cufile.get_parameter_size_t(param)
         assert retrieved_val == val
@@ -1454,9 +1469,11 @@ def test_param(param, val):
 @pytest.mark.skipif(
     cufileVersionLessThan(1140), reason="cuFile parameter APIs require cuFile library version 1.14.0 or later"
 )
-@pytest.mark.usefixtures("ctx")
+@pytest.mark.usefixtures("ctx", "cufile_env_json")
 def test_set_get_parameter_bool():
     """Test setting and getting boolean parameters with cuFile validation."""
+    # Load the compat-enabled test config before the first driver_open so the compat
+    # bool params can still be round-tripped on systems without nvidia-fs.
     param_val_pairs = (
         (cufile.BoolConfigParameter.PROPERTIES_USE_POLL_MODE, True),
         (cufile.BoolConfigParameter.PROPERTIES_ALLOW_COMPAT_MODE, False),
@@ -1471,28 +1488,29 @@ def test_set_get_parameter_bool():
         (cufile.BoolConfigParameter.SKIP_TOPOLOGY_DETECTION, False),
         (cufile.BoolConfigParameter.STREAM_MEMOPS_BYPASS, True),
     )
+    # PROFILE_NVTX is deprecated (CTK 13.1.0+); cuFile >= 1.16 rejects bool getters for it.
+    if cufile.get_version() >= 1160:
+        param_val_pairs = tuple((p, v) for p, v in param_val_pairs if p is not cufile.BoolConfigParameter.PROFILE_NVTX)
+
+    with _cufile_driver_session():
+        originals = {param: cufile.get_parameter_bool(param) for param, _ in param_val_pairs}
 
     def test_param(param, val):
-        orig_val = cufile.get_parameter_bool(param)
+        orig_val = originals[param]
         cufile.set_parameter_bool(param, val)
         retrieved_val = cufile.get_parameter_bool(param)
         assert retrieved_val is val
         cufile.set_parameter_bool(param, orig_val)
 
-    try:
-        # Test setting and getting various boolean parameters
-        for param, val in param_val_pairs:
-            test_param(param, val)
-    except cufile.cuFileError:
-        if cufile.get_version() < 1160:
-            raise
-        assert param is cufile.BoolConfigParameter.PROFILE_NVTX  # Deprecated in CTK 13.1.0
+    # Test setting and getting various boolean parameters
+    for param, val in param_val_pairs:
+        test_param(param, val)
 
 
 @pytest.mark.skipif(
     cufileVersionLessThan(1140), reason="cuFile parameter APIs require cuFile library version 1.14.0 or later"
 )
-@pytest.mark.usefixtures("ctx")
+@pytest.mark.usefixtures("ctx", "cufile_env_json")
 def test_set_get_parameter_string(tmp_path):
     """Test setting and getting string parameters with cuFile validation."""
     temp_dir = tempfile.gettempdir()
@@ -1513,8 +1531,11 @@ def test_set_get_parameter_string(tmp_path):
         ),  # Test log directory
     )
 
+    with _cufile_driver_session():
+        originals = {param: cufile.get_parameter_string(param, 256) for param, _, _ in param_val_pairs}
+
     def test_param(param, val, default_val):
-        orig_val = cufile.get_parameter_string(param, 256)
+        orig_val = originals[param]
 
         val_b = val.encode("utf-8")
         val_buf = ctypes.create_string_buffer(val_b)
@@ -1951,7 +1972,9 @@ def test_set_parameter_posix_pool_slab_array(slab_sizes, slab_counts, driver_con
     retrieved_sizes_addr = ctypes.addressof(retrieved_sizes)
     retrieved_counts_addr = ctypes.addressof(retrieved_counts)
 
-    cufile.get_parameter_posix_pool_slab_array(retrieved_sizes_addr, retrieved_counts_addr, n_slab_sizes)
+    # Open cuFile driver AFTER setting parameters
+    with _cufile_driver_session():
+        cufile.get_parameter_posix_pool_slab_array(retrieved_sizes_addr, retrieved_counts_addr, n_slab_sizes)
 
     # Verify they match what we set
     assert list(retrieved_sizes) == slab_sizes