diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 4a5d9804..40bbb856 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -55,18 +55,18 @@
     "main": "./main.js",
     "contributes": {
         "javaExtensions": [
-            "./server/junit-jupiter-api_5.10.3.jar",
-            "./server/junit-jupiter-engine_5.10.3.jar",
-            "./server/junit-jupiter-migrationsupport_5.10.3.jar",
-            "./server/junit-jupiter-params_5.10.3.jar",
-            "./server/junit-platform-commons_1.10.3.jar",
-            "./server/junit-platform-engine_1.10.3.jar",
-            "./server/junit-platform-launcher_1.10.3.jar",
-            "./server/junit-platform-runner_1.10.3.jar",
-            "./server/junit-platform-suite-api_1.10.3.jar",
-            "./server/junit-platform-suite-commons_1.10.3.jar",
-            "./server/junit-platform-suite-engine_1.10.3.jar",
-            "./server/junit-vintage-engine_5.10.3.jar",
+            "./server/junit-jupiter-api_5.11.0.jar",
+            "./server/junit-jupiter-engine_5.11.0.jar",
+            "./server/junit-jupiter-migrationsupport_5.11.0.jar",
+            "./server/junit-jupiter-params_5.11.0.jar",
+            "./server/junit-platform-commons_1.11.0.jar",
+            "./server/junit-platform-engine_1.11.0.jar",
+            "./server/junit-platform-launcher_1.11.0.jar",
+            "./server/junit-platform-runner_1.11.0.jar",
+            "./server/junit-platform-suite-api_1.11.0.jar",
+            "./server/junit-platform-suite-commons_1.11.0.jar",
+            "./server/junit-platform-suite-engine_1.11.0.jar",
+            "./server/junit-vintage-engine_5.11.0.jar",
             "./server/org.apiguardian.api_1.1.2.jar",
             "./server/org.eclipse.jdt.junit4.runtime_1.3.100.v20231214-1952.jar",
             "./server/org.eclipse.jdt.junit5.runtime_1.1.300.v20231214-1952.jar",
@@ -254,6 +254,11 @@
                             "markdownDescription": "%configuration.java.test.config.javaExec.description%",
                             "default": ""
                         },
+                        "encoding": {
+                            "type": "string",
+                            "description": "%configuration.java.test.config.encoding.description%",
+                            "default": ""
+                        },
                         "vmArgs": {
                             "type": "array",
                             "items": {
@@ -409,7 +414,12 @@
                                 "markdownDescription": "%configuration.java.test.config.javaExec.description%",
                                 "default": ""
                             },
-                            "vmargs": {
+                            "encoding": {
+                                "type": "string",
+                                "description": "%configuration.java.test.config.encoding.description%",
+                                "default": ""
+                            },
+                            "vmArgs": {
                                 "type": "array",
                                 "items": {
                                     "type": "string"
diff --git a/package.nls.json b/package.nls.json
index 3bd0593f..4828c20f 100644
--- a/package.nls.json
+++ b/package.nls.json
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@
     "configuration.java.test.config.modulePaths.runtime.description": "The modulepaths within 'runtime' scope of current project.",
     "configuration.java.test.config.modulePaths.test.description": "The modulepaths within 'test' scope of current project.",
     "configuration.java.test.config.modulePaths.exclude.description": "The path after '!' will be excluded from the modulePaths.",
+    "configuration.java.test.config.encoding.description": "The 'file.encoding' setting for the test JVM. Only set this if you have to test code that relies on the default encoding being something other than UTF-8.",
     "configuration.java.test.config.vmArgs.description": "Specify the extra options and system properties for the JVM.",
     "configuration.java.test.config.args.description": "Specify the command line arguments which will be passed to the test runner.",
     "configuration.java.test.config.env.description": "Specify the extra environment variables when running the tests.",
diff --git a/src/java-test-runner.api.ts b/src/java-test-runner.api.ts
index c47a4219..df35283b 100644
--- a/src/java-test-runner.api.ts
+++ b/src/java-test-runner.api.ts
@@ -279,6 +279,12 @@ export interface IExecutionConfig {
      */
     javaExec?: string;
 
+    /**
+     * the default encoding the JVM will start with. If undefined, this will be UTF-8.
+     * @since 0.43.0
+     */
+    encoding?: string;
+
     /**
      * the extra options and system properties for the JVM.
      * @since 0.14.0
@@ -353,4 +359,4 @@ export interface IExecutionConfig {
      * @since 0.41.0
      */
     when?: string
-}
\ No newline at end of file
+}
diff --git a/src/utils/launchUtils.ts b/src/utils/launchUtils.ts
index b59c49b8..53500e20 100644
--- a/src/utils/launchUtils.ts
+++ b/src/utils/launchUtils.ts
@@ -18,68 +18,51 @@ export async function resolveLaunchConfigurationForRunner(runner: BaseRunner, te
 
     if (config && config.vmArgs) {
         launchArguments.vmArguments.push(...config.vmArgs.filter(Boolean));
-    } else if (config && (config as any).vmargs) { // to support the deprecated property name.
-        launchArguments.vmArguments.push(...(config as any).vmargs.filter(Boolean));
-        sendInfo('', {'deprecatedPropertyUsed': 'vmargs'});
     }
 
-    let debugConfiguration: DebugConfiguration;
+    let debugConfiguration: DebugConfiguration = {
+        name: `Launch Java Tests - ${testContext.testItems[0].label}`,
+        type: 'java',
+        request: 'launch',
+        projectName: launchArguments.projectName,
+        cwd: config && config.workingDirectory ? config.workingDirectory : launchArguments.workingDirectory,
+        modulePaths: [
+            ...config?.modulePaths || [],
+            ...launchArguments.modulepath || [],
+        ],
+        encoding: config?.encoding,
+        vmArgs: launchArguments.vmArguments,
+        env: config?.env,
+        envFile: config?.envFile,
+        noDebug: !testContext.isDebug,
+        sourcePaths: config?.sourcePaths,
+        preLaunchTask: config?.preLaunchTask,
+        postDebugTask: config?.postDebugTask,
+        javaExec: config?.javaExec,
+    };
+
     if (testContext.kind === TestKind.TestNG) {
-        debugConfiguration = {
-            name: `Launch Java Tests - ${testContext.testItems[0].label}`,
-            type: 'java',
-            request: 'launch',
+        debugConfiguration = Object.assign(debugConfiguration, {
             mainClass: 'com.microsoft.java.test.runner.Launcher',
-            projectName: launchArguments.projectName,
-            cwd: config && config.workingDirectory ? config.workingDirectory : launchArguments.workingDirectory,
             classPaths: [
                 ...config?.classPaths || [],
                 ...launchArguments.classpath || [],
                 path.join(extensionContext.extensionPath, 'server', 'com.microsoft.java.test.runner-jar-with-dependencies.jar'),
             ],
-            modulePaths: [
-                ...config?.modulePaths || [],
-                ...launchArguments.modulepath || [],
-            ],
             args: runner.getApplicationArgs(config),
-            vmArgs: launchArguments.vmArguments,
-            env: config?.env,
-            envFile: config?.envFile,
-            noDebug: !testContext.isDebug,
-            sourcePaths: config?.sourcePaths,
-            preLaunchTask: config?.preLaunchTask,
-            postDebugTask: config?.postDebugTask,
-            javaExec: config?.javaExec,
-        };
+        });
     } else {
-        debugConfiguration = {
-            name: `Launch Java Tests - ${testContext.testItems[0].label}`,
-            type: 'java',
-            request: 'launch',
+        debugConfiguration = Object.assign(debugConfiguration, {
             mainClass: launchArguments.mainClass,
-            projectName: launchArguments.projectName,
-            cwd: config && config.workingDirectory ? config.workingDirectory : launchArguments.workingDirectory,
             classPaths: [
                 ...config?.classPaths || [],
                 ...launchArguments.classpath || [],
             ],
-            modulePaths: [
-                ...config?.modulePaths || [],
-                ...launchArguments.modulepath || [],
-            ],
             args: [
                 ...launchArguments.programArguments,
                 ...(testContext.kind === TestKind.JUnit5 ? parseTags(config) : [])
             ],
-            vmArgs: launchArguments.vmArguments,
-            env: config?.env,
-            envFile: config?.envFile,
-            noDebug: !testContext.isDebug,
-            sourcePaths: config?.sourcePaths,
-            preLaunchTask: config?.preLaunchTask,
-            postDebugTask: config?.postDebugTask,
-            javaExec: config?.javaExec,
-        };
+        });
     }
 
     if (testContext.profile?.kind === TestRunProfileKind.Coverage) {
diff --git a/test/suite/config.test.ts b/test/suite/config.test.ts
index c2d61fdc..f9e71d72 100644
--- a/test/suite/config.test.ts
+++ b/test/suite/config.test.ts
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
 'use strict';
 
 import * as assert from 'assert';
+
 import { TestController, TestRunRequest, tests, workspace } from 'vscode';
 import { JUnitRunner } from '../../src/runners/junitRunner/JunitRunner';
 import { resolveLaunchConfigurationForRunner } from '../../src/utils/launchUtils';
@@ -70,4 +71,40 @@ suite('JUnit Runner Analyzer Tests', () => {
         assert.strictEqual(configuration.classPaths[1], "/foo/bar.jar");
         assert.strictEqual(configuration.javaExec, "/usr/bin/java");
     });
+
+    test("test launch encoding", async() => {
+        const testItem = generateTestItem(testController, 'junit@junit4.TestEncoding#latin1IsSet', TestKind.JUnit, undefined, '=junit/src\\/test\\/java=/optional=/true=/=/maven.pomderived=/true=/=/test=/true=/<junit4{TestAnnotation.java[TestEncoding~latin1IsSet');
+        const testRunRequest = new TestRunRequest([testItem], []);
+        const testRun = testController.createTestRun(testRunRequest);
+        const runnerContext: IRunTestContext = {
+            isDebug: false,
+            kind: TestKind.JUnit,
+            projectName: 'junit',
+            testItems: [testItem],
+            testRun: testRun,
+            workspaceFolder: workspace.workspaceFolders?.[0]!,
+        };
+        const junitRunner =  new JUnitRunner(runnerContext);
+        const configuration = await resolveLaunchConfigurationForRunner(junitRunner, runnerContext, {
+            classPaths: [
+                "/a/b/c.jar",
+                "/foo/bar.jar"
+            ],
+            env: {
+                test: "test",
+            },
+            envFile: "${workspaceFolder}/.env",
+            encoding: "ISO-8859-1",
+            javaExec: "/usr/bin/java",
+            modulePaths: [
+                "/test/module.jar",
+            ],
+            postDebugTask: "test",
+            preLaunchTask: "test",
+            sourcePaths: [
+                "/a/b/c.jar"
+            ]
+        });
+        assert.strictEqual(configuration.encoding, "ISO-8859-1");
+    });
 });
diff --git a/test/test-projects/junit/src/test/java/junit4/TestEncoding.java b/test/test-projects/junit/src/test/java/junit4/TestEncoding.java
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..05f4381d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/test-projects/junit/src/test/java/junit4/TestEncoding.java
@@ -0,0 +1,20 @@
+package junit4;
+
+import org.junit.Test;
+
+import static org.junit.Assert.assertEquals;
+
+import java.nio.charset.Charset;
+
+/**
+ * The test case in this class will fail unless you set `java.test.config : encoding` to ISO-8859-1
+ */
+public class TestEncoding {
+  @Test
+  public void latin1IsSet() {
+    assertEquals(
+      "ISO-8859-1",
+      Charset.defaultCharset().name()
+    );
+  }
+}