diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 2e80d88d8..f04b82a7b 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ This is similar to 'Cluster Awareness' but uses those servers which are part of
 
 ### Connection Properties added for load balancing
 
-- _load-balance_ - Starting with version 42.3.5-yb-7, it expects one of **false, any (same as true), only-primary, only-rr, prefer-primary and prefer-rr** as its possible values. In `YBClusterAwareDataSource` load balancing is `true` by default. However, when using the `DriverManager.getConnection()` API the 'load-balance' property is considered to be `false` by default.
+- _load-balance_ - Starting with version 42.3.5-yb-8, it expects one of **false, any (same as true), only-primary, only-rr, prefer-primary and prefer-rr** as its possible values. In `YBClusterAwareDataSource` load balancing is `true` by default. However, when using the `DriverManager.getConnection()` API the 'load-balance' property is considered to be `false` by default.
   - _false_ - No connection load balancing. Behaviour is similar to vanilla PGJDBC driver
   - _any_ - Same as value _true_. Distribute connections equally across all nodes in the cluster, irrespective of its type (`primary` or `read-replica`)
   - _only-primary_ - Create connections equally across only the primary nodes of the cluster
diff --git a/examples/pom.xml b/examples/pom.xml
index c1f8e2c8f..53fb708f4 100644
--- a/examples/pom.xml
+++ b/examples/pom.xml
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@
     <dependency>
       <groupId>com.yugabyte</groupId>
       <artifactId>jdbc-yugabytedb</artifactId>
-      <version>42.3.5-yb-7</version>
+      <version>42.3.5-yb-8</version>
     </dependency>
 
     <!-- https://mvnrepository.com/artifact/com.zaxxer/HikariCP -->
diff --git a/gradle.properties b/gradle.properties
index 2c93e3129..6bc6c9938 100644
--- a/gradle.properties
+++ b/gradle.properties
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ kotlin.parallel.tasks.in.project=true
 # This is version for PgJdbc itself
 # Note: it should not include "-SNAPSHOT" as it is automatically added by build.gradle.kts
 # Release version can be generated by using -Prelease or -Prc=<int> arguments
-pgjdbc.version=42.3.5-yb-7
+pgjdbc.version=42.3.5-yb-8
 
 # The options below configures the use of local clone (e.g. testing development versions)
 # You can pass un-comment it, or pass option -PlocalReleasePlugins, or -PlocalReleasePlugins=<path>
diff --git a/pgjdbc/src/main/java/com/yugabyte/ysql/ClusterAwareLoadBalancer.java b/pgjdbc/src/main/java/com/yugabyte/ysql/ClusterAwareLoadBalancer.java
index eeaa6e4de..b0872a06c 100644
--- a/pgjdbc/src/main/java/com/yugabyte/ysql/ClusterAwareLoadBalancer.java
+++ b/pgjdbc/src/main/java/com/yugabyte/ysql/ClusterAwareLoadBalancer.java
@@ -37,7 +37,11 @@ public int getRefreshListSeconds() {
   protected int refreshListSeconds = LoadBalanceProperties.DEFAULT_REFRESH_INTERVAL;
 
   public ClusterAwareLoadBalancer(LoadBalanceService.LoadBalanceType lb, int refreshInterval) {
-    this.loadBalance = lb;
+    if (lb != null) {
+      this.loadBalance = lb;
+    } else {
+      this.loadBalance = LoadBalanceType.FALSE;
+    }
     this.refreshListSeconds = refreshInterval;
   }
 
diff --git a/pgjdbc/src/main/java/com/yugabyte/ysql/LoadBalanceProperties.java b/pgjdbc/src/main/java/com/yugabyte/ysql/LoadBalanceProperties.java
index f3d19a829..7b609eb1e 100644
--- a/pgjdbc/src/main/java/com/yugabyte/ysql/LoadBalanceProperties.java
+++ b/pgjdbc/src/main/java/com/yugabyte/ysql/LoadBalanceProperties.java
@@ -65,7 +65,7 @@ public class LoadBalanceProperties {
       new ConcurrentHashMap<>();
   private final String originalUrl;
   private final Properties originalProperties;
-  private LoadBalanceService.LoadBalanceType loadBalance;
+  private LoadBalanceService.LoadBalanceType loadBalance = LoadBalanceService.LoadBalanceType.FALSE;
   private final String ybURL;
   private String placements = null;
   private int refreshInterval = -1;
diff --git a/pgjdbc/src/main/java/com/yugabyte/ysql/TopologyAwareLoadBalancer.java b/pgjdbc/src/main/java/com/yugabyte/ysql/TopologyAwareLoadBalancer.java
index 598887c79..adf5654f8 100644
--- a/pgjdbc/src/main/java/com/yugabyte/ysql/TopologyAwareLoadBalancer.java
+++ b/pgjdbc/src/main/java/com/yugabyte/ysql/TopologyAwareLoadBalancer.java
@@ -57,7 +57,11 @@ public class TopologyAwareLoadBalancer implements LoadBalancer {
   private byte requestFlags;
 
   public TopologyAwareLoadBalancer(LoadBalanceType lb, String placementValues, boolean onlyExplicitFallback) {
-    loadBalance = lb;
+    if (lb != null) {
+      loadBalance = lb;
+    } else {
+      loadBalance = LoadBalanceType.FALSE;
+    }
     placements = placementValues;
     explicitFallbackOnly = onlyExplicitFallback;
     refreshIntervalSeconds = Integer.getInteger(REFRESH_INTERVAL_KEY, DEFAULT_REFRESH_INTERVAL);