diff --git a/pom.xml b/pom.xml
index ad5cbea..9da4e85 100644
--- a/pom.xml
+++ b/pom.xml
@@ -43,12 +43,12 @@
         <dependency>
             <groupId>org.apache.logging.log4j</groupId>
             <artifactId>log4j-api</artifactId>
-            <version>2.17.0</version>
+            <version>2.23.1</version>
         </dependency>
         <dependency>
             <groupId>org.apache.logging.log4j</groupId>
             <artifactId>log4j-core</artifactId>
-            <version>2.17.0</version>
+            <version>2.23.1</version>
         </dependency>
 
     </dependencies>
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/example/Operations/QueryOperations.java b/src/main/java/org/example/Operations/QueryOperations.java
index 68421ed..451246e 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/example/Operations/QueryOperations.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/example/Operations/QueryOperations.java
@@ -67,18 +67,14 @@ public Response executeSpecificQuery(String token, String name, QueryExecuteSpec
         return new Response(response.statusCode(), response.body());
     }
 
-    public Response addSpecificQuery(String token, String name, String sql) {
+    public Response addSpecificQuery(String token, String name, String sql) throws UnsupportedEncodingException {
         Map<Object, Object> formData = new HashMap<>();
         formData.put("op", "add_specific_query");
         formData.put("name", name);
 
         // need to URL encode the spaces in the query to prevent illegal characters in the query
-        try {
-            String encodedSql = URLEncoder.encode(sql, StandardCharsets.UTF_8.toString());
-            formData.put("sql", encodedSql);
-        } catch (UnsupportedEncodingException e) {
-            e.printStackTrace();
-        }
+        String encodedSql = URLEncoder.encode(sql, StandardCharsets.UTF_8.toString());
+        formData.put("sql", encodedSql);
 
         HttpResponse<String> response = HttpRequestUtil.sendAndParsePOST(formData, baseUrl, token, client.getClient());
         return new Response(response.statusCode(), response.body());
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/example/Util/HttpRequestUtil.java b/src/main/java/org/example/Util/HttpRequestUtil.java
index 64b4f3a..c32a3bd 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/example/Util/HttpRequestUtil.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/example/Util/HttpRequestUtil.java
@@ -39,13 +39,11 @@ public static HttpResponse<String> sendAndParsePOST(Map<Object, Object> formData
                 .build();
 
         // sending request
-        HttpResponse<String> response;
         try {
-            response = client.send(request, HttpResponse.BodyHandlers.ofString());
+            return client.send(request, HttpResponse.BodyHandlers.ofString());
         } catch (IOException | InterruptedException e) {
             throw new RuntimeException(e);
         }
-        return response;
     }
 
     /**
@@ -73,12 +71,10 @@ public static HttpResponse<String>  sendAndParseGET(Map<Object, Object> formData
                 .build();
 
         // sending request
-        HttpResponse<String> response;
         try {
-            response = client.send(request, HttpResponse.BodyHandlers.ofString());
+            return client.send(request, HttpResponse.BodyHandlers.ofString());
         } catch (IOException | InterruptedException e) {
             throw new RuntimeException(e);
         }
-        return response;
     }
 }
diff --git a/src/main/resources/log4j2.xml b/src/main/resources/log4j2.xml
index 51d8286..78f915d 100644
--- a/src/main/resources/log4j2.xml
+++ b/src/main/resources/log4j2.xml
@@ -7,15 +7,10 @@
             <LevelRangeFilter minLevel="ERROR" maxLevel="ERROR" onMatch="ACCEPT" onMismatch="DENY" />
             <PatternLayout pattern="${layout}"/>
         </Console>
-        <File name="LogFile" fileName="app.log">
-            <PatternLayout>
-                <Pattern>%d{yyyy-MM-dd HH:mm:ss} %p %c{1.} [%t] %m%n</Pattern>
-            </PatternLayout>
-        </File>
     </Appenders>
     <Loggers>
         <Root level="debug">
-            <AppenderRef ref="LogFile" />
+            <AppenderRef ref="Console" />
         </Root>
     </Loggers>
 </Configuration>
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/test/java/org/example/Operations/QueryOperationsTest.java b/src/test/java/org/example/Operations/QueryOperationsTest.java
index 9e547a4..37077cf 100644
--- a/src/test/java/org/example/Operations/QueryOperationsTest.java
+++ b/src/test/java/org/example/Operations/QueryOperationsTest.java
@@ -11,7 +11,6 @@
 import org.example.Wrapper;
 import org.junit.Before;
 import org.junit.Test;
-import java.util.Optional;
 
 import static org.junit.Assert.assertEquals;
 import static org.junit.Assert.assertTrue;
@@ -24,9 +23,6 @@ public class QueryOperationsTest {
     private Wrapper alice;
     private String aliceToken;
 
-    private Wrapper bob;
-    private String bobToken;
-
     private String host;
     private final ObjectMapper mapper = new ObjectMapper();
     private static final Logger logger = LogManager.getLogger(QueryOperationsTest.class);
@@ -88,7 +84,7 @@ public void testAddingAndRemovingSpecificQueries() {
         String sql = "select token_id from R_TOKN_MAIN where token_name = 'rodsgroup'";
 
         // Show that rodsusers are NOT allowed to add specific queries.
-        res = rods.queryOperations().addSpecificQuery(aliceToken, specificQueryName, sql);
+        res = assertDoesNotThrow(() -> rods.queryOperations().addSpecificQuery(aliceToken, specificQueryName, sql));
         logger.debug(res.getBody());
         assertEquals("Adding specific query request failed", 200, res.getHttpStatusCode());
         // ierror code of -13000: SYS_NO_API_PRIV
@@ -97,7 +93,7 @@ public void testAddingAndRemovingSpecificQueries() {
 
         try {
             // Show that only rodsadmin are allowed to add specific queries.
-            res = rods.queryOperations().addSpecificQuery(rodsToken, specificQueryName, sql);
+            res = assertDoesNotThrow(() -> rods.queryOperations().addSpecificQuery(rodsToken, specificQueryName, sql));
             logger.debug(res.getBody());
             assertEquals("Adding specific query request failed", 200, res.getHttpStatusCode());
             assertEquals("Adding specific query failed",0,