diff --git a/src/Microsoft.Data.SqlClient/src/Microsoft/Data/SqlClient/LocalAppContextSwitches.cs b/src/Microsoft.Data.SqlClient/src/Microsoft/Data/SqlClient/LocalAppContextSwitches.cs
index 3872b215ae..ed2c4aedf7 100644
--- a/src/Microsoft.Data.SqlClient/src/Microsoft/Data/SqlClient/LocalAppContextSwitches.cs
+++ b/src/Microsoft.Data.SqlClient/src/Microsoft/Data/SqlClient/LocalAppContextSwitches.cs
@@ -8,15 +8,23 @@ namespace Microsoft.Data.SqlClient
 {
     internal static partial class LocalAppContextSwitches
     {
+        private enum Tristate : byte
+        {
+            NotInitialized = 0,
+            False = 1,
+            True = 2
+        }
+
         internal const string MakeReadAsyncBlockingString = @"Switch.Microsoft.Data.SqlClient.MakeReadAsyncBlocking";
         internal const string LegacyRowVersionNullString = @"Switch.Microsoft.Data.SqlClient.LegacyRowVersionNullBehavior";
         internal const string SuppressInsecureTLSWarningString = @"Switch.Microsoft.Data.SqlClient.SuppressInsecureTLSWarning";
         internal const string UseMinimumLoginTimeoutString = @"Switch.Microsoft.Data.SqlClient.UseOneSecFloorInTimeoutCalculationDuringLogin";
 
-        private static bool? s_legacyRowVersionNullBehavior;
-        private static bool? s_suppressInsecureTLSWarning;
-        private static bool s_makeReadAsyncBlocking;
-        private static bool s_useMinimumLoginTimeout;
+        // this field is accessed through reflection in tests and should not be renamed or have the type changed without refactoring NullRow related tests
+        private static Tristate s_legacyRowVersionNullBehavior;
+        private static Tristate s_suppressInsecureTLSWarning;
+        private static Tristate s_makeReadAsyncBlocking;
+        private static Tristate s_useMinimumLoginTimeout;
 
 #if !NETFRAMEWORK
         static LocalAppContextSwitches()
@@ -36,7 +44,7 @@ static LocalAppContextSwitches()
 
 #if NETFRAMEWORK
         internal const string DisableTNIRByDefaultString = @"Switch.Microsoft.Data.SqlClient.DisableTNIRByDefaultInConnectionString";
-        private static bool s_disableTNIRByDefault;
+        private static Tristate s_disableTNIRByDefault;
 
         /// <summary>
         /// Transparent Network IP Resolution (TNIR) is a revision of the existing MultiSubnetFailover feature.
@@ -54,7 +62,23 @@ static LocalAppContextSwitches()
         /// This app context switch defaults to 'false'.
         /// </summary>
         public static bool DisableTNIRByDefault
-            => AppContext.TryGetSwitch(DisableTNIRByDefaultString, out s_disableTNIRByDefault) && s_disableTNIRByDefault;
+        {
+            get
+            {
+                if (s_disableTNIRByDefault == Tristate.NotInitialized)
+                {
+                    if (AppContext.TryGetSwitch(DisableTNIRByDefaultString, out bool returnedValue) && returnedValue)
+                    {
+                        s_disableTNIRByDefault = Tristate.True;
+                    }
+                    else
+                    {
+                        s_disableTNIRByDefault = Tristate.False;
+                    }
+                }
+                return s_disableTNIRByDefault == Tristate.True;
+            }
+        }
 #endif
 
         /// <summary>
@@ -66,13 +90,18 @@ public static bool SuppressInsecureTLSWarning
         {
             get
             {
-                if (s_suppressInsecureTLSWarning is null)
+                if (s_suppressInsecureTLSWarning == Tristate.NotInitialized)
                 {
-                    bool result;
-                    result = AppContext.TryGetSwitch(SuppressInsecureTLSWarningString, out result) && result;
-                    s_suppressInsecureTLSWarning = result;
+                    if (AppContext.TryGetSwitch(SuppressInsecureTLSWarningString, out bool returnedValue) && returnedValue)
+                    {
+                        s_suppressInsecureTLSWarning = Tristate.True;
+                    }
+                    else
+                    {
+                        s_suppressInsecureTLSWarning = Tristate.False;
+                    }
                 }
-                return s_suppressInsecureTLSWarning.Value;
+                return s_suppressInsecureTLSWarning == Tristate.True;
             }
         }
 
@@ -86,13 +115,18 @@ public static bool LegacyRowVersionNullBehavior
         {
             get
             {
-                if (s_legacyRowVersionNullBehavior is null)
+                if (s_legacyRowVersionNullBehavior == Tristate.NotInitialized)
                 {
-                    bool result;
-                    result = AppContext.TryGetSwitch(LegacyRowVersionNullString, out result) && result;
-                    s_legacyRowVersionNullBehavior = result;
+                    if (AppContext.TryGetSwitch(LegacyRowVersionNullString, out bool returnedValue) && returnedValue)
+                    {
+                        s_legacyRowVersionNullBehavior = Tristate.True;
+                    }
+                    else
+                    {
+                        s_legacyRowVersionNullBehavior = Tristate.False;
+                    }
                 }
-                return s_legacyRowVersionNullBehavior.Value;
+                return s_legacyRowVersionNullBehavior == Tristate.True;
             }
         }
 
@@ -101,7 +135,23 @@ public static bool LegacyRowVersionNullBehavior
         /// This app context switch defaults to 'false'.
         /// </summary>
         public static bool MakeReadAsyncBlocking
-            => AppContext.TryGetSwitch(MakeReadAsyncBlockingString, out s_makeReadAsyncBlocking) && s_makeReadAsyncBlocking;
+        {
+            get
+            {
+                if (s_makeReadAsyncBlocking == Tristate.NotInitialized)
+                {
+                    if (AppContext.TryGetSwitch(MakeReadAsyncBlockingString, out bool returnedValue) && returnedValue)
+                    {
+                        s_makeReadAsyncBlocking = Tristate.True;
+                    }
+                    else
+                    {
+                        s_makeReadAsyncBlocking = Tristate.False;
+                    }
+                }
+                return s_makeReadAsyncBlocking == Tristate.True;
+            }
+        }
 
         /// <summary>
         /// Specifies minimum login timeout to be set to 1 second instead of 0 seconds,
@@ -109,6 +159,22 @@ public static bool MakeReadAsyncBlocking
         /// This app context switch defaults to 'true'.
         /// </summary>
         public static bool UseMinimumLoginTimeout
-            => !AppContext.TryGetSwitch(UseMinimumLoginTimeoutString, out s_useMinimumLoginTimeout) || s_useMinimumLoginTimeout;
+        {
+            get
+            {
+                if (s_useMinimumLoginTimeout == Tristate.NotInitialized)
+                {
+                    if (AppContext.TryGetSwitch(UseMinimumLoginTimeoutString, out bool returnedValue) && returnedValue)
+                    {
+                        s_useMinimumLoginTimeout = Tristate.True;
+                    }
+                    else
+                    {
+                        s_useMinimumLoginTimeout = Tristate.False;
+                    }
+                }
+                return s_useMinimumLoginTimeout == Tristate.True;
+            }
+        }
     }
 }
diff --git a/src/Microsoft.Data.SqlClient/tests/ManualTests/SQL/DataReaderTest/DataReaderTest.cs b/src/Microsoft.Data.SqlClient/tests/ManualTests/SQL/DataReaderTest/DataReaderTest.cs
index 6929d35ee7..d00ea1d226 100644
--- a/src/Microsoft.Data.SqlClient/tests/ManualTests/SQL/DataReaderTest/DataReaderTest.cs
+++ b/src/Microsoft.Data.SqlClient/tests/ManualTests/SQL/DataReaderTest/DataReaderTest.cs
@@ -17,6 +17,14 @@ public static class DataReaderTest
     {
         private static readonly object s_rowVersionLock = new();
 
+        // this enum must mirror the definition in LocalAppContextSwitches
+        private enum Tristate : byte
+        {
+            NotInitialized = 0,
+            False = 1,
+            True = 2
+        }
+
         [ConditionalFact(typeof(DataTestUtility), nameof(DataTestUtility.AreConnStringsSetup))]
         public static void LoadReaderIntoDataTableToTestGetSchemaTable()
         {
@@ -261,7 +269,7 @@ public static void CheckNullRowVersionIsBDNull()
         {
             lock (s_rowVersionLock)
             {
-                bool? originalValue = SetLegacyRowVersionNullBehavior(false);
+                Tristate originalValue = SetLegacyRowVersionNullBehavior(Tristate.False);
                 try
                 {
                     using SqlConnection con = new(DataTestUtility.TCPConnectionString);
@@ -298,7 +306,7 @@ public static void CheckLegacyNullRowVersionIsEmptyArray()
         {
             lock (s_rowVersionLock)
             {
-                bool? originalValue = SetLegacyRowVersionNullBehavior(true);
+                Tristate originalValue = SetLegacyRowVersionNullBehavior(Tristate.True);
                 try
                 {
                     using SqlConnection con = new(DataTestUtility.TCPConnectionString);
@@ -323,11 +331,11 @@ public static void CheckLegacyNullRowVersionIsEmptyArray()
             }
         }
 
-        private static bool? SetLegacyRowVersionNullBehavior(bool? value)
+        private static Tristate SetLegacyRowVersionNullBehavior(Tristate value)
         {
             Type switchesType = typeof(SqlCommand).Assembly.GetType("Microsoft.Data.SqlClient.LocalAppContextSwitches");
             FieldInfo switchField = switchesType.GetField("s_legacyRowVersionNullBehavior", System.Reflection.BindingFlags.NonPublic | System.Reflection.BindingFlags.Static);
-            bool? originalValue = (bool?)switchField.GetValue(null);
+            Tristate originalValue = (Tristate)switchField.GetValue(null);
             switchField.SetValue(null, value);
             return originalValue;
         }