diff --git a/pkg/yqlib/decoder_test.go b/pkg/yqlib/decoder_test.go
index f7fddd81..462eb4d1 100644
--- a/pkg/yqlib/decoder_test.go
+++ b/pkg/yqlib/decoder_test.go
@@ -15,8 +15,6 @@ type formatScenario struct {
 	subdescription string
 	skipDoc        bool
 	scenarioType   string
-	decoder        Decoder
-	encoder        Encoder
 }
 
 func processFormatScenario(s formatScenario, decoder Decoder, encoder Encoder) string {
diff --git a/pkg/yqlib/doc/usage/properties.md b/pkg/yqlib/doc/usage/properties.md
index f69d6892..97d05760 100644
--- a/pkg/yqlib/doc/usage/properties.md
+++ b/pkg/yqlib/doc/usage/properties.md
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ Given a sample.yml file of:
 ```yaml
 # block comments don't come through
 person: # neither do comments on maps
-    name: Mike Wazowski # comments on values appear
+    name: Mike # comments on values appear
     pets: 
     - cat # comments on array values appear
     food: [pizza] # comments on arrays do not
@@ -32,36 +32,7 @@ yq -o=props sample.yml
 will output
 ```properties
 # comments on values appear
-person.name = Mike Wazowski
-
-# comments on array values appear
-person.pets.0 = cat
-person.food.0 = pizza
-```
-
-## Encode properties: scalar encapsulation
-Note that string values with blank characters in them are encapsulated with double quotes
-
-Given a sample.yml file of:
-```yaml
-# block comments don't come through
-person: # neither do comments on maps
-    name: Mike Wazowski # comments on values appear
-    pets: 
-    - cat # comments on array values appear
-    food: [pizza] # comments on arrays do not
-emptyArray: []
-emptyMap: []
-
-```
-then
-```bash
-yq -o=props sample.yml
-```
-will output
-```properties
-# comments on values appear
-person.name = "Mike Wazowski"
+person.name = Mike
 
 # comments on array values appear
 person.pets.0 = cat
@@ -73,7 +44,7 @@ Given a sample.yml file of:
 ```yaml
 # block comments don't come through
 person: # neither do comments on maps
-    name: Mike Wazowski # comments on values appear
+    name: Mike # comments on values appear
     pets: 
     - cat # comments on array values appear
     food: [pizza] # comments on arrays do not
@@ -87,7 +58,7 @@ yq -o=props '... comments = ""' sample.yml
 ```
 will output
 ```properties
-person.name = Mike Wazowski
+person.name = Mike
 person.pets.0 = cat
 person.food.0 = pizza
 ```
@@ -99,7 +70,7 @@ Given a sample.yml file of:
 ```yaml
 # block comments don't come through
 person: # neither do comments on maps
-    name: Mike Wazowski # comments on values appear
+    name: Mike # comments on values appear
     pets: 
     - cat # comments on array values appear
     food: [pizza] # comments on arrays do not
@@ -114,7 +85,7 @@ yq -o=props '(.. | select( (tag == "!!map" or tag =="!!seq") and length == 0)) =
 will output
 ```properties
 # comments on values appear
-person.name = Mike Wazowski
+person.name = Mike
 
 # comments on array values appear
 person.pets.0 = cat
@@ -127,7 +98,7 @@ emptyMap =
 Given a sample.properties file of:
 ```properties
 # comments on values appear
-person.name = Mike Wazowski
+person.name = Mike
 
 # comments on array values appear
 person.pets.0 = cat
@@ -141,18 +112,18 @@ yq -p=props sample.properties
 will output
 ```yaml
 person:
-  name: Mike Wazowski # comments on values appear
-  pets:
-    - cat # comments on array values appear
-  food:
-    - pizza
+    name: Mike # comments on values appear
+    pets:
+        - cat # comments on array values appear
+    food:
+        - pizza
 ```
 
 ## Roundtrip
 Given a sample.properties file of:
 ```properties
 # comments on values appear
-person.name = Mike Wazowski
+person.name = Mike
 
 # comments on array values appear
 person.pets.0 = cat
@@ -166,7 +137,7 @@ yq -p=props -o=props '.person.pets.0 = "dog"' sample.properties
 will output
 ```properties
 # comments on values appear
-person.name = Mike Wazowski
+person.name = Mike
 
 # comments on array values appear
 person.pets.0 = dog
diff --git a/pkg/yqlib/properties_test.go b/pkg/yqlib/properties_test.go
index fc8e367a..1694c1ee 100644
--- a/pkg/yqlib/properties_test.go
+++ b/pkg/yqlib/properties_test.go
@@ -8,9 +8,9 @@ import (
 	"github.com/mikefarah/yq/v4/test"
 )
 
-const samplePropertiesYaml = `# block comments don't come through
+var samplePropertiesYaml = `# block comments don't come through
 person: # neither do comments on maps
-    name: Mike Wazowski # comments on values appear
+    name: Mike # comments on values appear
     pets: 
     - cat # comments on array values appear
     food: [pizza] # comments on arrays do not
@@ -18,45 +18,37 @@ emptyArray: []
 emptyMap: []
 `
 
-const expectedPropertiesUnwrapped = `# comments on values appear
-person.name = Mike Wazowski
+var expectedProperties = `# comments on values appear
+person.name = Mike
 
 # comments on array values appear
 person.pets.0 = cat
 person.food.0 = pizza
 `
 
-const expectedPropertiesWrapped = `# comments on values appear
-person.name = "Mike Wazowski"
-
-# comments on array values appear
-person.pets.0 = cat
-person.food.0 = pizza
-`
-
-const expectedUpdatedProperties = `# comments on values appear
-person.name = Mike Wazowski
+var expectedUpdatedProperties = `# comments on values appear
+person.name = Mike
 
 # comments on array values appear
 person.pets.0 = dog
 person.food.0 = pizza
 `
 
-const expectedDecodedYaml = `person:
-  name: Mike Wazowski # comments on values appear
+var expectedDecodedYaml = `person:
+  name: Mike # comments on values appear
   pets:
     - cat # comments on array values appear
   food:
     - pizza
 `
 
-const expectedPropertiesNoComments = `person.name = Mike Wazowski
+var expectedPropertiesNoComments = `person.name = Mike
 person.pets.0 = cat
 person.food.0 = pizza
 `
 
-const expectedPropertiesWithEmptyMapsAndArrays = `# comments on values appear
-person.name = Mike Wazowski
+var expectedPropertiesWithEmptyMapsAndArrays = `# comments on values appear
+person.name = Mike
 
 # comments on array values appear
 person.pets.0 = cat
@@ -70,25 +62,13 @@ var propertyScenarios = []formatScenario{
 		description:    "Encode properties",
 		subdescription: "Note that empty arrays and maps are not encoded by default.",
 		input:          samplePropertiesYaml,
-		expected:       expectedPropertiesUnwrapped,
-		encoder:        NewPropertiesEncoder(true),
-		decoder:        NewYamlDecoder(),
-	},
-	{
-		description:    "Encode properties: scalar encapsulation",
-		subdescription: "Note that string values with blank characters in them are encapsulated with double quotes",
-		input:          samplePropertiesYaml,
-		expected:       expectedPropertiesWrapped,
-		decoder:        NewYamlDecoder(),
-		encoder:        NewPropertiesEncoder(false),
+		expected:       expectedProperties,
 	},
 	{
 		description: "Encode properties: no comments",
 		input:       samplePropertiesYaml,
 		expected:    expectedPropertiesNoComments,
 		expression:  `... comments = ""`,
-		decoder:     NewYamlDecoder(),
-		encoder:     NewPropertiesEncoder(true),
 	},
 	{
 		description:    "Encode properties: include empty maps and arrays",
@@ -96,16 +76,12 @@ var propertyScenarios = []formatScenario{
 		expression:     `(.. | select( (tag == "!!map" or tag =="!!seq") and length == 0)) = ""`,
 		input:          samplePropertiesYaml,
 		expected:       expectedPropertiesWithEmptyMapsAndArrays,
-		decoder:        NewYamlDecoder(),
-		encoder:        NewPropertiesEncoder(true),
 	},
 	{
 		description:  "Decode properties",
-		input:        expectedPropertiesUnwrapped,
+		input:        expectedProperties,
 		expected:     expectedDecodedYaml,
 		scenarioType: "decode",
-		decoder:      NewPropertiesDecoder(),
-		encoder:      NewYamlEncoder(2, false, true, true),
 	},
 	{
 		description:  "does not expand automatically",
@@ -113,17 +89,13 @@ var propertyScenarios = []formatScenario{
 		input:        "mike = ${dontExpand} this",
 		expected:     "mike: ${dontExpand} this\n",
 		scenarioType: "decode",
-		decoder:      NewPropertiesDecoder(),
-		encoder:      NewYamlEncoder(2, false, true, true),
 	},
 	{
 		description:  "Roundtrip",
-		input:        expectedPropertiesUnwrapped,
+		input:        expectedProperties,
 		expression:   `.person.pets.0 = "dog"`,
 		expected:     expectedUpdatedProperties,
 		scenarioType: "roundtrip",
-		decoder:      NewPropertiesDecoder(),
-		encoder:      NewPropertiesEncoder(true),
 	},
 	{
 		description:  "Empty doc",
@@ -131,8 +103,6 @@ var propertyScenarios = []formatScenario{
 		input:        "",
 		expected:     "",
 		scenarioType: "decode",
-		decoder:      NewPropertiesDecoder(),
-		encoder:      NewYamlEncoder(2, false, true, true),
 	},
 }
 
@@ -158,7 +128,7 @@ func documentEncodePropertyScenario(w *bufio.Writer, s formatScenario) {
 	}
 	writeOrPanic(w, "will output\n")
 
-	writeOrPanic(w, fmt.Sprintf("```properties\n%v```\n\n", processFormatScenario(s, s.decoder, s.encoder)))
+	writeOrPanic(w, fmt.Sprintf("```properties\n%v```\n\n", processFormatScenario(s, NewYamlDecoder(), NewPropertiesEncoder(true))))
 }
 
 func documentDecodePropertyScenario(w *bufio.Writer, s formatScenario) {
@@ -183,7 +153,7 @@ func documentDecodePropertyScenario(w *bufio.Writer, s formatScenario) {
 
 	writeOrPanic(w, "will output\n")
 
-	writeOrPanic(w, fmt.Sprintf("```yaml\n%v```\n\n", processFormatScenario(s, s.decoder, s.encoder)))
+	writeOrPanic(w, fmt.Sprintf("```yaml\n%v```\n\n", processFormatScenario(s, NewPropertiesDecoder(), NewYamlEncoder(s.indent, false, true, true))))
 }
 
 func documentRoundTripPropertyScenario(w *bufio.Writer, s formatScenario) {
@@ -208,7 +178,7 @@ func documentRoundTripPropertyScenario(w *bufio.Writer, s formatScenario) {
 
 	writeOrPanic(w, "will output\n")
 
-	writeOrPanic(w, fmt.Sprintf("```properties\n%v```\n\n", processFormatScenario(s, s.decoder, s.encoder)))
+	writeOrPanic(w, fmt.Sprintf("```properties\n%v```\n\n", processFormatScenario(s, NewPropertiesDecoder(), NewPropertiesEncoder(true))))
 }
 
 func documentPropertyScenario(t *testing.T, w *bufio.Writer, i interface{}) {
@@ -229,11 +199,11 @@ func documentPropertyScenario(t *testing.T, w *bufio.Writer, i interface{}) {
 func TestPropertyScenarios(t *testing.T) {
 	for _, s := range propertyScenarios {
 		if s.scenarioType == "decode" {
-			test.AssertResultWithContext(t, s.expected, processFormatScenario(s, s.decoder, s.encoder), s.description)
+			test.AssertResultWithContext(t, s.expected, processFormatScenario(s, NewPropertiesDecoder(), NewYamlEncoder(2, false, true, true)), s.description)
 		} else if s.scenarioType == "roundtrip" {
-			test.AssertResultWithContext(t, s.expected, processFormatScenario(s, s.decoder, s.encoder), s.description)
+			test.AssertResultWithContext(t, s.expected, processFormatScenario(s, NewPropertiesDecoder(), NewPropertiesEncoder(true)), s.description)
 		} else {
-			test.AssertResultWithContext(t, s.expected, processFormatScenario(s, s.decoder, s.encoder), s.description)
+			test.AssertResultWithContext(t, s.expected, processFormatScenario(s, NewYamlDecoder(), NewPropertiesEncoder(true)), s.description)
 		}
 	}
 	genericScenarios := make([]interface{}, len(propertyScenarios))