---
title: "JMeter 5.6.1 Release Notes"
description: "Apache JMeter 5.6.1 release notes with 2 improvements and 2 bug fixes, plus upgrade notes from the official changelog."
url: https://docs.jmeter.ai/releases/5-6-1/
lastUpdated: 2026-10-01
source: docs.jmeter.ai
---

# JMeter 5.6.1 Release Notes

> **About these release notes**
> This page lists every documented change shipped in Apache JMeter 5.6.1, generated from the official changelog. For download and upgrade guidance, see [Download JMeter](/reference/download-jmeter/).

> **Highlights**
> - **UTF-8 became the default encoding** in the HTTP sampler, enabling parameter names and file names with unicode characters.
> - The **HTTP(S) Test Script Recorder uses UTF-8 by default**, inferring human-readable arguments rather than percent-encoded ones.
> - The default value of `sampleresult.default.encoding` changed to UTF-8 (inheriting the default HTTP encoding).
> - Regression fixes since 5.6: Thread Groups no longer run endlessly in non-GUI mode, and the Java Request sampler can be re-enabled after being disabled in the UI.

## Change summary

| Section | Changes |
| --- | --- |
| Improvements | 2 |
| Bug fixes | 2 |
| Non-functional changes | 8 |

## New and Noteworthy

## Improvements

#### HTTP Samplers and Test Script Recorder

- [PR#6010](https://github.com/apache/jmeter/pull/6010)Use UTF-8 as a default encoding in HTTP sampler. It enables sending parameter names, and filenames with unicode characters
- [PR#6010](https://github.com/apache/jmeter/pull/6010)Test Recorder will use UTF-8 encoding by default, so it will infer human-readable arguments rather than percent-encoded ones

## Bug fixes

#### Thread Groups

- [PR#6011](https://github.com/apache/jmeter/pull/6011)Regression since 5.6: ThreadGroups are running endlessly in non-gui mode: use default value     for LoopController.continue_forever rather than initializing it in the constructor

#### Other Samplers

- [PR#6012](https://github.com/apache/jmeter/pull/6012) Java Request sampler cannot be enabled again after disabling in UI (regression since 5.6)

## Non-functional changes

- [PR#6000](https://github.com/apache/jmeter/pull/6000)Add release-drafter for populating GitHub releases info based on the merged PRs
- [PR#5989](https://github.com/apache/jmeter/pull/5989)Use Gradle toolchains for JDK provisioning, enable building and testing with different JDKs, start testing with Java 21
- [PR#5991](https://github.com/apache/jmeter/pull/5991)Update jackson-core, jackson-databind, jackson-annotations to 2.15.2 (from 2.15.1)
- [PR#5993](https://github.com/apache/jmeter/pull/5993)Update ph-commons to 10.2.5 (from 10.2.4)
- [PR#6017](https://github.com/apache/jmeter/pull/6017)Update kotlin-stdlib to 1.8.22 (from 1.8.21)
- [PR#6020](https://github.com/apache/jmeter/pull/6020)Update error_prone_annotations to 2.20.0 (from 2.19.1)
- [PR#6023](https://github.com/apache/jmeter/pull/6023)Update checker-qual to 3.35.0 (from 3.34.0)

#### Other Samplers

- [PR#6028](https://github.com/apache/jmeter/pull/6028) Change default value for `sampleresult.default.encoding` to UTF-8 (it inherits default HTTP encoding which was modified in [PR#6010](https://github.com/apache/jmeter/pull/6010))

## Thanks

We thank all contributors mentioned in bug and improvement sections above:

- Alex Schwartz, [@alexsch01](https://github.com/alexsch01)

We also thank bug reporters who helped us improve JMeter.

- David Getzlaff, [@dgetzlaf](https://github.com/dgetzlaf)
- LeeBaul, [@libaolu](https://github.com/libaolu)

Apologies if we have omitted anyone else.

## Useful links

- [Download JMeter](/reference/download-jmeter/)
- [Getting started guide](/getting-started/get-started/)
- [All release notes](/releases/)
- [Current changes page](/user-manual/changes/)
- [History of previous changes](/user-manual/changes-history/)