diff --git a/.github/workflows/test-symmetry.yml b/.github/workflows/test-symmetry.yml
index 91bc5a8..f607fdd 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/test-symmetry.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/test-symmetry.yml
@@ -46,6 +46,7 @@ jobs:
           command: |
             addpath(genpath("src"));
             addpath(genpath("tests"));
+            addpath(genpath("tests_symmetry"));
             import matlab.unittest.TestRunner;
             import matlab.unittest.TestSuite;
             import matlab.unittest.plugins.DiagnosticsOutputPlugin;
@@ -61,6 +62,7 @@ jobs:
           command: |
             addpath(genpath("src"));
             addpath(genpath("tests"));
+            addpath(genpath("tests_symmetry"));
             import matlab.unittest.TestRunner;
             import matlab.unittest.TestSuite;
             runner = TestRunner.withTextOutput;
diff --git a/src/did/+did/+file/binaryTable.m b/src/did/+did/+file/binaryTable.m
index dafc7fe..e2b5abb 100644
--- a/src/did/+did/+file/binaryTable.m
+++ b/src/did/+did/+file/binaryTable.m
@@ -79,7 +79,7 @@
             %
             [lockfid,key] = binaryTableObj.getLock();
             binaryTableObj.file.fclose();
-            binaryTableObj.file = binaryTableObj.file.setproperties('permission','r');
+            binaryTableObj.file = binaryTableObj.file.setproperties('permission','rb');
             binaryTableObj.file.fopen();
             headerData = uint8(fread(binaryTableObj.file,binaryTableObj.headerSize,'uint8'));
             binaryTableObj.file.fclose();
@@ -210,7 +210,7 @@ function releaseLock(binaryTableObj, lockfid, key)
 
             % obtain the lock so the file can't change while we read it
             [lockfid,key] = binaryTableObj.getLock();
-            binaryTableObj.file = binaryTableObj.file.setproperties('permission','r');
+            binaryTableObj.file = binaryTableObj.file.setproperties('permission','rb');
             binaryTableObj.file.fopen();
 
             [r,~] = binaryTableObj.getSize();
@@ -279,7 +279,7 @@ function insertRow(binaryTableObj, insertAfter, dataCell)
                 end
                 binaryTableObj.file.fclose();
             else % copy over everything to temp file before inserting and moving back
-                binaryTableObj.file = binaryTableObj.file.setproperties('permission','r');
+                binaryTableObj.file = binaryTableObj.file.setproperties('permission','rb');
                 binaryTableObj.file.fopen();
                 beforeBytes = binaryTableObj.headerSize + insertAfter * binaryTableObj.rowSize();
                 totalBytes = (binaryTableObj.headerSize + r * binaryTableObj.rowSize());
@@ -340,7 +340,7 @@ function deleteRow(binaryTableObj, row)
 
             [lockfid,key] = binaryTableObj.getLock();
             binaryTableObj.file.fclose();
-            binaryTableObj.file = binaryTableObj.file.setproperties('permission','r');
+            binaryTableObj.file = binaryTableObj.file.setproperties('permission','rb');
             binaryTableObj.file.fopen();
             beforeBytes = binaryTableObj.headerSize + (row-1) * binaryTableObj.rowSize();
             totalBytes = (binaryTableObj.headerSize + r * binaryTableObj.rowSize());
@@ -426,7 +426,7 @@ function writeTable(binaryTableObj, data)
             %
             [lockfid,key] = binaryTableObj.getLock();
             binaryTableObj.file.fclose();
-            binaryTableObj.file = binaryTableObj.file.setproperties('permission','r');
+            binaryTableObj.file = binaryTableObj.file.setproperties('permission','rb');
             binaryTableObj.file.fopen();
             fid = fopen(binaryTableObj.tempFileName(),'w');
 
@@ -486,7 +486,7 @@ function writeTable(binaryTableObj, data)
             if ~option.isRecurrent
                 [lockfid,key] = binaryTableObj.getLock();
                 binaryTableObj.file.fclose();
-                binaryTableObj.file = binaryTableObj.file.setproperties('permission','r');
+                binaryTableObj.file = binaryTableObj.file.setproperties('permission','rb');
                 binaryTableObj.file.fopen();
             end
 
diff --git a/src/did/+did/+implementations/binarydoc_matfid.m b/src/did/+did/+implementations/binarydoc_matfid.m
index b1a0d47..50ac2c6 100644
--- a/src/did/+did/+implementations/binarydoc_matfid.m
+++ b/src/did/+did/+implementations/binarydoc_matfid.m
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@
 
             arguments
                 fileProps.machineformat (1,1) string {did.file.mustBeValidMachineFormat} = 'l'; % native machine format
-                fileProps.permission (1,1) string {did.file.mustBeValidPermission} = "r"
+                fileProps.permission (1,1) string {did.file.mustBeValidPermission} = "rb"
                 fileProps.fid (1,1) int64 = -1
                 fileProps.fullpathfilename = '';
                 matfidProps.key = ''
diff --git a/tests/+did/+symmetry/+makeArtifacts/+database/buildDatabase.m b/tests_symmetry/+did/+symmetry/+makeArtifacts/+database/buildDatabase.m
similarity index 100%
rename from tests/+did/+symmetry/+makeArtifacts/+database/buildDatabase.m
rename to tests_symmetry/+did/+symmetry/+makeArtifacts/+database/buildDatabase.m
diff --git a/tests/+did/+symmetry/+makeArtifacts/INSTRUCTIONS.md b/tests_symmetry/+did/+symmetry/+makeArtifacts/INSTRUCTIONS.md
similarity index 100%
rename from tests/+did/+symmetry/+makeArtifacts/INSTRUCTIONS.md
rename to tests_symmetry/+did/+symmetry/+makeArtifacts/INSTRUCTIONS.md
diff --git a/tests/+did/+symmetry/+readArtifacts/+database/buildDatabase.m b/tests_symmetry/+did/+symmetry/+readArtifacts/+database/buildDatabase.m
similarity index 100%
rename from tests/+did/+symmetry/+readArtifacts/+database/buildDatabase.m
rename to tests_symmetry/+did/+symmetry/+readArtifacts/+database/buildDatabase.m
diff --git a/tests/+did/+symmetry/+readArtifacts/INSTRUCTIONS.md b/tests_symmetry/+did/+symmetry/+readArtifacts/INSTRUCTIONS.md
similarity index 100%
rename from tests/+did/+symmetry/+readArtifacts/INSTRUCTIONS.md
rename to tests_symmetry/+did/+symmetry/+readArtifacts/INSTRUCTIONS.md