diff --git a/bless/backends/bluezdbus/characteristic.py b/bless/backends/bluezdbus/characteristic.py
index 94dcce8..f25d52b 100644
--- a/bless/backends/bluezdbus/characteristic.py
+++ b/bless/backends/bluezdbus/characteristic.py
@@ -74,7 +74,7 @@ async def init(self, service: "BlessGATTService"):
         service : BlessGATTService
             The service to assign the characteristic to
         """
-        flags: List[Flags] = flags_to_dbus(self._properties)
+        flags: List[Flags] = [transform_flags_with_permissions(f, self._permissions) for f in  flags_to_dbus(self._properties)]
 
         # Add to our BlueZDBus app
         bluez_service: "BlessGATTServiceBlueZDBus" = cast(
@@ -118,6 +118,29 @@ def uuid(self) -> str:
         """The uuid of this characteristic"""
         return self.obj.get("UUID").value
 
+def transform_flags_with_permissions(flag: Flags, permissions: GATTAttributePermissions) -> Flags:
+    """
+    Returns the encrypted variant of a flag if the corresponding permission is set
+
+    Parameters
+    ----------
+    flag : GATTCharacteristicProperties
+        The numerical enumeration of a single flag
+    
+    permissions: GATTAttributePermissions
+        The permissions for the characteristic
+
+    Returns
+    -------
+    List[Flags]
+        A Flags enum value for use in BlueZDBus that has been updated to reflect if it should be encrypted
+    """
+    if flag == Flags.READ and GATTAttributePermissions.read_encryption_required in permissions:
+        return Flags.ENCRYPT_READ
+    elif flag == Flags.WRITE and GATTAttributePermissions.write_encryption_required in permissions:
+        return Flags.ENCRYPT_WRITE
+    
+    return flag
 
 def flags_to_dbus(flags: GATTCharacteristicProperties) -> List[Flags]:
     """
diff --git a/test/backends/test_server.py b/test/backends/test_server.py
index 134b732..392444a 100644
--- a/test/backends/test_server.py
+++ b/test/backends/test_server.py
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 import uuid
 import pytest
 import asyncio
+import os
 import aioconsole  # type: ignore
 
 import numpy as np  # type: ignore
@@ -26,6 +27,7 @@
         )
 
 hardware_only = pytest.mark.skipif("os.environ.get('TEST_HARDWARE') is None")
+use_encrypted = os.environ.get('TEST_ENCRYPTED') is not None
 
 
 @hardware_only
@@ -83,6 +85,13 @@ async def test_server(self):
                 GATTAttributePermissions.readable |
                 GATTAttributePermissions.writeable
                 )
+        
+        if use_encrypted:
+            print("\nEncryption has been enabled, ensure that you are bonded")
+            permissions = (
+                    GATTAttributePermissions.read_encryption_required |
+                    GATTAttributePermissions.write_encryption_required
+                    )
 
         await server.add_new_characteristic(
                 service_uuid,