diff --git a/core/dbt/include/global_project/macros/materializations/tests/unit.sql b/core/dbt/include/global_project/macros/materializations/tests/unit.sql
index 5c21adeb9a9..b68c8b5bacd 100644
--- a/core/dbt/include/global_project/macros/materializations/tests/unit.sql
+++ b/core/dbt/include/global_project/macros/materializations/tests/unit.sql
@@ -4,8 +4,17 @@
 
   {% set expected_rows = config.get('expected_rows') %}
   {% set tested_expected_column_names = expected_rows[0].keys() if (expected_rows | length ) > 0 else get_columns_in_query(sql) %} %}
-  
-  {% set unit_test_sql = get_unit_test_sql(sql, get_expected_sql(expected_rows), tested_expected_column_names) %}
+    
+  {%- set target_relation = this.incorporate(type='table') -%}
+  {%- set temp_relation = make_temp_relation(target_relation)-%}
+  {% do run_query(get_create_table_as_sql(True, temp_relation, get_empty_subquery_sql(sql))) %}
+  {%- set columns_in_relation = adapter.get_columns_in_relation(temp_relation) -%}
+  {%- set column_name_to_data_types = {} -%}
+  {%- for column in columns_in_relation -%}
+  {%- do column_name_to_data_types.update({column.name: column.dtype}) -%}
+  {%- endfor -%}
+
+  {% set unit_test_sql = get_unit_test_sql(sql, get_expected_sql(expected_rows, column_name_to_data_types), tested_expected_column_names) %}
 
   {% call statement('main', fetch_result=True) -%}
 
@@ -13,6 +22,8 @@
 
   {%- endcall %}
 
+  {% do adapter.drop_relation(temp_relation) %}
+
   {{ return({'relations': relations}) }}
 
 {%- endmaterialization -%}
diff --git a/core/dbt/include/global_project/macros/unit_test_sql/get_fixture_sql.sql b/core/dbt/include/global_project/macros/unit_test_sql/get_fixture_sql.sql
index e3705563670..be3cc76f780 100644
--- a/core/dbt/include/global_project/macros/unit_test_sql/get_fixture_sql.sql
+++ b/core/dbt/include/global_project/macros/unit_test_sql/get_fixture_sql.sql
@@ -1,24 +1,36 @@
-{% macro get_fixture_sql(rows, columns) %}
+{% macro get_fixture_sql(rows, column_name_to_data_types) %}
 -- Fixture for {{ model.name }}
 {% set default_row = {} %}
 
-{%- if not columns -%}
+{%- if not column_name_to_data_types -%}
 {%- set columns_in_relation = adapter.get_columns_in_relation(this) -%}
-{%- set columns = [] -%}
+{%- set column_name_to_data_types = {} -%}
 {%- for column in columns_in_relation -%}
-{%- do columns.append({"name": column.name, "data_type": column.dtype}) -%}
+{%- do column_name_to_data_types.update({column.name: column.dtype}) -%}
 {%- endfor -%}
 {%- endif -%}
 
-{%- if not columns -%}
+{%- if not column_name_to_data_types -%}
     {{ exceptions.raise_compiler_error("columns not available for" ~ model.name) }}
 {%- endif -%}
 
-{%- for column in columns -%}
-    {%- do default_row.update({column["name"]: (safe_cast("null", column["data_type"]) | trim )}) -%}
+{%- for column_name, column_type in column_name_to_data_types.items() -%}
+    {%- do default_row.update({column_name: (safe_cast("null", column_type) | trim )}) -%}
 {%- endfor -%}
 
 {%- for row in rows -%}
+
+{#-- wrap yaml strings in quotes--#}
+{%- for column_name, column_value in row.items() -%}
+{% set row_update = {column_name: column_value} %}
+{%- if column_value is string -%}
+{%- set row_update = {column_name: safe_cast(dbt.string_literal(column_value), column_name_to_data_types[column_name]) } -%}
+{%- else -%}
+{%- set row_update = {column_name: safe_cast(column_value, column_name_to_data_types[column_name]) } -%}
+{%- endif -%}
+{%- do row.update(row_update) -%}
+{%- endfor -%}
+
 {%- set default_row_copy = default_row.copy() -%}
 {%- do default_row_copy.update(row) -%}
 select
@@ -38,9 +50,21 @@ union all
 {% endmacro %}
 
 
-{% macro get_expected_sql(rows) %}
+{% macro get_expected_sql(rows, column_name_to_data_types) %}
 
 {%- for row in rows -%}
+
+{#-- wrap yaml strings in quotes--#}
+{%- for column_name, column_value in row.items() -%}
+{% set row_update = {column_name: column_value} %}
+{%- if column_value is string -%}
+{%- set row_update = {column_name: safe_cast(dbt.string_literal(column_value), column_name_to_data_types[column_name]) } -%}
+{%- else -%}
+{%- set row_update = {column_name: safe_cast(column_value, column_name_to_data_types[column_name]) } -%}
+{%- endif -%}
+{%- do row.update(row_update) -%}
+{%- endfor -%}
+
 select
 {%- for column_name, column_value in row.items() %} {{ column_value }} AS {{ column_name }}{% if not loop.last -%}, {%- endif %}
 {%- endfor %}
diff --git a/core/dbt/parser/schemas.py b/core/dbt/parser/schemas.py
index 5eeeb24083a..621154c55ac 100644
--- a/core/dbt/parser/schemas.py
+++ b/core/dbt/parser/schemas.py
@@ -1491,9 +1491,9 @@ def __init__(self, schema_parser: SchemaParser, yaml: YamlBlock):
         self.schema_parser = schema_parser
         self.yaml = yaml
 
-    def _build_raw_code(self, rows, columns) -> str:
-        return ("{{{{ get_fixture_sql({rows}, {columns}) }}}}").format(
-            rows=rows, columns=columns
+    def _build_raw_code(self, rows, column_name_to_data_types) -> str:
+        return ("{{{{ get_fixture_sql({rows}, {column_name_to_data_types}) }}}}").format(
+            rows=rows, column_name_to_data_types=column_name_to_data_types
         )
 
     def parse_unit_test(self, unparsed: UnparsedUnitTestSuite):
@@ -1519,7 +1519,7 @@ def parse_unit_test(self, unparsed: UnparsedUnitTestSuite):
                         input_model_name, input_package_name, None, self.manifest
                     )
                     if original_input_node.config.contract.enforced: 
-                        original_input_node_columns = [{"name": column.name, "data_type": column.data_type} for column in original_input_node.columns]
+                        original_input_node_columns = {column.name: column.data_type for column in original_input_node.columns}
                 elif statically_parsed["sources"]:
                     input_package_name, input_source_name = statically_parsed["sources"][0]
                     original_input_node = self.manifest.source_lookup.find(
@@ -1577,6 +1577,9 @@ def parse_unit_test(self, unparsed: UnparsedUnitTestSuite):
                 attached_node=actual_node.unique_id
             )
 
+            self.schema_parser._update_node_database(unit_test_node, {})
+            self.schema_parser._update_node_schema(unit_test_node, {})
+    
             ctx = generate_parse_exposure(
                 unit_test_node,
                 self.root_project,