diff --git a/airbyte-cdk/python/airbyte_cdk/sources/file_based/config/csv_format.py b/airbyte-cdk/python/airbyte_cdk/sources/file_based/config/csv_format.py
index bf8a57e73e90b..27db3af2a1922 100644
--- a/airbyte-cdk/python/airbyte_cdk/sources/file_based/config/csv_format.py
+++ b/airbyte-cdk/python/airbyte_cdk/sources/file_based/config/csv_format.py
@@ -151,7 +151,7 @@ class Config(OneOfOptionConfig):
     @validator("delimiter")
     def validate_delimiter(cls, v: str) -> str:
         if v == r"\t":
-            return v
+            v = "\t"
         if len(v) != 1:
             raise ValueError("delimiter should only be one character")
         if v in {"\r", "\n"}:
diff --git a/airbyte-cdk/python/unit_tests/sources/file_based/config/test_csv_format.py b/airbyte-cdk/python/unit_tests/sources/file_based/config/test_csv_format.py
index 1b2d23b810cc2..0821f42af3206 100644
--- a/airbyte-cdk/python/unit_tests/sources/file_based/config/test_csv_format.py
+++ b/airbyte-cdk/python/unit_tests/sources/file_based/config/test_csv_format.py
@@ -30,4 +30,5 @@ def test_given_from_csv_then_csv_has_header_row(self) -> None:
 
 class CsvDelimiterTest(unittest.TestCase):
     def test_tab_delimter(self):
-        assert CsvFormat(delimiter=r"\t").delimiter == '\\t'
+        assert CsvFormat(delimiter=r"\t").delimiter == '\t'
+        assert len(CsvFormat(delimiter=r"\t").delimiter) == 1