diff --git a/src/snowflake/cli/_plugins/nativeapp/manager.py b/src/snowflake/cli/_plugins/nativeapp/manager.py
index cd75c3a025..0bc7ccf604 100644
--- a/src/snowflake/cli/_plugins/nativeapp/manager.py
+++ b/src/snowflake/cli/_plugins/nativeapp/manager.py
@@ -68,7 +68,6 @@
 from snowflake.cli._plugins.stage.manager import StageManager
 from snowflake.cli._plugins.stage.utils import print_diff_to_console
 from snowflake.cli.api.console import cli_console as cc
-from snowflake.cli.api.constants import DEFAULT_SIZE_LIMIT_MB
 from snowflake.cli.api.errno import (
     DOES_NOT_EXIST_OR_CANNOT_BE_PERFORMED,
     DOES_NOT_EXIST_OR_NOT_AUTHORIZED,
@@ -90,7 +89,7 @@
 from snowflake.cli.api.rendering.sql_templates import (
     snowflake_sql_jinja_render,
 )
-from snowflake.cli.api.secure_path import SecurePath
+from snowflake.cli.api.secure_path import UNLIMITED, SecurePath
 from snowflake.cli.api.sql_execution import SqlExecutionMixin
 from snowflake.connector import DictCursor, ProgrammingError
 
@@ -600,7 +599,7 @@ def _render_script_templates(
             script_full_path = SecurePath(self.project_root) / relpath
             try:
                 template_content = script_full_path.read_text(
-                    file_size_limit_mb=DEFAULT_SIZE_LIMIT_MB
+                    file_size_limit_mb=UNLIMITED
                 )
                 result = render_from_str(template_content, jinja_context)
                 scripts_contents.append(result)
diff --git a/src/snowflake/cli/api/rendering/jinja.py b/src/snowflake/cli/api/rendering/jinja.py
index c153f6f447..e65bf6ceac 100644
--- a/src/snowflake/cli/api/rendering/jinja.py
+++ b/src/snowflake/cli/api/rendering/jinja.py
@@ -106,11 +106,6 @@ def jinja_render_from_str(template_content: str, data: Dict[str, Any]) -> str:
     return _get_jinja_env().from_string(template_content).render(data)
 
 
-def path_to_jinja_pathlike_str(path: Path) -> str:
-    # jinja2 template loader user '/' as path separator (even on Windows)
-    return "/".join(path.parts)
-
-
 def jinja_render_from_file(
     template_path: Path, data: Dict[str, Any], output_file_path: Optional[Path] = None
 ) -> Optional[str]:
@@ -126,9 +121,7 @@ def jinja_render_from_file(
         None if file path is provided, else returns the rendered string.
     """
     env = _get_jinja_env(
-        loader=loaders.FileSystemLoader(
-            path_to_jinja_pathlike_str(template_path.parent)
-        )
+        loader=loaders.FileSystemLoader(template_path.parent.as_posix())
     )
     loaded_template = env.get_template(template_path.name)
     rendered_result = loaded_template.render(**data)
diff --git a/src/snowflake/cli/api/rendering/sql_templates.py b/src/snowflake/cli/api/rendering/sql_templates.py
index cbfd61b1a7..f832417670 100644
--- a/src/snowflake/cli/api/rendering/sql_templates.py
+++ b/src/snowflake/cli/api/rendering/sql_templates.py
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@
 from click import ClickException
 from jinja2 import Environment, StrictUndefined, loaders, meta
 from snowflake.cli.api.cli_global_context import get_cli_context
+from snowflake.cli.api.console.console import cli_console
 from snowflake.cli.api.exceptions import InvalidTemplate
 from snowflake.cli.api.rendering.jinja import (
     CONTEXT_KEY,
@@ -65,6 +66,10 @@ def choose_sql_jinja_env_based_on_template_syntax(template_content: str) -> Envi
             f" and {_SQL_TEMPLATE_START} ... {_SQL_TEMPLATE_END} syntax."
         )
     if has_old_syntax:
+        cli_console.warning(
+            f"Warning: {_OLD_SQL_TEMPLATE_START} ... {_OLD_SQL_TEMPLATE_END} syntax is deprecated."
+            f" Use {_SQL_TEMPLATE_START} ... {_SQL_TEMPLATE_END} syntax instead."
+        )
         return old_syntax_env
     return new_syntax_env
 
diff --git a/tests/test_sql.py b/tests/test_sql.py
index cf7af192af..12169b6115 100644
--- a/tests/test_sql.py
+++ b/tests/test_sql.py
@@ -11,7 +11,6 @@
 # WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
 # See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
 # limitations under the License.
-
 from pathlib import Path
 from tempfile import NamedTemporaryFile, TemporaryDirectory
 from unittest import mock
@@ -333,6 +332,17 @@ def test_rendering_of_sql(mock_execute_query, query, runner):
     )
 
 
+@mock.patch("snowflake.cli._plugins.sql.commands.SqlManager._execute_string")
+def test_old_template_syntax_causes_warning(mock_execute_query, runner):
+    result = runner.invoke(["sql", "-q", "select &{ aaa }", "-D", "aaa=foo"])
+    assert result.exit_code == 0
+    assert (
+        "Warning: &{ ... } syntax is deprecated. Use <% ... %> syntax instead."
+        in result.output
+    )
+    mock_execute_query.assert_called_once_with("select foo", cursor_class=VerboseCursor)
+
+
 @mock.patch("snowflake.cli._plugins.sql.commands.SqlManager._execute_string")
 def test_mixed_template_syntax_error(mock_execute_query, runner):
     result = runner.invoke(