diff --git a/physical/mysql/mysql.go b/physical/mysql/mysql.go
index 310f52a098..fce3f02648 100644
--- a/physical/mysql/mysql.go
+++ b/physical/mysql/mysql.go
@@ -251,14 +251,18 @@ func NewMySQLClient(conf map[string]string, logger log.Logger) (*sql.DB, error)
 	}
 
 	dsnParams := url.Values{}
-	tlsCaFile, ok := conf["tls_ca_file"]
-	if ok {
+	tlsCaFile, tlsOk := conf["tls_ca_file"]
+	if tlsOk {
 		if err := setupMySQLTLSConfig(tlsCaFile); err != nil {
 			return nil, errwrap.Wrapf("failed register TLS config: {{err}}", err)
 		}
 
 		dsnParams.Add("tls", mysqlTLSKey)
 	}
+	ptAllowed, ptOk := conf["plaintext_connection_allowed"]
+	if !(ptOk && strings.ToLower(ptAllowed) == "true") && !tlsOk {
+		logger.Warn("No TLS specified, credentials will be sent in plaintext. To mute this warning add 'plaintext_connection_allowed' with a true value to your MySQL configuration in your config file.")
+	}
 
 	// Create MySQL handle for the database.
 	dsn := username + ":" + password + "@tcp(" + address + ")/?" + dsnParams.Encode()
diff --git a/physical/mysql/mysql_test.go b/physical/mysql/mysql_test.go
index 9ca8a8c57c..51222639a2 100644
--- a/physical/mysql/mysql_test.go
+++ b/physical/mysql/mysql_test.go
@@ -1,7 +1,9 @@
 package mysql
 
 import (
+	"bytes"
 	"os"
+	"strings"
 	"testing"
 	"time"
 
@@ -15,6 +17,48 @@ import (
 	mysqlhelper "github.com/hashicorp/vault/helper/testhelpers/mysql"
 )
 
+func TestMySQLPlaintextCatch(t *testing.T) {
+	address := os.Getenv("MYSQL_ADDR")
+	if address == "" {
+		t.SkipNow()
+	}
+
+	database := os.Getenv("MYSQL_DB")
+	if database == "" {
+		database = "test"
+	}
+
+	table := os.Getenv("MYSQL_TABLE")
+	if table == "" {
+		table = "test"
+	}
+
+	username := os.Getenv("MYSQL_USERNAME")
+	password := os.Getenv("MYSQL_PASSWORD")
+
+	// Run vault tests
+	var buf bytes.Buffer
+	log.DefaultOutput = &buf
+
+	logger := logging.NewVaultLogger(log.Debug)
+
+	NewMySQLBackend(map[string]string{
+		"address":  address,
+		"database": database,
+		"table":    table,
+		"username": username,
+		"password": password,
+		"plaintext_connection_allowed": "false",
+	}, logger)
+
+	str := buf.String()
+	dataIdx := strings.IndexByte(str, ' ')
+	rest := str[dataIdx+1:]
+
+	if !strings.Contains(rest, "credentials will be sent in plaintext") {
+		t.Fatalf("No warning of plaintext credentials occurred")
+	}
+}
 func TestMySQLBackend(t *testing.T) {
 	address := os.Getenv("MYSQL_ADDR")
 	if address == "" {
@@ -43,6 +87,7 @@ func TestMySQLBackend(t *testing.T) {
 		"table":    table,
 		"username": username,
 		"password": password,
+		"plaintext_connection_allowed": "true",
 	}, logger)
 
 	if err != nil {
@@ -89,6 +134,7 @@ func TestMySQLHABackend(t *testing.T) {
 		"username":   username,
 		"password":   password,
 		"ha_enabled": "true",
+		"plaintext_connection_allowed": "true",
 	}
 
 	b, err := NewMySQLBackend(config, logger)
@@ -136,6 +182,7 @@ func TestMySQLHABackend_LockFailPanic(t *testing.T) {
 		"username":   cfg.User,
 		"password":   cfg.Passwd,
 		"ha_enabled": "true",
+		"plaintext_connection_allowed": "true",
 	}
 
 	b, err := NewMySQLBackend(config, logger)
diff --git a/website/pages/docs/configuration/storage/mysql.mdx b/website/pages/docs/configuration/storage/mysql.mdx
index 563f4c4550..47a1bf60e0 100644
--- a/website/pages/docs/configuration/storage/mysql.mdx
+++ b/website/pages/docs/configuration/storage/mysql.mdx
@@ -45,6 +45,13 @@ storage "mysql" {
 - `tls_ca_file` `(string: "")` – Specifies the path to the CA certificate to
   connect using TLS.
 
+- `plaintext_credentials_transmission` `(string: "")` - Provides authorization
+  to send credentials over plaintext. Failure to provide a value AND a failure
+  to provide a TLS CA certificate will warn that the credentials are being sent
+  over plain text. In the future, failure to do acknowledge or use TLS will
+  result in server start being prevented. This will be done to ensure credentials
+  are not leaked accidentally.
+
 - `max_parallel` `(string: "128")` – Specifies the maximum number of concurrent
   requests to MySQL.