diff --git a/include/MySQL_Protocol.h b/include/MySQL_Protocol.h
index 397c6b0b7..5ad860bef 100644
--- a/include/MySQL_Protocol.h
+++ b/include/MySQL_Protocol.h
@@ -166,7 +166,7 @@ class MySQL_Protocol {
 	bool generate_pkt_field(bool send, void **ptr, unsigned int *len, uint8_t sequence_id, char *schema, char *table, char *org_table, char *name, char *org_name, uint16_t charset, uint32_t column_length, uint8_t type, uint16_t flags, uint8_t decimals, bool field_list, uint64_t defvalue_length, char *defvalue, MySQL_ResultSet *myrs=NULL);
 	bool generate_pkt_row(bool send, void **ptr, unsigned int *len, uint8_t sequence_id, int colnums, unsigned long *fieldslen, char **fieldstxt);
 	uint8_t generate_pkt_row3(MySQL_ResultSet *myrs, unsigned int *len, uint8_t sequence_id, int colnums, unsigned long *fieldslen, char **fieldstxt, unsigned long rl);
-	bool generate_pkt_initial_handshake(bool send, void **ptr, unsigned int *len, uint32_t *thread_id, bool deprecate_eof_active, int use_plugin_id = 0);
+	bool generate_pkt_initial_handshake(bool send, void **ptr, unsigned int *len, uint32_t *thread_id, bool deprecate_eof_active);
 //	bool generate_statistics_response(MySQL_Data_Stream *myds, bool send, void **ptr, unsigned int *len);
 	bool generate_statistics_response(bool send, void **ptr, unsigned int *len);
 
diff --git a/include/MySQL_Thread.h b/include/MySQL_Thread.h
index c64a25ff7..cde957c9b 100644
--- a/include/MySQL_Thread.h
+++ b/include/MySQL_Thread.h
@@ -486,8 +486,10 @@ class MySQL_Threads_Handler
 		char *interfaces;
 		char *server_version;
 		char *keep_multiplexing_variables;
+		char *default_authentication_plugin;
 		//unsigned int default_charset; // removed in 2.0.13 . Obsoleted previously using MySQL_Variables instead
 		int handle_unknown_charset;
+		int default_authentication_plugin_int;
 		bool servers_stats;
 		bool commands_stats;
 		bool query_digests;
diff --git a/include/proxysql_structs.h b/include/proxysql_structs.h
index 734ffc9f6..439ae1161 100644
--- a/include/proxysql_structs.h
+++ b/include/proxysql_structs.h
@@ -769,11 +769,13 @@ MySQL_HostGroups_Manager *MyHGM;
 __thread char *mysql_thread___default_schema;
 __thread char *mysql_thread___server_version;
 __thread char *mysql_thread___keep_multiplexing_variables;
+__thread char *mysql_thread___default_authentication_plugin;
 __thread char *mysql_thread___init_connect;
 __thread char *mysql_thread___ldap_user_variable;
 __thread char *mysql_thread___default_tx_isolation;
 __thread char *mysql_thread___default_session_track_gtids;
 __thread char *mysql_thread___firewall_whitelist_errormsg;
+__thread int mysql_thread___default_authentication_plugin_int;
 __thread int mysql_thread___max_allowed_packet;
 __thread bool mysql_thread___automatic_detect_sqli;
 __thread bool mysql_thread___firewall_whitelist_enabled;
@@ -935,11 +937,13 @@ extern MySQL_HostGroups_Manager *MyHGM;
 extern __thread char *mysql_thread___default_schema;
 extern __thread char *mysql_thread___server_version;
 extern __thread char *mysql_thread___keep_multiplexing_variables;
+extern __thread char *mysql_thread___default_authentication_plugin;
 extern __thread char *mysql_thread___init_connect;
 extern __thread char *mysql_thread___ldap_user_variable;
 extern __thread char *mysql_thread___default_tx_isolation;
 extern __thread char *mysql_thread___default_session_track_gtids;
 extern __thread char *mysql_thread___firewall_whitelist_errormsg;
+extern __thread int mysql_thread___default_authentication_plugin_int;
 extern __thread int mysql_thread___max_allowed_packet;
 extern __thread bool mysql_thread___automatic_detect_sqli;
 extern __thread bool mysql_thread___firewall_whitelist_enabled;
diff --git a/lib/MySQL_Protocol.cpp b/lib/MySQL_Protocol.cpp
index c2eebcc1d..c85b36444 100644
--- a/lib/MySQL_Protocol.cpp
+++ b/lib/MySQL_Protocol.cpp
@@ -1178,7 +1178,8 @@ bool MySQL_Protocol::generate_pkt_auth_switch_request(bool send, void **ptr, uns
 	return true;
 }
 
-bool MySQL_Protocol::generate_pkt_initial_handshake(bool send, void **ptr, unsigned int *len, uint32_t *_thread_id, bool deprecate_eof_active, int use_plugin_id) {
+bool MySQL_Protocol::generate_pkt_initial_handshake(bool send, void **ptr, unsigned int *len, uint32_t *_thread_id, bool deprecate_eof_active) {
+	int use_plugin_id = mysql_thread___default_authentication_plugin_int;
   proxy_debug(PROXY_DEBUG_MYSQL_CONNECTION, 7, "Generating handshake pkt\n");
 	assert(use_plugin_id == 0 || use_plugin_id == 2 ); // mysql_native_password or caching_sha2_password
   mysql_hdr myhdr;
diff --git a/lib/MySQL_Thread.cpp b/lib/MySQL_Thread.cpp
index c70024fb7..cf07af816 100644
--- a/lib/MySQL_Thread.cpp
+++ b/lib/MySQL_Thread.cpp
@@ -538,6 +538,7 @@ static char * mysql_thread_variables_names[]= {
 	(char *)"server_capabilities",
 	(char *)"server_version",
 	(char *)"keep_multiplexing_variables",
+	(char *)"default_authentication_plugin",
 	(char *)"kill_backend_connection_when_disconnect",
 	(char *)"client_session_track_gtid",
 	(char *)"sessions_sort",
@@ -1189,6 +1190,8 @@ MySQL_Threads_Handler::MySQL_Threads_Handler() {
 	variables.ssl_p2s_crl=NULL;
 	variables.ssl_p2s_crlpath=NULL;
 	variables.keep_multiplexing_variables=strdup((char *)"tx_isolation,transaction_isolation,version");
+	variables.default_authentication_plugin=strdup((char *)"mysql_native_password");
+	variables.default_authentication_plugin_int = 0; // mysql_native_password
 #ifdef DEBUG
 	variables.session_debug=true;
 #endif /*debug */
@@ -1409,6 +1412,7 @@ char * MySQL_Threads_Handler::get_variable_string(char *name) {
 	if (!strcmp(name,"auditlog_filename")) return strdup(variables.auditlog_filename);
 	if (!strcmp(name,"interfaces")) return strdup(variables.interfaces);
 	if (!strcmp(name,"keep_multiplexing_variables")) return strdup(variables.keep_multiplexing_variables);
+	if (!strcmp(name,"default_authentication_plugin")) return strdup(variables.default_authentication_plugin);
 	// LCOV_EXCL_START
 	proxy_error("Not existing variable: %s\n", name); assert(0);
 	return NULL;
@@ -1543,6 +1547,7 @@ char * MySQL_Threads_Handler::get_variable(char *name) {	// this is the public f
 	if (!strcasecmp(name,"eventslog_filename")) return strdup(variables.eventslog_filename);
 	if (!strcasecmp(name,"default_schema")) return strdup(variables.default_schema);
 	if (!strcasecmp(name,"keep_multiplexing_variables")) return strdup(variables.keep_multiplexing_variables);
+	if (!strcasecmp(name,"default_authentication_plugin")) return strdup(variables.default_authentication_plugin);
 	if (!strcasecmp(name,"interfaces")) return strdup(variables.interfaces);
 	if (!strcasecmp(name,"server_capabilities")) {
 		// FIXME : make it human readable
@@ -1895,6 +1900,25 @@ bool MySQL_Threads_Handler::set_variable(char *name, const char *value) {	// thi
 				return true;
 			}
 		}
+		if (!strcasecmp(name,"default_authentication_plugin")) {
+			if (vallen) {
+				const char * valids[2] = { "mysql_native_password", "caching_sha2_password" };
+				for (int i=0; i < sizeof(valids)/sizeof(char *) ; i++) {
+					if (strcmp(valids[i],value)==0) {
+					free(variables.default_authentication_plugin);
+					variables.default_authentication_plugin=strdup(value);
+					if (i==0) variables.default_authentication_plugin_int = 0;
+					if (i==1) variables.default_authentication_plugin_int = 2;
+					return true;
+				}
+				// not found
+				proxy_error("%s is an invalid value for default_authentication_plugin\n", value);
+				return false;
+				}
+			} else {
+				return false;
+			}
+		}
 	}
 
 
@@ -2653,6 +2677,7 @@ MySQL_Threads_Handler::~MySQL_Threads_Handler() {
 	if (variables.interfaces) free(variables.interfaces);
 	if (variables.server_version) free(variables.server_version);
 	if (variables.keep_multiplexing_variables) free(variables.keep_multiplexing_variables);
+	if (variables.default_authentication_plugin) free(variables.default_authentication_plugin);
 	if (variables.firewall_whitelist_errormsg) free(variables.firewall_whitelist_errormsg);
 	if (variables.init_connect) free(variables.init_connect);
 	if (variables.ldap_user_variable) free(variables.ldap_user_variable);
@@ -2784,6 +2809,7 @@ MySQL_Thread::~MySQL_Thread() {
 	if (mysql_thread___default_schema) { free(mysql_thread___default_schema); mysql_thread___default_schema=NULL; }
 	if (mysql_thread___server_version) { free(mysql_thread___server_version); mysql_thread___server_version=NULL; }
 	if (mysql_thread___keep_multiplexing_variables) { free(mysql_thread___keep_multiplexing_variables); mysql_thread___keep_multiplexing_variables=NULL; }
+	if (mysql_thread___default_authentication_plugin) { free(mysql_thread___default_authentication_plugin); mysql_thread___default_authentication_plugin=NULL; }
 	if (mysql_thread___firewall_whitelist_errormsg) { free(mysql_thread___firewall_whitelist_errormsg); mysql_thread___firewall_whitelist_errormsg=NULL; }
 	if (mysql_thread___init_connect) { free(mysql_thread___init_connect); mysql_thread___init_connect=NULL; }
 	if (mysql_thread___ldap_user_variable) { free(mysql_thread___ldap_user_variable); mysql_thread___ldap_user_variable=NULL; }
@@ -4096,6 +4122,9 @@ void MySQL_Thread::refresh_variables() {
 	mysql_thread___default_schema=GloMTH->get_variable_string((char *)"default_schema");
 	if (mysql_thread___keep_multiplexing_variables) free(mysql_thread___keep_multiplexing_variables);
 	mysql_thread___keep_multiplexing_variables=GloMTH->get_variable_string((char *)"keep_multiplexing_variables");
+	if (mysql_thread___default_authentication_plugin) free(mysql_thread___default_authentication_plugin);
+	mysql_thread___default_authentication_plugin=GloMTH->get_variable_string((char *)"default_authentication_plugin");
+	mysql_thread___default_authentication_plugin_int = GloMTH->variables.default_authentication_plugin_int;
 	mysql_thread___server_capabilities=GloMTH->get_variable_uint16((char *)"server_capabilities");
 	mysql_thread___handle_unknown_charset=GloMTH->get_variable_int((char *)"handle_unknown_charset");
 	mysql_thread___poll_timeout=GloMTH->get_variable_int((char *)"poll_timeout");
diff --git a/lib/ProxySQL_Admin.cpp b/lib/ProxySQL_Admin.cpp
index 2d383d0ec..0f72c3e5b 100644
--- a/lib/ProxySQL_Admin.cpp
+++ b/lib/ProxySQL_Admin.cpp
@@ -5430,7 +5430,7 @@ void *child_mysql(void *arg) {
 	fds[0].events=POLLIN|POLLOUT;
 	//free(arg->addr); // do not free
 	free(arg);
-	sess->client_myds->myprot.generate_pkt_initial_handshake(true,NULL,NULL, &sess->thread_session_id, false, 0);
+	sess->client_myds->myprot.generate_pkt_initial_handshake(true,NULL,NULL, &sess->thread_session_id, false);
 
 	while (__sync_fetch_and_add(&glovars.shutdown,0)==0) {
 		if (myds->available_data_out()) {