diff --git a/server/include/gw_authenticator.h b/server/include/gw_authenticator.h
index e004c93d0..461126bbc 100644
--- a/server/include/gw_authenticator.h
+++ b/server/include/gw_authenticator.h
@@ -47,6 +47,7 @@ struct servlistener;
  *      authenticate    Carry out the authentication
  *      free            Free extracted data
  *      loadusers       Load or update authenticator user data
+ *      plugin_name     The protocol specific name of the authentication plugin.
  * @endverbatim
  *
  * This forms the "module object" for authenticator modules within the gateway.
@@ -60,6 +61,7 @@ typedef struct gw_authenticator
     int (*authenticate)(struct dcb *);
     void (*free)(struct dcb *);
     int (*loadusers)(struct servlistener *);
+    const char* plugin_name;
 } GWAUTHENTICATOR;
 
 /** Return values for the loadusers entry point */
diff --git a/server/modules/authenticator/cdc_plain_auth.c b/server/modules/authenticator/cdc_plain_auth.c
index b94d25277..cc2d2d3a0 100644
--- a/server/modules/authenticator/cdc_plain_auth.c
+++ b/server/modules/authenticator/cdc_plain_auth.c
@@ -71,7 +71,8 @@ static GWAUTHENTICATOR MyObject =
     cdc_auth_is_client_ssl_capable,       /* Check if client supports SSL  */
     cdc_auth_authenticate,                /* Authenticate user credentials */
     cdc_auth_free_client_data,            /* Free the client data held in DCB */
-    cdc_replace_users
+    cdc_replace_users,
+    NULL
 };
 
 static int cdc_auth_check(
diff --git a/server/modules/authenticator/http_auth.c b/server/modules/authenticator/http_auth.c
index 2f067acd2..9d902afbd 100644
--- a/server/modules/authenticator/http_auth.c
+++ b/server/modules/authenticator/http_auth.c
@@ -63,7 +63,8 @@ static GWAUTHENTICATOR MyObject =
     http_auth_is_client_ssl_capable,       /* Check if client supports SSL  */
     http_auth_authenticate,                /* Authenticate user credentials */
     http_auth_free_client_data,            /* Free the client data held in DCB */
-    users_default_loadusers
+    users_default_loadusers,
+    NULL
 };
 
 typedef struct http_auth
diff --git a/server/modules/authenticator/max_admin_auth.c b/server/modules/authenticator/max_admin_auth.c
index 4c0741d38..ce5b85e5d 100644
--- a/server/modules/authenticator/max_admin_auth.c
+++ b/server/modules/authenticator/max_admin_auth.c
@@ -63,7 +63,8 @@ static GWAUTHENTICATOR MyObject =
     max_admin_auth_is_client_ssl_capable,       /* Check if client supports SSL  */
     max_admin_auth_authenticate,                /* Authenticate user credentials */
     max_admin_auth_free_client_data,            /* Free the client data held in DCB */
-    users_default_loadusers
+    users_default_loadusers,
+    NULL
 };
 
 /**
diff --git a/server/modules/authenticator/mysql_auth.c b/server/modules/authenticator/mysql_auth.c
index 4e357faad..f50165b42 100644
--- a/server/modules/authenticator/mysql_auth.c
+++ b/server/modules/authenticator/mysql_auth.c
@@ -66,7 +66,8 @@ static GWAUTHENTICATOR MyObject =
     mysql_auth_is_client_ssl_capable,       /* Check if client supports SSL  */
     mysql_auth_authenticate,                /* Authenticate user credentials */
     mysql_auth_free_client_data,            /* Free the client data held in DCB */
-    mysql_auth_load_users                   /* Load users from backend databases */
+    mysql_auth_load_users,                  /* Load users from backend databases */
+    "mysql_native_password"
 };
 
 static int combined_auth_check(
diff --git a/server/modules/authenticator/null_auth_allow.c b/server/modules/authenticator/null_auth_allow.c
index e2378d277..ff3b595b5 100644
--- a/server/modules/authenticator/null_auth_allow.c
+++ b/server/modules/authenticator/null_auth_allow.c
@@ -62,7 +62,8 @@ static GWAUTHENTICATOR MyObject =
     null_auth_is_client_ssl_capable,       /* Check if client supports SSL  */
     null_auth_authenticate,                /* Authenticate user credentials */
     null_auth_free_client_data,            /* Free the client data held in DCB */
-    users_default_loadusers
+    users_default_loadusers,
+    NULL
 };
 
 /**
diff --git a/server/modules/authenticator/null_auth_deny.c b/server/modules/authenticator/null_auth_deny.c
index 6563eb956..59d11edcf 100644
--- a/server/modules/authenticator/null_auth_deny.c
+++ b/server/modules/authenticator/null_auth_deny.c
@@ -62,7 +62,8 @@ static GWAUTHENTICATOR MyObject =
     null_auth_is_client_ssl_capable,       /* Check if client supports SSL  */
     null_auth_authenticate,                /* Authenticate user credentials */
     null_auth_free_client_data,            /* Free the client data held in DCB */
-    users_default_loadusers
+    users_default_loadusers,
+    NULL
 };
 
 /**
diff --git a/server/modules/include/mysql_client_server_protocol.h b/server/modules/include/mysql_client_server_protocol.h
index 31262b2a2..e82988f39 100644
--- a/server/modules/include/mysql_client_server_protocol.h
+++ b/server/modules/include/mysql_client_server_protocol.h
@@ -79,6 +79,8 @@
 #define GW_MYSQL_SCRAMBLE_SIZE 20
 #define GW_SCRAMBLE_LENGTH_323 8
 
+#define DEFAULT_AUTH_PLUGIN_NAME "mysql_native_password"
+
 /** Maximum length of a MySQL packet */
 #define MYSQL_PACKET_LENGTH_MAX 0x00ffffff
 
diff --git a/server/modules/protocol/MySQLClient/mysql_client.c b/server/modules/protocol/MySQLClient/mysql_client.c
index 73bf741a1..3528d464c 100644
--- a/server/modules/protocol/MySQLClient/mysql_client.c
+++ b/server/modules/protocol/MySQLClient/mysql_client.c
@@ -311,11 +311,15 @@ int MySQLSendHandshake(DCB* dcb)
 
     memcpy(mysql_plugin_data, server_scramble + 8, 12);
 
+    const char* plugin_name = dcb->authfunc.plugin_name ?
+        dcb->authfunc.plugin_name : DEFAULT_AUTH_PLUGIN_NAME;
+    int plugin_name_len = strlen(plugin_name);
+
     mysql_payload_size =
         sizeof(mysql_protocol_version) + (len_version_string + 1) + sizeof(mysql_thread_id_num) + 8 +
         sizeof(/* mysql_filler */ uint8_t) + sizeof(mysql_server_capabilities_one) + sizeof(mysql_server_language) +
         sizeof(mysql_server_status) + sizeof(mysql_server_capabilities_two) + sizeof(mysql_scramble_len) +
-        sizeof(mysql_filler_ten) + 12 + sizeof(/* mysql_last_byte */ uint8_t) + strlen("mysql_native_password") +
+        sizeof(mysql_filler_ten) + 12 + sizeof(/* mysql_last_byte */ uint8_t) + plugin_name_len +
         sizeof(/* mysql_last_byte */ uint8_t);
 
     // allocate memory for packet header + payload
@@ -407,8 +411,8 @@ int MySQLSendHandshake(DCB* dcb)
     mysql_handshake_payload++;
 
     // to be understanded ????
-    memcpy(mysql_handshake_payload, "mysql_native_password", strlen("mysql_native_password"));
-    mysql_handshake_payload = mysql_handshake_payload + strlen("mysql_native_password");
+    memcpy(mysql_handshake_payload, plugin_name, plugin_name_len);
+    mysql_handshake_payload = mysql_handshake_payload + plugin_name_len;
 
     //write last byte, 0
     *mysql_handshake_payload = 0x00;