diff --git a/storage/mysql/68-mysql.html b/storage/mysql/68-mysql.html
index 11c6fd80..29187b1b 100644
--- a/storage/mysql/68-mysql.html
+++ b/storage/mysql/68-mysql.html
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@
     </div>
         <div class="form-row">
         <label for="node-config-input-pass"><i class="icon-briefcase"></i> Password</label>
-        <input type="text" id="node-config-input-pass" placeholder="mySecret">
+        <input type="password" id="node-config-input-pass" placeholder="mySecret">
     </div>
     <div class="form-row">
         <label for="node-config-input-db"><i class="icon-briefcase"></i> Database</label>
@@ -72,6 +72,8 @@
     <p><b>msg.topic</b> must hold the <i>query</i> for the database, and the result is returned in <b>msg.payload</b>.</p>
     <p>Typically the returned payload will be an array of the result rows.</p>
     <p>If nothing is found for the key then <i>null</i> is returned,</p>
+    <p>The reconnect timeout in milliseconds can be changed by adding a line to <b>settings.js</b>
+    <pre>mysqlReconnectTime: 30000,</pre></p>
 </script>
 
 <script type="text/javascript">
diff --git a/storage/mysql/68-mysql.js b/storage/mysql/68-mysql.js
index 01bf646b..7d1564fd 100644
--- a/storage/mysql/68-mysql.js
+++ b/storage/mysql/68-mysql.js
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@
  **/
 
 var RED = require(process.env.NODE_RED_HOME+"/red/red");
+var reconnect = RED.settings.mysqlReconnectTime || 30000;
 var mysqldb = require('mysql');
 
 function MySQLNode(n) {
@@ -26,19 +27,36 @@ function MySQLNode(n) {
     this.dbname = n.db;
     var node = this;
 
-    node.connection = mysqldb.createConnection({
-        host : node.host,
-        port : node.port,
-        user : node.user,
-        password : node.password,
-        database : node.dbname
-    });
+    function doConnect() {
+        node.connection = mysqldb.createConnection({
+            host : node.host,
+            port : node.port,
+            user : node.user,
+            password : node.password,
+            database : node.dbname,
+            insecureAuth: true
+        });
 
-    node.connection.connect(function(err) {
-        if (err) node.error(err);
-    });
+        node.connection.connect(function(err) {
+            if (err) {
+                node.warn("mysql: "+err);
+                node.tick = setTimeout(doConnect, reconnect);
+            }
+        });
+
+        node.connection.on('error', function(err) {
+            if (err.code === 'PROTOCOL_CONNECTION_LOST') {
+                doConnect(); // silently reconnect...
+            } else {
+                node.error(err);
+                doConnect();
+            }
+        });
+    }
+    doConnect();
 
     node.on('close', function () {
+        if (node.tick) { clearTimeout(node.tick); }
         node.connection.end(function(err) {
             if (err) node.error(err);
         });