diff --git a/lib/ConnectionConfig.js b/lib/ConnectionConfig.js
index 147aa0abb..6d56ed7b3 100644
--- a/lib/ConnectionConfig.js
+++ b/lib/ConnectionConfig.js
@@ -66,7 +66,7 @@ ConnectionConfig.mergeFlags = function mergeFlags(defaultFlags, userFlags) {
 
   // Merge the new flags
   for (var flag in newFlags) {
-    if (allFlags[flag] !== false) {
+    if (allFlags[flag] !== newFlags[flag]) {
       allFlags[flag] = newFlags[flag];
     }
   }
diff --git a/lib/protocol/Auth.js b/lib/protocol/Auth.js
index a1033d1b9..d2617c31a 100644
--- a/lib/protocol/Auth.js
+++ b/lib/protocol/Auth.js
@@ -8,6 +8,8 @@ function auth(name, data, options) {
   switch (name) {
     case 'mysql_native_password':
       return Auth.token(options.password, data.slice(0, 20));
+    case 'mysql_clear_password':
+      return Buffer.from(options.password);
     default:
       return undefined;
   }
diff --git a/test/integration/connection/test-clear-auth.js b/test/integration/connection/test-clear-auth.js
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..46c9cc808
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/integration/connection/test-clear-auth.js
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+var assert = require('assert');
+var common = require('../../common');
+
+common.getTestConnection({ flags: ['+PLUGIN_AUTH'] }, function (err, connection) {
+  assert.ifError(err, 'got error');
+  connection.destroy();
+});
\ No newline at end of file