diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index bcf609c..09091fd 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -35,7 +35,21 @@ You should then configure the MySQL plugin:
 			HeartbeatTable "percona.heartbeat" (if using pt-heartbeat to track slave lag)
 			Verbose false (default: false)
 		</Module>
-	</Python>
+	</Plugin>
+
+You can use a defaults file instead of the user and password, which will also allow
+use of a nonstandard socket location.
+
+	<Plugin python>
+		Import mysql
+		<Module mysql>
+			Host "localhost"
+			Port 3306
+			DefaultsFile "/root/.my.cnf-foo"
+		</Module>
+	</Plugin>
+
+The plugin is not configurable for multiple instances per host.
 
 ## Metrics
 
@@ -323,4 +337,4 @@ For versions of MySQL with support for it and where enabled, `INFORMATION_SCHEMA
     response_time_count.14
 
 ## License
-MIT (http://www.opensource.org/licenses/mit-license.php)
\ No newline at end of file
+MIT (http://www.opensource.org/licenses/mit-license.php)
diff --git a/mysql.py b/mysql.py
index c5182a2..f0349f4 100644
--- a/mysql.py
+++ b/mysql.py
@@ -34,6 +34,7 @@
 	'Password':       '',
 	'HeartbeatTable': '',
 	'Verbose':        False,
+	'DefaultsFile':   ''
 }
 
 MYSQL_STATUS_VARS = {
@@ -285,12 +286,20 @@
 }
 
 def get_mysql_conn():
-	return MySQLdb.connect(
-		host=MYSQL_CONFIG['Host'],
-		port=MYSQL_CONFIG['Port'],
-		user=MYSQL_CONFIG['User'],
-		passwd=MYSQL_CONFIG['Password']
-	)
+    # if defaults file is set, use it vice user and password
+	if MYSQL_CONFIG['DefaultsFile']:
+		return MySQLdb.connect(
+			host=MYSQL_CONFIG['Host'],
+			port=MYSQL_CONFIG['Port'],
+			read_default_file=MYSQL_CONFIG['DefaultsFile']
+		)
+	else:
+		return MySQLdb.connect(
+			host=MYSQL_CONFIG['Host'],
+			port=MYSQL_CONFIG['Port'],
+			user=MYSQL_CONFIG['User'],
+			passwd=MYSQL_CONFIG['Password']
+		)
 
 def mysql_query(conn, query):
 	cur = conn.cursor(MySQLdb.cursors.DictCursor)