diff --git a/plugins/mysql/mysql.go b/plugins/mysql/mysql.go
index 89c4c9b44..5193f078f 100644
--- a/plugins/mysql/mysql.go
+++ b/plugins/mysql/mysql.go
@@ -16,12 +16,13 @@ type Mysql struct {
 var sampleConfig = `
   # specify servers via a url matching:
   #  [username[:password]@][protocol[(address)]]/[?tls=[true|false|skip-verify]]
+  #  see https://github.com/go-sql-driver/mysql#dsn-data-source-name
   #  e.g.
-  #    root:root@http://10.0.0.18/?tls=false
-  #    root:passwd@tcp(127.0.0.1:3036)/
+  #    root:passwd@tcp(127.0.0.1:3306)/?tls=false
+  #    root@tcp(127.0.0.1:3306)/?tls=false
   #
   # If no servers are specified, then localhost is used as the host.
-  servers = ["localhost"]
+  servers = ["tcp(127.0.0.1:3306)/"]
 `
 
 func (m *Mysql) SampleConfig() string {
@@ -113,7 +114,10 @@ var mappings = []*mapping{
 }
 
 func (m *Mysql) gatherServer(serv string, acc plugins.Accumulator) error {
-	if serv == "localhost" {
+	// If user forgot the '/', add it
+	if strings.HasSuffix(serv, ")") {
+		serv = serv + "/"
+	} else if serv == "localhost" {
 		serv = ""
 	}
 
@@ -129,14 +133,10 @@ func (m *Mysql) gatherServer(serv string, acc plugins.Accumulator) error {
 		return err
 	}
 
-	// Parse out user/password from server address tag if given
 	var servtag string
-	if strings.Contains(serv, "@") {
-		servtag = strings.Split(serv, "@")[1]
-	} else if serv == "" {
+	servtag, err = parseDSN(serv)
+	if err != nil {
 		servtag = "localhost"
-	} else {
-		servtag = serv
 	}
 	for rows.Next() {
 		var name string
diff --git a/plugins/mysql/mysql_test.go b/plugins/mysql/mysql_test.go
index 24e7401ce..b85448740 100644
--- a/plugins/mysql/mysql_test.go
+++ b/plugins/mysql/mysql_test.go
@@ -81,3 +81,62 @@ func TestMysqlDefaultsToLocal(t *testing.T) {
 
 	assert.True(t, len(acc.Points) > 0)
 }
+
+func TestMysqlParseDSN(t *testing.T) {
+	tests := []struct {
+		input  string
+		output string
+	}{
+		{
+			"",
+			"127.0.0.1:3306",
+		},
+		{
+			"localhost",
+			"127.0.0.1:3306",
+		},
+		{
+			"127.0.0.1",
+			"127.0.0.1:3306",
+		},
+		{
+			"tcp(192.168.1.1:3306)/",
+			"192.168.1.1:3306",
+		},
+		{
+			"tcp(localhost)/",
+			"localhost",
+		},
+		{
+			"root:passwd@tcp(192.168.1.1:3306)/?tls=false",
+			"192.168.1.1:3306",
+		},
+		{
+			"root@tcp(127.0.0.1:3306)/?tls=false",
+			"127.0.0.1:3306",
+		},
+		{
+			"root:passwd@tcp(localhost:3036)/dbname?allowOldPasswords=1",
+			"localhost:3036",
+		},
+		{
+			"root:foo@bar@tcp(192.1.1.1:3306)/?tls=false",
+			"192.1.1.1:3306",
+		},
+		{
+			"root:f00@b4r@tcp(192.1.1.1:3306)/?tls=false",
+			"192.1.1.1:3306",
+		},
+		{
+			"root:fl!p11@tcp(192.1.1.1:3306)/?tls=false",
+			"192.1.1.1:3306",
+		},
+	}
+
+	for _, test := range tests {
+		output, _ := parseDSN(test.input)
+		if output != test.output {
+			t.Errorf("Expected %s, got %s\n", test.output, output)
+		}
+	}
+}
diff --git a/plugins/mysql/parse_dsn.go b/plugins/mysql/parse_dsn.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..bbe948268
--- /dev/null
+++ b/plugins/mysql/parse_dsn.go
@@ -0,0 +1,85 @@
+// Copyright 2012 The Go-MySQL-Driver Authors. All rights reserved.
+//
+// This Source Code Form is subject to the terms of the Mozilla Public
+// License, v. 2.0. If a copy of the MPL was not distributed with this file,
+// You can obtain one at http://mozilla.org/MPL/2.0/.
+
+package mysql
+
+import (
+	"errors"
+	"strings"
+)
+
+// parseDSN parses the DSN string to a config
+func parseDSN(dsn string) (string, error) {
+	//var user, passwd string
+	var addr, net string
+
+	// [user[:password]@][net[(addr)]]/dbname[?param1=value1&paramN=valueN]
+	// Find the last '/' (since the password or the net addr might contain a '/')
+	for i := len(dsn) - 1; i >= 0; i-- {
+		if dsn[i] == '/' {
+			var j, k int
+
+			// left part is empty if i <= 0
+			if i > 0 {
+				// [username[:password]@][protocol[(address)]]
+				// Find the last '@' in dsn[:i]
+				for j = i; j >= 0; j-- {
+					if dsn[j] == '@' {
+						// username[:password]
+						// Find the first ':' in dsn[:j]
+						for k = 0; k < j; k++ {
+							if dsn[k] == ':' {
+								//passwd = dsn[k+1 : j]
+								break
+							}
+						}
+						//user = dsn[:k]
+
+						break
+					}
+				}
+
+				// [protocol[(address)]]
+				// Find the first '(' in dsn[j+1:i]
+				for k = j + 1; k < i; k++ {
+					if dsn[k] == '(' {
+						// dsn[i-1] must be == ')' if an address is specified
+						if dsn[i-1] != ')' {
+							if strings.ContainsRune(dsn[k+1:i], ')') {
+								return "", errors.New("Invalid DSN unescaped")
+							}
+							return "", errors.New("Invalid DSN Addr")
+						}
+						addr = dsn[k+1 : i-1]
+						break
+					}
+				}
+				net = dsn[j+1 : k]
+			}
+
+			break
+		}
+	}
+
+	// Set default network if empty
+	if net == "" {
+		net = "tcp"
+	}
+
+	// Set default address if empty
+	if addr == "" {
+		switch net {
+		case "tcp":
+			addr = "127.0.0.1:3306"
+		case "unix":
+			addr = "/tmp/mysql.sock"
+		default:
+			return "", errors.New("Default addr for network '" + net + "' unknown")
+		}
+	}
+
+	return addr, nil
+}