diff --git a/core/src/main/java/hudson/Functions.java b/core/src/main/java/hudson/Functions.java
index 632961ecab..996a70900f 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/hudson/Functions.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/hudson/Functions.java
@@ -1464,6 +1464,9 @@ public class Functions {
     public String getPasswordValue(Object o) {
         if (o==null)    return null;
         if (o instanceof Secret)    return ((Secret)o).getEncryptedValue();
+        if (getIsUnitTest()) {
+            throw new SecurityException("attempted to render plaintext ‘" + o + "’ in password field; use a getter of type Secret instead");
+        }
         return o.toString();
     }
 
diff --git a/core/src/main/java/hudson/model/PasswordParameterDefinition.java b/core/src/main/java/hudson/model/PasswordParameterDefinition.java
index 6c3388cd5e..ce93144a56 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/hudson/model/PasswordParameterDefinition.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/hudson/model/PasswordParameterDefinition.java
@@ -28,6 +28,8 @@ import org.kohsuke.stapler.StaplerRequest;
 import org.kohsuke.stapler.DataBoundConstructor;
 import hudson.Extension;
 import hudson.util.Secret;
+import org.kohsuke.accmod.Restricted;
+import org.kohsuke.accmod.restrictions.DoNotUse;
 
 /**
  * Parameter whose value is a {@link Secret} and is hidden from the UI.
@@ -76,6 +78,11 @@ public class PasswordParameterDefinition extends SimpleParameterDefinition {
         return Secret.toString(defaultValue);
     }
 
+    @Restricted(DoNotUse.class) // used from Jelly
+    public Secret getDefaultValueAsSecret() {
+        return defaultValue;
+    }
+
     // kept for backward compatibility
     public void setDefaultValue(String defaultValue) {
         this.defaultValue = Secret.fromString(defaultValue);
diff --git a/core/src/main/resources/hudson/model/PasswordParameterDefinition/config.jelly b/core/src/main/resources/hudson/model/PasswordParameterDefinition/config.jelly
index 2ccb38245e..53b9fd8557 100644
--- a/core/src/main/resources/hudson/model/PasswordParameterDefinition/config.jelly
+++ b/core/src/main/resources/hudson/model/PasswordParameterDefinition/config.jelly
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ THE SOFTWARE.
 		<f:textbox name="parameter.name" value="${instance.name}" />
 	</f:entry>
 	<f:entry title="${%Default Value}" help="/help/parameter/string-default.html">
-		<f:password name="parameter.defaultValue" value="${instance.defaultValue}" />
+		<f:password name="parameter.defaultValue" value="${instance.defaultValueAsSecret}" />
 	</f:entry>
     <f:entry title="${%Description}" help="/help/parameter/description.html">
         <f:textarea name="parameter.description" value="${instance.description}" />
diff --git a/test/src/test/java/hudson/model/PasswordParameterDefinitionTest.java b/test/src/test/java/hudson/model/PasswordParameterDefinitionTest.java
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..8b4dcb2906
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/src/test/java/hudson/model/PasswordParameterDefinitionTest.java
@@ -0,0 +1,43 @@
+/*
+ * The MIT License
+ *
+ * Copyright 2013 Jesse Glick.
+ *
+ * Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person obtaining a copy
+ * of this software and associated documentation files (the "Software"), to deal
+ * in the Software without restriction, including without limitation the rights
+ * to use, copy, modify, merge, publish, distribute, sublicense, and/or sell
+ * copies of the Software, and to permit persons to whom the Software is
+ * furnished to do so, subject to the following conditions:
+ *
+ * The above copyright notice and this permission notice shall be included in
+ * all copies or substantial portions of the Software.
+ *
+ * THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED "AS IS", WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR
+ * IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY,
+ * FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NONINFRINGEMENT. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE
+ * AUTHORS OR COPYRIGHT HOLDERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY CLAIM, DAMAGES OR OTHER
+ * LIABILITY, WHETHER IN AN ACTION OF CONTRACT, TORT OR OTHERWISE, ARISING FROM,
+ * OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE SOFTWARE OR THE USE OR OTHER DEALINGS IN
+ * THE SOFTWARE.
+ */
+
+package hudson.model;
+
+import static org.junit.Assert.assertEquals;
+import org.junit.Rule;
+import org.junit.Test;
+import org.jvnet.hudson.test.JenkinsRule;
+
+public class PasswordParameterDefinitionTest {
+
+    @Rule public JenkinsRule j = new JenkinsRule();
+
+    @Test public void defaultValueKeptSecret() throws Exception {
+        FreeStyleProject p = j.createFreeStyleProject();
+        p.addProperty(new ParametersDefinitionProperty(new PasswordParameterDefinition("p", "s3cr3t", "")));
+        j.configRoundtrip(p);
+        assertEquals("s3cr3t", ((PasswordParameterDefinition) p.getProperty(ParametersDefinitionProperty.class).getParameterDefinition("p")).getDefaultValue());
+    }
+
+}