diff --git a/visidata/loaders/mysql.py b/visidata/loaders/mysql.py
index 5efb3e66e..64f76e1f9 100644
--- a/visidata/loaders/mysql.py
+++ b/visidata/loaders/mysql.py
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 from contextlib import contextmanager
-from urllib.parse import urlparse
+from urllib.parse import urlparse, unquote
 
 from visidata import VisiData, vd, Sheet, anytype, asyncthread, ColumnItem
 
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ def cur(self, qstr):
                     database=self.url.path[1:],
                     host=self.url.hostname,
                     port=self.url.port or 3306,
-                    password=self.url.password,
+                    password=unquote(self.url.password),
                     use_unicode=True,
                     charset='utf8',
                     cursorclass=cursors.SSCursor) ## if SSCursor is not used mysql will first fetch ALL data, and only then visualize it