diff --git a/aiomysql/connection.py b/aiomysql/connection.py
index ef99d483..290712f9 100644
--- a/aiomysql/connection.py
+++ b/aiomysql/connection.py
@@ -798,10 +798,10 @@ async def _process_auth(self, plugin_name, auth_packet):
         # These auth plugins do their own packet handling
         if plugin_name == b"caching_sha2_password":
             await self.caching_sha2_password_auth(auth_packet)
-            self._auth_plugin_used = plugin_name
+            self._auth_plugin_used = plugin_name.decode()
         elif plugin_name == b"sha256_password":
             await self.sha256_password_auth(auth_packet)
-            self._auth_plugin_used = plugin_name
+            self._auth_plugin_used = plugin_name.decode()
         else:
 
             if plugin_name == b"mysql_native_password":
@@ -832,7 +832,7 @@ async def _process_auth(self, plugin_name, auth_packet):
             pkt = await self._read_packet()
             pkt.check_error()
 
-            self._auth_plugin_used = plugin_name
+            self._auth_plugin_used = plugin_name.decode()
 
             return pkt
 
diff --git a/tests/conftest.py b/tests/conftest.py
index 5fe3f93a..cbcfa1f6 100644
--- a/tests/conftest.py
+++ b/tests/conftest.py
@@ -218,6 +218,14 @@ def docker():
     return APIClient(version='auto')
 
 
+@pytest.fixture(autouse=True)
+def ensure_mysql_verison(request, mysql_tag):
+    if request.node.get_marker('mysql_verison'):
+        if request.node.get_marker('mysql_verison').args[0] != mysql_tag:
+            pytest.skip('Not applicable for '
+                        'MySQL version: {0}'.format(mysql_tag))
+
+
 @pytest.fixture(scope='session')
 def mysql_server(unused_port, docker, session_id, mysql_tag, request):
     if not request.config.option.no_pull:
@@ -295,6 +303,32 @@ def mysql_server(unused_port, docker, session_id, mysql_tag, request):
                     assert result['Value'].startswith('TLS'), \
                         "Not connected to the database with TLS"
 
+                    # Create Databases
+                    cursor.execute('CREATE DATABASE test_pymysql  '
+                                   'DEFAULT CHARACTER SET utf8 '
+                                   'DEFAULT COLLATE utf8_general_ci;')
+                    cursor.execute('CREATE DATABASE test_pymysql2 '
+                                   'DEFAULT CHARACTER SET utf8 '
+                                   'DEFAULT COLLATE utf8_general_ci;')
+
+                    # Do MySQL8+ Specific Setup
+                    if mysql_tag in ('8.0',):
+                        # Create Users to test SHA256
+                        cursor.execute('CREATE USER user_sha256 '
+                                       'IDENTIFIED WITH "sha256_password" '
+                                       'BY "pass_sha256"')
+                        cursor.execute('CREATE USER nopass_sha256 '
+                                       'IDENTIFIED WITH "sha256_password"')
+                        cursor.execute('CREATE USER user_caching_sha2   '
+                                       'IDENTIFIED '
+                                       'WITH "caching_sha2_password" '
+                                       'BY "pass_caching_sha2"')
+                        cursor.execute('CREATE USER nopass_caching_sha2 '
+                                       'IDENTIFIED '
+                                       'WITH "caching_sha2_password" '
+                                       'PASSWORD EXPIRE NEVER')
+                        cursor.execute('FLUSH PRIVILEGES')
+
                 break
             except Exception as err:
                 time.sleep(delay)
diff --git a/tests/test_sha_connection.py b/tests/test_sha_connection.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..f0ac1ddd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/test_sha_connection.py
@@ -0,0 +1,25 @@
+import copy
+from aiomysql import create_pool
+
+import pytest
+
+
+@pytest.mark.mysql_verison('8.0')
+@pytest.mark.run_loop
+@pytest.mark.parametrize("user,password,plugin", [
+    ("nopass_sha256", None, 'sha256_password'),
+    ("user_sha256", 'pass_sha256', 'sha256_password'),
+    ("nopass_caching_sha2", None, 'caching_sha2_password'),
+    ("user_caching_sha2", 'pass_caching_sha2', 'caching_sha2_password'),
+])
+async def test_sha(mysql_server, loop, user, password, plugin):
+    connection_data = copy.copy(mysql_server['conn_params'])
+    connection_data['user'] = user
+    connection_data['password'] = password
+
+    async with create_pool(**connection_data,
+                           loop=loop) as pool:
+        async with pool.get() as conn:
+            # User doesnt have any permissions to look at DBs
+            # But as 8.0 will default to caching_sha2_password
+            assert conn._auth_plugin_used == plugin
diff --git a/tests/test_ssl.py b/tests/test_ssl.py
index 044d759e..ff1ea740 100644
--- a/tests/test_ssl.py
+++ b/tests/test_ssl.py
@@ -54,5 +54,5 @@ async def test_auth_plugin_renegotiation(mysql_server, loop):
                     'Server did not ask for native auth'
                 # Check we actually used the servers default plugin
                 assert conn._auth_plugin_used in (
-                    b'mysql_native_password', b'caching_sha2_password'), \
+                    'mysql_native_password', 'caching_sha2_password'), \
                     'Client did not renegotiate with server\'s default auth'