diff --git a/docs/system/deprecated.rst b/docs/system/deprecated.rst
index 5e3a31c123..8cba672a7b 100644
--- a/docs/system/deprecated.rst
+++ b/docs/system/deprecated.rst
@@ -174,6 +174,14 @@ Input parameters that take a size value should only use a size suffix
 the value is hexadecimal.  That is, '0x20M' is deprecated, and should
 be written either as '32M' or as '0x2000000'.
 
+``-spice password=string`` (since 6.0)
+''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''
+
+This option is insecure because the SPICE password remains visible in
+the process listing. This is replaced by the new ``password-secret``
+option which lets the password be securely provided on the command
+line using a ``secret`` object instance.
+
 QEMU Machine Protocol (QMP) commands
 ------------------------------------
 
diff --git a/qemu-options.hx b/qemu-options.hx
index a98f8e84a2..4da3f4f48c 100644
--- a/qemu-options.hx
+++ b/qemu-options.hx
@@ -1928,6 +1928,10 @@ SRST
     ``password=<string>``
         Set the password you need to authenticate.
 
+        This option is deprecated and insecure because it leaves the
+        password visible in the process listing. Use ``password-secret``
+        instead.
+
     ``password-secret=<secret-id>``
         Set the ID of the ``secret`` object containing the password
         you need to authenticate.
diff --git a/ui/spice-core.c b/ui/spice-core.c
index b9d8aced91..272d19b0c1 100644
--- a/ui/spice-core.c
+++ b/ui/spice-core.c
@@ -686,6 +686,8 @@ static void qemu_spice_init(void)
     } else {
         str = qemu_opt_get(opts, "password");
         if (str) {
+            warn_report("'password' option is deprecated and insecure, "
+                        "use 'password-secret' instead");
             password = g_strdup(str);
         }
     }