diff --git a/docs/source/02-02-advanced-configuration.md b/docs/source/02-02-advanced-configuration.md
index 083b4bcdb..49769be0b 100644
--- a/docs/source/02-02-advanced-configuration.md
+++ b/docs/source/02-02-advanced-configuration.md
@@ -246,6 +246,21 @@ Refer to the documentation for [TALK_JWT_ALG](#talk-jwt-alg) for other signing
 methods and other forms of the `TALK_JWT_SECRET`. If you are interested in using
 multiple keys, then refer to [TALK_JWT_SECRETS](#talk-jwt-secrets).
 
+You can also encode your secret as a base64 string (if you are using a symmetric
+algorithm) as long as you prefix it with `base64:`. For example:
+
+```plain
+TALK_JWT_SECRET={"secret": "base64:dGVzdA=="}
+```
+
+Would be the same as:
+
+```plain
+TALK_JWT_SECRET={"secret": "test"}
+```
+
+As `dGVzdA==` is just `test` encoded using base64.
+
 ## TALK_JWT_SECRETS
 
 Used when specifying multiple secrets used for key rotations. This is a JSON
@@ -271,7 +286,6 @@ Note that the secret is stored in a JSON object, keyed by `secret`. This is only
 needed when specifying in the multiple secrets for `TALK_JWT_SECRETS`, but may
 be used to specify the single [TALK_JWT_SECRET](#talk-jwt-secret).
 
-
 When the value of [TALK_JWT_ALG](#talk-jwt-alg) is **not** a `HS*` value, then
 the value of the `TALK_JWT_SECRETS` should take the form:
 
@@ -282,7 +296,6 @@ TALK_JWT_SECRETS=[{"kid": "1", "private": "<my private key>", "public": "<my pub
 Refer to the documentation on the [TALK_JWT_ALG](#talk-jwt-alg) for more
 information on what to store in these parameters.
 
-
 ## TALK_JWT_SIGNING_COOKIE_NAME
 
 The default cookie name that is use to set a cookie containing a JWT that was
diff --git a/services/jwt.js b/services/jwt.js
index c36ea4c97..b1e444dbd 100644
--- a/services/jwt.js
+++ b/services/jwt.js
@@ -120,6 +120,11 @@ function SharedSecret({ kid = undefined, secret = null }, algorithm) {
     throw new Error('Secret cannot have a zero length');
   }
 
+  // If the secret is base64 encoded, then decode it!
+  if (secret.startsWith('base64:')) {
+    secret = Buffer.from(secret.substring(7), 'base64').toString();
+  }
+
   return new Secret({
     kid,
     signingKey: secret,