diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index bb1764de..5467ceed 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -2,9 +2,13 @@
 
 - Updated the Discord `AuthUser.Name` field to use `global_name` ([#7603](https://github.com/pocketbase/pocketbase/pull/7603); thanks @HansHans135).
 
+- Fixed settings SMTP password clear persistence.
+
+- Added extra OAuth2 checks when downloading the avatar URL to prevent internal network probing requests in case of a malicious/vulnerable vendor.
+
 - (@todo) Bumped min Go GitHub action version to 1.26.2 because it comes with several [minor security fixes](https://github.com/golang/go/issues?q=milestone%3AGo1.26.2).
 
-- Other minor improvements _(updated `$apis.static` JSVM documentation, added extra OAuth2 checks when downloading the avatar URL to prevent internal network probing requests in case of a malicious/vulnerable vendor, etc.)_.
+- Other minor improvements _(updated `$apis.static` JSVM documentation, fixed comment typos, etc.)_.
 
 
 ## v0.36.8
diff --git a/core/settings_model.go b/core/settings_model.go
index f7b9b822..e6b33ff3 100644
--- a/core/settings_model.go
+++ b/core/settings_model.go
@@ -327,6 +327,8 @@ func (s *Settings) MarshalJSON() ([]byte, error) {
 	copy := s.settings
 	s.mu.RUnlock()
 
+	copy.SMTP.hidePassword = true
+
 	sensitiveFields := []*string{
 		&copy.SMTP.Password,
 		&copy.S3.Secret,
@@ -346,6 +348,12 @@ func (s *Settings) MarshalJSON() ([]byte, error) {
 // -------------------------------------------------------------------
 
 type SMTPConfig struct {
+	// @todo temp workaround to avoid introducing breaking changes;
+	// consider refactoring and/or normalizing with the other Settings sensitive fields
+	//
+	// hidePassword specifies whether to hide the password field from the struct JSON serialization.
+	hidePassword bool
+
 	Enabled  bool   `form:"enabled" json:"enabled"`
 	Port     int    `form:"port" json:"port"`
 	Host     string `form:"host" json:"host"`
@@ -392,6 +400,27 @@ func (c SMTPConfig) Validate() error {
 	)
 }
 
+// MarshalJSON implements the [json.Marshaler] interface.
+func (c SMTPConfig) MarshalJSON() ([]byte, error) {
+	type alias SMTPConfig
+
+	if c.hidePassword {
+		v := struct {
+			alias
+			Password string `json:"password,omitempty"`
+		}{alias(c), ""}
+
+		return json.Marshal(v)
+	}
+
+	v := struct {
+		alias
+		Password string `json:"password"`
+	}{alias(c), c.Password}
+
+	return json.Marshal(v)
+}
+
 // -------------------------------------------------------------------
 
 type S3Config struct {
diff --git a/core/settings_model_test.go b/core/settings_model_test.go
index 3f489c5b..c78059df 100644
--- a/core/settings_model_test.go
+++ b/core/settings_model_test.go
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ package core_test
 import (
 	"encoding/json"
 	"fmt"
+	"os"
 	"strings"
 	"testing"
 	"time"
@@ -10,6 +11,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/pocketbase/pocketbase/core"
 	"github.com/pocketbase/pocketbase/tests"
 	"github.com/pocketbase/pocketbase/tools/mailer"
+	"github.com/pocketbase/pocketbase/tools/security"
 )
 
 func TestSettingsDelete(t *testing.T) {
@@ -24,6 +26,72 @@ func TestSettingsDelete(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+func TestSettings_DBExport(t *testing.T) {
+	scenarios := []struct {
+		name       string
+		encryption bool
+	}{
+		{"no encryption", false},
+		{"with encryption", true},
+	}
+
+	encryptionKey := strings.Repeat("a", 32)
+
+	for _, s := range scenarios {
+		t.Run(s.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			app, _ := tests.NewTestApp()
+			defer app.Cleanup()
+
+			originalEnv := os.Getenv(app.EncryptionEnv())
+			defer func() {
+				os.Setenv(app.EncryptionEnv(), originalEnv)
+			}()
+
+			settings := &core.Settings{}
+			settings.Meta.AppName = "test_app_name"
+			settings.Logs.MaxDays = 123
+			settings.SMTP.Host = "smtp_host"
+			settings.SMTP.Username = "smtp_username"
+			settings.SMTP.Password = "" // ensures that empty password is exported
+			settings.S3.Endpoint = "s3_endpoint"
+			settings.S3.Secret = "s3_secret"
+			settings.Backups.Cron = "* * * * *"
+			settings.Backups.S3.Enabled = true
+			settings.Backups.S3.Secret = ""
+			settings.Batch.Timeout = 15
+			settings.RateLimits.Enabled = true
+			settings.TrustedProxy.UseLeftmostIP = true
+
+			if s.encryption {
+				os.Setenv(app.EncryptionEnv(), encryptionKey)
+			}
+
+			export, err := settings.DBExport(app)
+			if err != nil {
+				t.Fatal(err)
+			}
+
+			var valueStr string
+
+			if s.encryption {
+				decrypted, err := security.Decrypt(export["value"].(string), encryptionKey)
+				if err != nil {
+					t.Fatalf("failed to decrypt test value: %v", err)
+				}
+
+				valueStr = string(decrypted)
+			} else {
+				valueStr = string(export["value"].([]byte))
+			}
+
+			expected := `{"smtp":{"enabled":false,"port":0,"host":"smtp_host","username":"smtp_username","authMethod":"","tls":false,"localName":"","password":""},"backups":{"cron":"* * * * *","cronMaxKeep":0,"s3":{"enabled":true,"bucket":"","region":"","endpoint":"","accessKey":"","forcePathStyle":false}},"s3":{"enabled":false,"bucket":"","region":"","endpoint":"s3_endpoint","accessKey":"","secret":"s3_secret","forcePathStyle":false},"meta":{"appName":"test_app_name","appURL":"","senderName":"","senderAddress":"","hideControls":false},"rateLimits":{"rules":[],"enabled":true},"trustedProxy":{"headers":[],"useLeftmostIP":true},"batch":{"enabled":false,"maxRequests":0,"timeout":15,"maxBodySize":0},"logs":{"maxDays":123,"minLevel":0,"logIP":false,"logAuthId":false}}`
+			if valueStr != expected {
+				t.Fatalf("Expected exported settings\n%s\ngot\n%s", expected, valueStr)
+			}
+		})
+	}
+}
+
 func TestSettingsMerge(t *testing.T) {
 	s1 := &core.Settings{}
 	s1.Meta.AppURL = "app_url" // should be unset