diff --git a/client/client.go b/client/client.go
index 48034df..88a26c4 100644
--- a/client/client.go
+++ b/client/client.go
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ import (
 	"bufio"
 	"crypto/sha256"
 	"crypto/tls"
+	"encoding/hex"
 	"encoding/json"
 	"fmt"
 	"io"
@@ -16,6 +17,7 @@ import (
 
 	"github.com/contribsys/faktory/internal/pool"
 	"github.com/contribsys/faktory/util"
+	"golang.org/x/crypto/pbkdf2"
 )
 
 const (
@@ -684,12 +686,11 @@ func readResponse(rdr *bufio.Reader) ([]byte, error) {
 }
 
 func hash(pwd, salt string, iterations int) string {
-	data := []byte(pwd + salt)
-	hash := sha256.Sum256(data)
-	if iterations > 1 {
-		for i := 1; i < iterations; i++ {
-			hash = sha256.Sum256(hash[:])
-		}
-	}
-	return fmt.Sprintf("%x", hash)
+	pwdBytes := []byte(pwd)
+	saltBytes := []byte(salt)
+
+	// The '32' parameter specifies the key length in bytes (256 bits for SHA-256)
+	hash := pbkdf2.Key(pwdBytes, saltBytes, iterations, 32, sha256.New)
+
+	return fmt.Sprintf("sha256:%s", hex.EncodeToString(hash))
 }
diff --git a/docs/protocol-specification.md b/docs/protocol-specification.md
index d40ba5b..2818afb 100644
--- a/docs/protocol-specification.md
+++ b/docs/protocol-specification.md
@@ -307,17 +307,56 @@ commands.
 
 When the server `HI` includes an iteration count `i` and a salt `s`,
 a client MUST include a `pwdhash` String-typed field in their `HELLO`.
-This field should be the hexadecimal representation of the `i`th SHA256
-hash of the client password concatenated with the value in `s`.
+This field should be the PBKDF2-HMAC-SHA256 digest represented
+as a hex string.
 
-```example
-hash = password + s
-for 0..i {
-  hash = sha256(hash)
+Here's how to implement that in Go.
+
+```go
+import (
+    "crypto/sha256"
+	"fmt"
+    "golang.org/x/crypto/pbkdf2"
+    "encoding/hex"
+)
+
+func hash(pwd, salt string, iterations int) string {
+    pwdBytes := []byte(pwd)
+    saltBytes := []byte(salt)
+
+    // Generate the hash using PBKDF2-HMAC-SHA256. The '32' parameter 
+    // specifies the key length in bytes (256 bits for SHA-256).
+    hash := pbkdf2.Key(pwdBytes, saltBytes, iterations, 32, sha256.New)
+
+    return fmt.Sprintf("sha256:%s", hex.EncodeToString(hash))
 }
-hex(hash)
 ```
 
+And in Python.
+
+```python
+import hashlib
+
+def hash(pwd: str, salt: str, iterations: int) -> str:
+    pwd_bytes = pwd.encode('utf-8')
+    salt_bytes = salt.encode('utf-8')
+
+    # Generate the hash using PBKDF2-HMAC-SHA256. The dklen parameter
+    # specifies the key length in bytest (256 bits for SHA-256).
+    hash = hashlib.pbkdf2_hmac(
+        'sha256',
+        pwd_bytes,
+        salt_bytes,
+        iterations,
+        dklen=32,
+    )
+
+    return f"sha256:{hash.hex()}"
+```
+
+You can gut-check your own implementation by checking that `hash("password", "salt", 50)`
+returns `926891811ee18e4539b150e9c3888a1afb0eb6fb827ad0c01ab6b4b918a513ac`.
+
 #### Required Fields for Consumers
 
 A client that wishes to act as a consumer MUST include the following
diff --git a/go.mod b/go.mod
index 16fd7df..c5270c2 100644
--- a/go.mod
+++ b/go.mod
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ require github.com/redis/go-redis/v9 v9.6.1
 require (
 	github.com/cespare/xxhash/v2 v2.3.0 // indirect
 	github.com/dgryski/go-rendezvous v0.0.0-20200823014737-9f7001d12a5f // indirect
+	golang.org/x/crypto v0.33.0 // indirect
 	gopkg.in/yaml.v3 v3.0.1 // indirect
 )
 
diff --git a/go.sum b/go.sum
index 1d72f54..7c1874f 100644
--- a/go.sum
+++ b/go.sum
@@ -20,6 +20,8 @@ github.com/redis/go-redis/v9 v9.6.1 h1:HHDteefn6ZkTtY5fGUE8tj8uy85AHk6zP7CpzIAM0
 github.com/redis/go-redis/v9 v9.6.1/go.mod h1:0C0c6ycQsdpVNQpxb1njEQIqkx5UcsM8FJCQLgE9+RA=
 github.com/stretchr/testify v1.9.0 h1:HtqpIVDClZ4nwg75+f6Lvsy/wHu+3BoSGCbBAcpTsTg=
 github.com/stretchr/testify v1.9.0/go.mod h1:r2ic/lqez/lEtzL7wO/rwa5dbSLXVDPFyf8C91i36aY=
+golang.org/x/crypto v0.33.0 h1:IOBPskki6Lysi0lo9qQvbxiQ+FvsCC/YWOecCHAixus=
+golang.org/x/crypto v0.33.0/go.mod h1:bVdXmD7IV/4GdElGPozy6U7lWdRXA4qyRVGJV57uQ5M=
 gopkg.in/check.v1 v0.0.0-20161208181325-20d25e280405 h1:yhCVgyC4o1eVCa2tZl7eS0r+SDo693bJlVdllGtEeKM=
 gopkg.in/check.v1 v0.0.0-20161208181325-20d25e280405/go.mod h1:Co6ibVJAznAaIkqp8huTwlJQCZ016jof/cbN4VW5Yz0=
 gopkg.in/yaml.v3 v3.0.1 h1:fxVm/GzAzEWqLHuvctI91KS9hhNmmWOoWu0XTYJS7CA=
diff --git a/server/server.go b/server/server.go
index 2cd8e67..fbb674b 100644
--- a/server/server.go
+++ b/server/server.go
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ import (
 	"crypto/sha256"
 	"crypto/subtle"
 	"crypto/tls"
+	"encoding/hex"
 	"errors"
 	"fmt"
 	"io"
@@ -24,6 +25,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/contribsys/faktory/storage"
 	"github.com/contribsys/faktory/util"
 	"github.com/redis/go-redis/v9"
+	"golang.org/x/crypto/pbkdf2"
 )
 
 type RuntimeStats struct {
@@ -230,14 +232,27 @@ func cleanupConnection(s *Server, c *Connection) {
 }
 
 func hash(pwd, salt string, iterations int) string {
-	bytes := []byte(pwd + salt)
-	hash := sha256.Sum256(bytes)
-	if iterations > 1 {
-		for i := 1; i < iterations; i++ {
-			hash = sha256.Sum256(hash[:])
+	if strings.HasPrefix(pwd, "sha256:") {
+		pwd := strings.TrimPrefix(pwd, "sha256:")
+		pwdBytes := []byte(pwd)
+		saltBytes := []byte(salt)
+
+		// The '32' parameter specifies the key length in bytes (256 bits for SHA-256)
+		hash := pbkdf2.Key(pwdBytes, saltBytes, iterations, 32, sha256.New)
+
+		return hex.EncodeToString(hash)
+	} else {
+		bytes := []byte(pwd + salt)
+		hash := sha256.Sum256(bytes)
+
+		if iterations > 1 {
+			for i := 1; i < iterations; i++ {
+				hash = sha256.Sum256(hash[:])
+			}
 		}
+
+		return fmt.Sprintf("%x", hash)
 	}
-	return fmt.Sprintf("%x", hash)
 }
 
 func startConnection(conn net.Conn, s *Server) *Connection {