diff --git a/ast2400.c b/ast2400.c
index 4f71414f90670ebafc25bddde44a5d7ea051b7d1..03edd8edb35fb04098be203d43a2f7d9d1d04fa5 100644
--- a/ast2400.c
+++ b/ast2400.c
@@ -71,6 +71,9 @@
 #define AST2400_WDT_RESET_MODE_MASK	(0x3 << 5)
 #define AST2400_WDT_RESET_CPU_ONLY	(0x2 << 5)
 
+// Default password from http://students.engr.scu.edu/~sschaeck/misc/aspeed-edac.html
+#define AST2400_DEFAULT_PASSWORD	"5z&0VK{@`HW}H~V310=l=JB+M]IV-f;Sz98XfCA&Rp)i|Jo=2?IBN$QaQ2\"Kb|Ov"
+
 uint8_t *ast2400_device_bar = 0;
 uint8_t ast2400_device_spi_bus = 0;
 uint8_t ast2400_device_halt_cpu = 0;
@@ -358,9 +361,8 @@ int ast2400_init(void)
 	if (ast2400_serial_backdoor_access) {
 		ast2400_backdoor_password = extract_programmer_param("aspeed_vendor_backdoor_password");
 		if (!ast2400_backdoor_password) {
-			free(serial_port);
-			msg_perr("Cannot program over serial without ASpeed's vendor backdoor password!  Specify with aspeed_vendor_backdoor_password=\n");
-			return 1;
+			ast2400_backdoor_password = strdup(AST2400_DEFAULT_PASSWORD);
+			msg_pinfo("No password specified with aspeed_vendor_backdoor_password, falling back to default.\n");
 		}
 	}