diff --git a/mycli/main.py b/mycli/main.py
index 5d8faa08..f00af3af 100755
--- a/mycli/main.py
+++ b/mycli/main.py
@@ -56,7 +56,7 @@
 from mycli.packages import special
 from mycli.packages.filepaths import dir_path_exists, guess_socket_location
 from mycli.packages.hybrid_redirection import get_redirect_components, is_redirect_command
-from mycli.packages.parseutils import is_destructive, is_dropping_database
+from mycli.packages.parseutils import is_destructive, is_dropping_database, is_valid_connection_scheme
 from mycli.packages.prompt_utils import confirm, confirm_destructive_query
 from mycli.packages.special.favoritequeries import FavoriteQueries
 from mycli.packages.special.main import ArgType
@@ -1584,7 +1584,14 @@ def cli(
         password = click.prompt("Enter password", hide_input=True, show_default=False, default='', type=str, err=True)
     # if the password value looks like a DSN, treat it as such and
     # prompt for password
-    elif database is None and password is not None and password.startswith("mysql://"):
+    elif database is None and password is not None and "://" in password:
+        # check if the scheme is valid. We do not actually have any logic for these, but
+        # it will most usefully catch the case where we erroneously catch someone's
+        # password, and give them an easy error message to follow / report
+        is_valid_scheme, scheme = is_valid_connection_scheme(password)
+        if not is_valid_scheme:
+            click.secho(f"Error: Unknown connection scheme provided for DSN URI ({scheme}://)", err=True, fg="red")
+            sys.exit(1)
         database = password
         password = click.prompt("Enter password", hide_input=True, show_default=False, default='', type=str, err=True)
     # getting the envvar ourselves because the envvar from a click
diff --git a/mycli/packages/parseutils.py b/mycli/packages/parseutils.py
index b29e7cbd..c47f9472 100644
--- a/mycli/packages/parseutils.py
+++ b/mycli/packages/parseutils.py
@@ -23,6 +23,17 @@
 }
 
 
+def is_valid_connection_scheme(text: str) -> tuple[bool, str | None]:
+    # exit early if the text does not resemble a DSN URI
+    if "://" not in text:
+        return False, None
+    scheme = text.split("://")[0]
+    if scheme not in ("mysql", "mysqlx", "tcp", "socket", "ssh"):
+        return False, scheme
+    else:
+        return True, None
+
+
 def last_word(text: str, include: str = "alphanum_underscore") -> str:
     r"""
     Find the last word in a sentence.
diff --git a/test/test_main.py b/test/test_main.py
index fec23cb9..ebbed6c7 100644
--- a/test/test_main.py
+++ b/test/test_main.py
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@
 from click.testing import CliRunner
 from pymysql.err import OperationalError
 
-from mycli.main import MyCli, cli, thanks_picker
+from mycli.main import MyCli, cli, is_valid_connection_scheme, thanks_picker
 import mycli.packages.special
 from mycli.packages.special.main import COMMANDS as SPECIAL_COMMANDS
 from mycli.sqlexecute import ServerInfo, SQLExecute
@@ -40,6 +40,16 @@
 ]
 
 
+def test_is_valid_connection_scheme_valid(executor, capsys):
+    is_valid, scheme = is_valid_connection_scheme("mysql://test@localhost:3306/dev")
+    assert is_valid
+
+
+def test_is_valid_connection_scheme_invalid(executor, capsys):
+    is_valid, scheme = is_valid_connection_scheme("nope://test@localhost:3306/dev")
+    assert not is_valid
+
+
 @dbtest
 def test_ssl_mode_on(executor, capsys):
     runner = CliRunner()