diff --git a/virtsecrets/templates/secrets.html b/virtsecrets/templates/secrets.html
index caf36136..40d235e4 100644
--- a/virtsecrets/templates/secrets.html
+++ b/virtsecrets/templates/secrets.html
@@ -96,7 +96,7 @@
                                                             <label class="col-sm-3 col-form-label" for="secret_value_{{ secret.uuid }}">{% trans "Value" %}</label>
                                                             <input type="hidden" name="uuid" value="{{ secret.uuid }}">
                                                             <div class="col-sm-6">
-                                                                <input type="text" id="secret_value_{{ secret.uuid }}" name="value" class="form-control" value="{{ secret.value }}" required pattern="[A-Za-z0-9+\/]*={0,2}">
+                                                                <input type="password" id="secret_value_{{ secret.uuid }}" name="value" class="form-control" autocomplete="new-password" required pattern="[A-Za-z0-9+\/]*={0,2}">
                                                             </div>
                                                         </div>
                                                 </div> <!-- /.modal-content -->
diff --git a/virtsecrets/tests/test_create_secret.py b/virtsecrets/tests/test_create_secret.py
index 55256f65..cd177082 100644
--- a/virtsecrets/tests/test_create_secret.py
+++ b/virtsecrets/tests/test_create_secret.py
@@ -35,12 +35,9 @@ class SecretValueTests(SimpleTestCase):
         secret = get.return_value.secretLookupByUUIDString.return_value
         return conn, secret
 
-    def test_the_shown_value_written_back_keeps_the_secret(self):
+    def test_a_base64_value_is_stored_as_its_bytes(self):
         conn, secret = self.secrets()
-        secret.value.return_value = b"pw\x00\xff"
-        shown = conn.get_secret_value("uuid")
-        self.assertEqual(shown, "cHcA/w==")  # base64 text, what the edit dialog shows
-        conn.set_secret_value("uuid", shown)
+        conn.set_secret_value("uuid", "cHcA/w==")
         secret.setValue.assert_called_once_with(b"pw\x00\xff")
 
     def test_a_value_that_is_not_base64_is_refused(self):
diff --git a/virtsecrets/tests/test_secrets_page.py b/virtsecrets/tests/test_secrets_page.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..bb1e7c07
--- /dev/null
+++ b/virtsecrets/tests/test_secrets_page.py
@@ -0,0 +1,31 @@
+"""The secrets page never holds a secret's value: the edit dialog only
+writes a new one."""
+
+from unittest.mock import patch
+
+from computes.models import Compute
+from django.contrib.auth import get_user_model
+from django.test import TestCase
+from django.urls import reverse
+from libvirt import VIR_SECRET_USAGE_TYPE_CEPH
+from lxml import html
+
+
+class SecretsPageTests(TestCase):
+    def test_the_page_holds_no_secret_value(self):
+        compute = Compute.objects.create(name="secrets-page", hostname="localhost", login="", password="", type=4)
+        self.client.force_login(get_user_model().objects.create_superuser("page", "page@example.com", "pw"))
+        with patch("virtsecrets.views.wvmSecrets") as conn:
+            conn.return_value.get_secrets.return_value = ["0e5b1f0a-8f3e-4c1a-9d2b-5c6d7e8f9a0b"]
+            secret = conn.return_value.get_secret.return_value
+            secret.usageID.return_value = "client.libvirt"
+            secret.UUIDString.return_value = "0e5b1f0a-8f3e-4c1a-9d2b-5c6d7e8f9a0b"
+            secret.usageType.return_value = VIR_SECRET_USAGE_TYPE_CEPH
+            secret.value.return_value = b"cephx key"
+            conn.return_value.get_secret_value.return_value = "Y2VwaHgga2V5"
+            response = self.client.get(reverse("virtsecrets", args=[compute.id]))
+        self.assertEqual(response.status_code, 200)
+        self.assertFalse(b"Y2VwaHgga2V5" in response.content, "the secret's value is on the page")
+        field = html.fromstring(response.content).get_element_by_id("secret_value_0e5b1f0a-8f3e-4c1a-9d2b-5c6d7e8f9a0b")
+        self.assertIsNone(field.get("value"))
+        self.assertEqual(field.get("type"), "password")
diff --git a/virtsecrets/views.py b/virtsecrets/views.py
index f8f96e74..f9f276d6 100644
--- a/virtsecrets/views.py
+++ b/virtsecrets/views.py
@@ -42,16 +42,11 @@ def secrets(request, compute_id):
 
         for uuid in secrets:
             secrt = conn.get_secret(uuid)
-            try:
-                secrt_value = conn.get_secret_value(uuid)
-            except libvirtError:
-                secrt_value = None
             secrets_all.append(
                 {
                     "usage": secrt.usageID(),
                     "uuid": secrt.UUIDString(),
                     "usageType": secret_usage_types[secrt.usageType()],
-                    "value": secrt_value,
                 }
             )
         if request.method == "POST":
diff --git a/vrtManager/virtsecrets.py b/vrtManager/virtsecrets.py
index eda743c9..683e1122 100644
--- a/vrtManager/virtsecrets.py
+++ b/vrtManager/virtsecrets.py
@@ -15,12 +15,8 @@ class wvmSecrets(wvmConnect):
         etree.SubElement(usage, USAGE_ELEMENTS[secret_type]).text = data
         self.wvm.secretDefineXML(etree.tostring(secret, encoding="unicode"))
 
-    def get_secret_value(self, uuid):
-        """The value as base64 text, the form set_secret_value takes."""
-        secrt = self.get_secret(uuid)
-        return base64.b64encode(secrt.value()).decode()
-
     def set_secret_value(self, uuid, value):
+        """value: the new value as base64 text."""
         secrt = self.get_secret(uuid)
         # validate: a value that is not base64 is refused, not decoded to other bytes
         secrt.setValue(base64.b64decode(value, validate=True))