diff --git a/p2p/net/conn/dial.go b/p2p/net/conn/dial.go
index a2ce3c0c7acb87812a60a9e83d9acb2c5915bf0e..b2d4908affa2e3fe91f889b5d7e9019a1c8368a5 100644
--- a/p2p/net/conn/dial.go
+++ b/p2p/net/conn/dial.go
@@ -63,7 +63,12 @@ func (d *Dialer) Dial(ctx context.Context, raddr ma.Multiaddr, remote peer.ID) (
 			maconn = d.Wrapper(maconn)
 		}
 
-		err = msmux.SelectProtoOrFail(SecioTag, maconn)
+		cryptoProtoChoice := SecioTag
+		if !EncryptConnections {
+			cryptoProtoChoice = NoEncryptionTag
+		}
+
+		err = msmux.SelectProtoOrFail(cryptoProtoChoice, maconn)
 		if err != nil {
 			errOut = err
 			return
diff --git a/p2p/net/conn/listen.go b/p2p/net/conn/listen.go
index 99d4826b5260f8af2be181968cdbb186c394e389..b5ea522c717b8524bf6e915614f08738fe983618 100644
--- a/p2p/net/conn/listen.go
+++ b/p2p/net/conn/listen.go
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ import (
 )
 
 const SecioTag = "/secio"
+const NoEncryptionTag = "/plaintext"
 
 // ConnWrapper is any function that wraps a raw multiaddr connection
 type ConnWrapper func(transport.Conn) transport.Conn
@@ -164,7 +165,11 @@ func WrapTransportListener(ctx context.Context, ml transport.Listener, local pee
 	}
 	l.proc = goprocessctx.WithContextAndTeardown(ctx, l.teardown)
 
-	l.mux.AddHandler(SecioTag, nil)
+	if EncryptConnections {
+		l.mux.AddHandler(SecioTag, nil)
+	} else {
+		l.mux.AddHandler(NoEncryptionTag, nil)
+	}
 
 	log.Debugf("Conn Listener on %s", l.Multiaddr())
 	log.Event(ctx, "swarmListen", l)