diff --git a/plugins/inputs/x509_cert/README.md b/plugins/inputs/x509_cert/README.md
index 80f038a4a..cf2ced861 100644
--- a/plugins/inputs/x509_cert/README.md
+++ b/plugins/inputs/x509_cert/README.md
@@ -39,6 +39,9 @@ See the [CONFIGURATION.md][CONFIGURATION.md] for more details.
   ## Only output the leaf certificates and omit the root ones.
   # exclude_root_certs = false
 
+  ## Pad certificate serial number with zeroes to 128-bits.
+  # pad_serial_with_zeroes = false
+
   ## Optional TLS Config
   # tls_ca = "/etc/telegraf/ca.pem"
   # tls_cert = "/etc/telegraf/cert.pem"
diff --git a/plugins/inputs/x509_cert/sample.conf b/plugins/inputs/x509_cert/sample.conf
index d1b94e41a..1c29fad9a 100644
--- a/plugins/inputs/x509_cert/sample.conf
+++ b/plugins/inputs/x509_cert/sample.conf
@@ -19,6 +19,9 @@
   ## Only output the leaf certificates and omit the root ones.
   # exclude_root_certs = false
 
+  ## Pad certificate serial number with zeroes to 128-bits.
+  # pad_serial_with_zeroes = false
+
   ## Optional TLS Config
   # tls_ca = "/etc/telegraf/ca.pem"
   # tls_cert = "/etc/telegraf/cert.pem"
diff --git a/plugins/inputs/x509_cert/x509_cert.go b/plugins/inputs/x509_cert/x509_cert.go
index 97097ded3..4962997f9 100644
--- a/plugins/inputs/x509_cert/x509_cert.go
+++ b/plugins/inputs/x509_cert/x509_cert.go
@@ -44,6 +44,7 @@ type X509Cert struct {
 	Timeout          config.Duration `toml:"timeout"`
 	ServerName       string          `toml:"server_name"`
 	ExcludeRootCerts bool            `toml:"exclude_root_certs"`
+	PadSerial        bool            `toml:"pad_serial_with_zeroes"`
 	Log              telegraf.Logger `toml:"-"`
 	common_tls.ClientConfig
 	proxy.TCPProxy
@@ -132,7 +133,7 @@ func (c *X509Cert) Gather(acc telegraf.Accumulator) error {
 
 		for i, cert := range certs {
 			fields := getFields(cert, now)
-			tags := getTags(cert, location.String())
+			tags := c.getTags(cert, location.String())
 
 			// Extract the verification result
 			err := results[i]
@@ -215,7 +216,7 @@ func (c *X509Cert) Gather(acc telegraf.Accumulator) error {
 func (c *X509Cert) processCertificate(certificate *x509.Certificate, opts x509.VerifyOptions) error {
 	chains, err := certificate.Verify(opts)
 	if err != nil {
-		c.Log.Debugf("Invalid certificate %v", certificate.SerialNumber.Text(16))
+		c.Log.Debugf("Invalid certificate %v", c.getSerialNumberString(certificate))
 		c.Log.Debugf("  cert DNS names:    %v", certificate.DNSNames)
 		c.Log.Debugf("  cert IP addresses: %v", certificate.IPAddresses)
 		c.Log.Debugf("  cert subject:      %v", certificate.Subject)
@@ -466,11 +467,11 @@ func getFields(cert *x509.Certificate, now time.Time) map[string]interface{} {
 	return fields
 }
 
-func getTags(cert *x509.Certificate, location string) map[string]string {
+func (c *X509Cert) getTags(cert *x509.Certificate, location string) map[string]string {
 	tags := map[string]string{
 		"source":               location,
 		"common_name":          cert.Subject.CommonName,
-		"serial_number":        cert.SerialNumber.Text(16),
+		"serial_number":        c.getSerialNumberString(cert),
 		"signature_algorithm":  cert.SignatureAlgorithm.String(),
 		"public_key_algorithm": cert.PublicKeyAlgorithm.String(),
 	}
@@ -524,6 +525,13 @@ func (c *X509Cert) collectCertURLs() []*url.URL {
 	return urls
 }
 
+func (c *X509Cert) getSerialNumberString(cert *x509.Certificate) string {
+	if c.PadSerial {
+		return fmt.Sprintf("%016x", cert.SerialNumber)
+	}
+	return cert.SerialNumber.Text(16)
+}
+
 func init() {
 	inputs.Add("x509_cert", func() telegraf.Input {
 		return &X509Cert{
diff --git a/plugins/inputs/x509_cert/x509_cert_test.go b/plugins/inputs/x509_cert/x509_cert_test.go
index bb4f72cc1..fa3960c99 100644
--- a/plugins/inputs/x509_cert/x509_cert_test.go
+++ b/plugins/inputs/x509_cert/x509_cert_test.go
@@ -482,6 +482,20 @@ func TestServerName(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+func TestCertificateSerialNumberRetainsLeadingZeroes(t *testing.T) {
+	bi := &big.Int{}
+	bi.SetString("123456789abcdef", 16)
+
+	plugin := &X509Cert{}
+	certificate := &x509.Certificate{
+		SerialNumber: bi,
+	}
+
+	require.Equal(t, "123456789abcdef", plugin.getSerialNumberString(certificate))
+	plugin.PadSerial = true
+	require.Equal(t, "0123456789abcdef", plugin.getSerialNumberString(certificate))
+}
+
 // Bases on code from
 // https://medium.com/@shaneutt/create-sign-x509-certificates-in-golang-8ac4ae49f903
 func TestClassification(t *testing.T) {