diff --git a/ballerina/client.bal b/ballerina/client.bal
index b5c79a54..7398bcf9 100644
--- a/ballerina/client.bal
+++ b/ballerina/client.bal
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ public isolated client class Client {
     # + connectionPool - The `sql:ConnectionPool` to be used for the connection. If there is no
     #                    `connectionPool` provided, the global connection pool (shared by all clients) will be used
     # + return - An `sql:Error` if the client creation fails
-    public isolated function init(string host = "localhost", string? user = (), string? password = (), string? database = (),
+    public isolated function init(string host = "localhost", string? user = "root", string? password = (), string? database = (),
         int port = 3306, Options? options = (), sql:ConnectionPool? connectionPool = ()) returns sql:Error? {
         ClientConfiguration clientConfig = {
             host: host,
diff --git a/ballerina/tests/connection-init-test.bal b/ballerina/tests/connection-init-test.bal
index 3f1c3010..a9fb1420 100644
--- a/ballerina/tests/connection-init-test.bal
+++ b/ballerina/tests/connection-init-test.bal
@@ -44,6 +44,15 @@ function testWithoutHost() returns error? {
     test:assertExactEquals(exitCode, (), "Initialising connection without host fails.");
 }
 
+@test:Config {
+    groups: ["connection", "connection-init"]
+}
+function testWithoutUser() returns error? {
+    Client dbClient = check new(host = host, port = port, password = password, database = connectDB);
+    sql:Error? closeResult = dbClient.close();
+    test:assertExactEquals(closeResult, (), "Initialising connection without user fails.");
+}
+
 @test:Config {
     groups: ["connection", "connection-init"]
 }
diff --git a/changelog.md b/changelog.md
index 3a37bad7..1e34c718 100644
--- a/changelog.md
+++ b/changelog.md
@@ -9,6 +9,8 @@ and this project adheres to [Semantic Versioning](https://semver.org/spec/v2.0.0
 ### Added
 
 ### Changed
+- [Change default username for client initialization to `root`](https://github.com/ballerina-platform/ballerina-standard-library/issues/2397)
+
 
 ## [1.4.0] - 2022-05-30
 
diff --git a/docs/proposals/default-username-for-client-connections.md b/docs/proposals/default-username-for-client-connections.md
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..ce2b5881
--- /dev/null
+++ b/docs/proposals/default-username-for-client-connections.md
@@ -0,0 +1,36 @@
+# Define default username for client connections
+
+_Owners_: @kaneeldias  
+_Reviewers_: @daneshk @niveathika  
+_Created_: 2022/04/25  
+_Updated_: 2022/04/22  
+_Edition_: Swan Lake  
+_Issues_: [#2397](https://github.com/ballerina-platform/ballerina-standard-library/issues/2397)
+
+## Summary
+Define default username to be used when connecting to a MySQL database on client initialization.
+
+## History
+The 1.3.x versions and below of the MySQL package defaulted to connecting to the database without a username
+attached (i.e. an empty string).
+
+## Goals
+- Define the default username to be used when connecting to a MySQL database on client initialization.
+
+## Motivation
+The ability to connect to common databases with default credentials (as opposed to manually defining) would make the
+developer experience much more quick, simple and user-friendly, especially in testing scenarios.
+
+## Description
+For MySQL databases, the default username is `root`[[1]](https://dev.mysql.com/doc/refman/8.0/en/default-privileges.html)
+
+Modify the [client initialization method](https://github.com/ballerina-platform/module-ballerinax-mysql/blob/c2651da46c098ea6ef4a79079dc26cbd4d7cf54b/ballerina/client.bal#L36-L37)
+signature to use `root` as the default value for the username instead of `()`.
+
+```ballerina
+    public isolated function init(string host = "localhost", string? user = "root", string? password = (), string? database = (),
+        int port = 1433, string instance = "", Options? options = (), sql:ConnectionPool? connectionPool = ()) returns sql:Error? {
+```
+
+## References
+[1] https://dev.mysql.com/doc/refman/8.0/en/default-privileges.html
diff --git a/docs/spec/spec.md b/docs/spec/spec.md
index a0ddf841..739a7b0b 100644
--- a/docs/spec/spec.md
+++ b/docs/spec/spec.md
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
 _Owners_: @daneshk @niveathika  
 _Reviewers_: @daneshk  
 _Created_: 2022/01/14   
-_Updated_: 2022/03/23  
+_Updated_: 2022/04/25  
 _Edition_: Swan Lake  
 _Issue_: [#2289](https://github.com/ballerina-platform/ballerina-standard-library/issues/2289)
 
@@ -60,7 +60,7 @@ lifetime of the client.
 #                    `connectionPool` provided, the global connection pool (shared by all 
 #                    clients) will be used
 # + return - An `sql:Error` if the client creation fails
-public isolated function init(string host = "localhost", string? user = (), 
+public isolated function init(string host = "localhost", string? user = "root", 
        string? password = (), string? database = (), int port = 3306, Options? options = (), 
        sql:ConnectionPool? connectionPool = ()) returns sql:Error?;
 ```