diff --git a/plugins/inputs/dovecot/README.md b/plugins/inputs/dovecot/README.md
index 3b6129488dae3..9e44d99edbc07 100644
--- a/plugins/inputs/dovecot/README.md
+++ b/plugins/inputs/dovecot/README.md
@@ -14,6 +14,9 @@ the [upgrading steps][upgrading].
   ## specify dovecot servers via an address:port list
   ##  e.g.
   ##    localhost:24242
+  ## or as an UDS socket
+  ##  e.g.
+  ##    /var/run/dovecot/old-stats
   ##
   ## If no servers are specified, then localhost is used as the host.
   servers = ["localhost:24242"]
diff --git a/plugins/inputs/dovecot/dovecot.go b/plugins/inputs/dovecot/dovecot.go
index 94c941655ccc8..ec93ec51701cc 100644
--- a/plugins/inputs/dovecot/dovecot.go
+++ b/plugins/inputs/dovecot/dovecot.go
@@ -78,12 +78,20 @@ func (d *Dovecot) Gather(acc telegraf.Accumulator) error {
 }
 
 func (d *Dovecot) gatherServer(addr string, acc telegraf.Accumulator, qtype string, filter string) error {
-	_, _, err := net.SplitHostPort(addr)
-	if err != nil {
-		return fmt.Errorf("%q on url %s", err.Error(), addr)
-	}
+	var proto string
+
+	if strings.HasPrefix(addr, "/") {
+		proto = "unix"
+	} else {
+		proto = "tcp"
 
-	c, err := net.DialTimeout("tcp", addr, defaultTimeout)
+		_, _, err := net.SplitHostPort(addr)
+		if err != nil {
+			return fmt.Errorf("%q on url %s", err.Error(), addr)
+		}
+	}
+	
+	c, err := net.DialTimeout(proto, addr, defaultTimeout)
 	if err != nil {
 		return fmt.Errorf("enable to connect to dovecot server '%s': %s", addr, err)
 	}