diff --git a/python/PyQt6/core/auto_generated/qgsmaplayer.sip.in b/python/PyQt6/core/auto_generated/qgsmaplayer.sip.in
index 73545c5cd377..f185105e38a3 100644
--- a/python/PyQt6/core/auto_generated/qgsmaplayer.sip.in
+++ b/python/PyQt6/core/auto_generated/qgsmaplayer.sip.in
@@ -567,13 +567,14 @@ or other problem. Child classes set this flag when initialized.
 :return: ``True`` if the layer is valid and can be accessed
 %End
 
+
     QString publicSource( bool hidePassword = false ) const;
 %Docstring
 Gets a version of the internal layer definition that has sensitive
 bits removed (for example, the password). This function should
 be used when displaying the source name for general viewing.
 
-:param hidePassword: False, if the password should be removed or replaced by an arbitrary string, since QGIS 3.34
+:param hidePassword: ``True`` to replace the value of credentials with 'xxxxxxxx', ``False`` to completely remove credentials (key and value). Since QGIS 3.34
 
 .. seealso:: :py:func:`source`
 %End
diff --git a/python/core/auto_generated/qgsmaplayer.sip.in b/python/core/auto_generated/qgsmaplayer.sip.in
index cfa3b903874f..41b536975391 100644
--- a/python/core/auto_generated/qgsmaplayer.sip.in
+++ b/python/core/auto_generated/qgsmaplayer.sip.in
@@ -567,13 +567,14 @@ or other problem. Child classes set this flag when initialized.
 :return: ``True`` if the layer is valid and can be accessed
 %End
 
+
     QString publicSource( bool hidePassword = false ) const;
 %Docstring
 Gets a version of the internal layer definition that has sensitive
 bits removed (for example, the password). This function should
 be used when displaying the source name for general viewing.
 
-:param hidePassword: False, if the password should be removed or replaced by an arbitrary string, since QGIS 3.34
+:param hidePassword: ``True`` to replace the value of credentials with 'xxxxxxxx', ``False`` to completely remove credentials (key and value). Since QGIS 3.34
 
 .. seealso:: :py:func:`source`
 %End
diff --git a/src/core/qgsmaplayer.cpp b/src/core/qgsmaplayer.cpp
index e1cfb6040556..d4b31630664d 100644
--- a/src/core/qgsmaplayer.cpp
+++ b/src/core/qgsmaplayer.cpp
@@ -473,13 +473,37 @@ QString QgsMapLayer::metadataUrlFormat() const
   }
 }
 
-QString QgsMapLayer::publicSource( bool hidePassword ) const
+QString QgsMapLayer::publicSource( bool redactCredentials ) const
 {
   QGIS_PROTECT_QOBJECT_THREAD_ACCESS
 
+  QString safeName = mDataSource;
+
+  if ( providerType() == QLatin1String( "gdal" ) )
+  {
+    QVariantMap components = QgsProviderRegistry::instance()->decodeUri( providerType(), safeName );
+    QVariantMap credentialOptions = components.value( QStringLiteral( "credentialOptions" ) ).toMap();
+    if ( !credentialOptions.empty() )
+    {
+      if ( redactCredentials )
+      {
+        for ( auto it = credentialOptions.begin(); it != credentialOptions.end(); ++it )
+        {
+          it.value() = QStringLiteral( "XXXXXXXX" );
+        }
+        components.insert( QStringLiteral( "credentialOptions" ), credentialOptions );
+      }
+      else
+      {
+        components.remove( QStringLiteral( "credentialOptions" ) );
+      }
+    }
+    safeName = QgsProviderRegistry::instance()->encodeUri( providerType(), components );
+  }
+
   // Redo this every time we're asked for it, as we don't know if
   // dataSource has changed.
-  QString safeName = QgsDataSourceUri::removePassword( mDataSource, hidePassword );
+  safeName = QgsDataSourceUri::removePassword( safeName, redactCredentials );
   return safeName;
 }
 
@@ -3232,12 +3256,14 @@ QString QgsMapLayer::generalHtmlMetadata() const
   // name
   metadata += QStringLiteral( "<tr><td class=\"highlight\">" ) + tr( "Name" ) + QStringLiteral( "</td><td>" ) + name() + QStringLiteral( "</td></tr>\n" );
 
+  const QString lPublicSource = publicSource();
+
   QString path;
   bool isLocalPath = false;
   if ( dataProvider() )
   {
     // local path
-    QVariantMap uriComponents = QgsProviderRegistry::instance()->decodeUri( dataProvider()->name(), publicSource() );
+    QVariantMap uriComponents = QgsProviderRegistry::instance()->decodeUri( dataProvider()->name(), lPublicSource );
     if ( uriComponents.contains( QStringLiteral( "path" ) ) )
     {
       path = uriComponents[QStringLiteral( "path" )].toString();
@@ -3283,8 +3309,8 @@ QString QgsMapLayer::generalHtmlMetadata() const
   }
 
   // data source
-  if ( publicSource() != path || !isLocalPath )
-    metadata += QStringLiteral( "<tr><td class=\"highlight\">" ) + tr( "Source" ) + QStringLiteral( "</td><td>%1" ).arg( publicSource() != path ? publicSource() : path ) + QStringLiteral( "</td></tr>\n" );
+  if ( lPublicSource != path || !isLocalPath )
+    metadata += QStringLiteral( "<tr><td class=\"highlight\">" ) + tr( "Source" ) + QStringLiteral( "</td><td>%1" ).arg( lPublicSource != path ? lPublicSource : path ) + QStringLiteral( "</td></tr>\n" );
 
   // provider
   if ( dataProvider() )
diff --git a/src/core/qgsmaplayer.h b/src/core/qgsmaplayer.h
index 19303cb6e212..861b2ffc5c0b 100644
--- a/src/core/qgsmaplayer.h
+++ b/src/core/qgsmaplayer.h
@@ -573,12 +573,15 @@ class CORE_EXPORT QgsMapLayer : public QObject
      */
     bool isValid() const;
 
+    // TODO QGIS 4.0: consider changing bool hidePassword to an enumeration: HIDE_CREDENTIALS / REDACT_CREDENTIALS
+    // to avoid the ambiguity of the double negation (hide = false)
+
     /**
      * Gets a version of the internal layer definition that has sensitive
-      *  bits removed (for example, the password). This function should
-      * be used when displaying the source name for general viewing.
-      * \param hidePassword False, if the password should be removed or replaced by an arbitrary string, since QGIS 3.34
-      * \see source()
+     * bits removed (for example, the password). This function should
+     * be used when displaying the source name for general viewing.
+     * \param hidePassword TRUE to replace the value of credentials with 'xxxxxxxx', FALSE to completely remove credentials (key and value). Since QGIS 3.34
+     * \see source()
      */
     QString publicSource( bool hidePassword = false ) const;
 
diff --git a/tests/src/core/testqgsmaplayer.cpp b/tests/src/core/testqgsmaplayer.cpp
index 47e6f2d5a6e9..cad52331d752 100644
--- a/tests/src/core/testqgsmaplayer.cpp
+++ b/tests/src/core/testqgsmaplayer.cpp
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@
 
 //qgis includes...
 #include <qgsmaplayer.h>
+#include <qgsrasterlayer.h>
 #include <qgsvectorlayer.h>
 #include <qgsapplication.h>
 #include <qgsproviderregistry.h>
@@ -73,6 +74,8 @@ class TestQgsMapLayer : public QObject
 
     void readCustomProperties();
 
+    void publicSourceOnGdalWithCredentials();
+
   private:
     QgsVectorLayer *mpLayer = nullptr;
 };
@@ -510,5 +513,15 @@ void TestQgsMapLayer::readCustomProperties()
   QCOMPARE( spy.at( 1 ).at( 0 ), "my_property_two" );
 }
 
+void TestQgsMapLayer::publicSourceOnGdalWithCredentials()
+{
+  QgsRasterLayer rl(
+    QStringLiteral( "test.tif|option:AN=OPTION|credential:SOMEKEY=AAAAA|credential:ANOTHER=BBB" ), QString(), QStringLiteral( "gdal" )
+  );
+  QCOMPARE( rl.publicSource( true ), QStringLiteral( "test.tif|option:AN=OPTION|credential:ANOTHER=XXXXXXXX|credential:SOMEKEY=XXXXXXXX" ) );
+  QCOMPARE( rl.publicSource( false ), QStringLiteral( "test.tif|option:AN=OPTION" ) );
+  QCOMPARE( rl.publicSource(), QStringLiteral( "test.tif|option:AN=OPTION" ) );
+}
+
 QGSTEST_MAIN( TestQgsMapLayer )
 #include "testqgsmaplayer.moc"