diff --git a/cmd/telegraf/telegraf.go b/cmd/telegraf/telegraf.go
index 03fe78889f9ab..6deec42261866 100644
--- a/cmd/telegraf/telegraf.go
+++ b/cmd/telegraf/telegraf.go
@@ -315,6 +315,18 @@ func (t *Telegraf) runAgent(ctx context.Context, c *config.Config, reloadConfig
 		log.Printf("W! Deprecated secretstores: %d and %d options", count[0], count[1])
 	}
 
+	// Compute the amount of locked memory needed for the secrets
+	required := 2 * c.NumberSecrets * uint64(os.Getpagesize())
+	available := getLockedMemoryLimit()
+	if required > available {
+		required /= 1024
+		available /= 1024
+		log.Printf("I! Found %d secrets...", c.NumberSecrets)
+		msg := fmt.Sprintf("Insufficient lockable memory %dkb when %dkb is required.", available, required)
+		msg += " Please increase the limit for Telegraf in your Operating System!"
+		log.Printf("W! " + color.RedString(msg))
+	}
+
 	ag := agent.NewAgent(c)
 
 	// Notify systemd that telegraf is ready
diff --git a/cmd/telegraf/telegraf_posix.go b/cmd/telegraf/telegraf_posix.go
index fe11821198b88..77a4d7c6ced09 100644
--- a/cmd/telegraf/telegraf_posix.go
+++ b/cmd/telegraf/telegraf_posix.go
@@ -2,7 +2,12 @@
 
 package main
 
-import "github.com/urfave/cli/v2"
+import (
+	"log"
+	"syscall"
+
+	"github.com/urfave/cli/v2"
+)
 
 func (t *Telegraf) Run() error {
 	stop = make(chan struct{})
@@ -12,3 +17,16 @@ func (t *Telegraf) Run() error {
 func cliFlags() []cli.Flag {
 	return []cli.Flag{}
 }
+
+func getLockedMemoryLimit() uint64 {
+	// From https://elixir.bootlin.com/linux/latest/source/include/uapi/asm-generic/resource.h#L35
+	const rLimitMemlock = 8
+
+	var limit syscall.Rlimit
+	if err := syscall.Getrlimit(rLimitMemlock, &limit); err != nil {
+		log.Printf("E! Cannot get limit for locked memory: %v", err)
+		return 0
+	}
+	//nolint:unconvert // required for e.g. FreeBSD that has the field as int64
+	return uint64(limit.Max)
+}
diff --git a/cmd/telegraf/telegraf_windows.go b/cmd/telegraf/telegraf_windows.go
index 997ab98710c9f..f8969056546cc 100644
--- a/cmd/telegraf/telegraf_windows.go
+++ b/cmd/telegraf/telegraf_windows.go
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ import (
 
 	"github.com/kardianos/service"
 	"github.com/urfave/cli/v2"
+	"golang.org/x/sys/windows"
 
 	"github.com/influxdata/telegraf/logger"
 )
@@ -45,6 +46,16 @@ func cliFlags() []cli.Flag {
 	}
 }
 
+func getLockedMemoryLimit() uint64 {
+	handle := windows.CurrentProcess()
+
+	var min, max uintptr
+	var flag uint32
+	windows.GetProcessWorkingSetSizeEx(handle, &min, &max, &flag)
+
+	return uint64(max)
+}
+
 func (t *Telegraf) Run() error {
 	// Register the eventlog logging target for windows.
 	err := logger.RegisterEventLogger(t.serviceName)
diff --git a/config/config.go b/config/config.go
index e67695d940856..aec4d80086919 100644
--- a/config/config.go
+++ b/config/config.go
@@ -89,6 +89,8 @@ type Config struct {
 	version      *semver.Version
 
 	Persister *persister.Persister
+
+	NumberSecrets uint64
 }
 
 // Ordered plugins used to keep the order in which they appear in a file
@@ -471,6 +473,9 @@ func (c *Config) LoadAll(configFiles ...string) error {
 		c.Agent.SnmpTranslator = "netsnmp"
 	}
 
+	// Check if there is enough lockable memory for the secret
+	c.NumberSecrets = uint64(secretCount.Load())
+
 	// Let's link all secrets to their secret-stores
 	return c.LinkSecrets()
 }
diff --git a/config/secret.go b/config/secret.go
index 98e2f34b93a58..48b669a4d6843 100644
--- a/config/secret.go
+++ b/config/secret.go
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ import (
 	"fmt"
 	"regexp"
 	"strings"
+	"sync/atomic"
 
 	"github.com/awnumar/memguard"
 
@@ -25,6 +26,8 @@ var secretStorePattern = regexp.MustCompile(`^\w+$`)
 // in a secret-store.
 var secretPattern = regexp.MustCompile(`@\{(\w+:\w+)\}`)
 
+var secretCount atomic.Int64
+
 // Secret safely stores sensitive data such as a password or token
 type Secret struct {
 	enclave   *memguard.Enclave
@@ -60,6 +63,9 @@ func (s *Secret) UnmarshalText(b []byte) error {
 
 // Initialize the secret content
 func (s *Secret) init(secret []byte) {
+	// Keep track of the number of secrets...
+	secretCount.Add(1)
+
 	// Remember if the secret is completely empty
 	s.notempty = len(secret) != 0
 
@@ -87,6 +93,9 @@ func (s *Secret) Destroy() {
 		lockbuf.Destroy()
 	}
 	s.enclave = nil
+
+	// Keep track of the number of secrets...
+	secretCount.Add(-1)
 }
 
 // Empty return if the secret is completely empty