diff --git a/defaults/main.yml b/defaults/main.yml
index c50348c77ebb8403b597d525ef26f1b28ef50457..3c19abbcf399e359653da2b1fb9d67034ddcc997 100644
--- a/defaults/main.yml
+++ b/defaults/main.yml
@@ -47,3 +47,4 @@ borgbackup_interval: "hourly"
 borgbackup_chunker_params: "19,23,21,4095"
 borgbackup_mariadb_enable: false
 borgbackup_extra_borg_options: []
+borgbackup_enable_encryption: true
diff --git a/tasks/main.yml b/tasks/main.yml
index 180dfc38a7f7241439194d3cafaa51174a6f5b66..71727070bfe27f21b18647efd90295ceee7d4670 100644
--- a/tasks/main.yml
+++ b/tasks/main.yml
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@
 - name: Create Borg Repo
   ansible.builtin.command: "borg init -e repokey {{ borgbackup_target_user }}@{{ borgbackup_target_ip }}:{{ borgbackup_repo_path }}"
   environment:
-    BORG_PASSPHRASE: "{{ borgbackup_key }}"
+    BORG_PASSPHRASE: "{{ borgbackup_enable_encryption | ternary(borgbackup_key, '') }}"
   when: not repo.stat.exists
 
 - name: Install borgmatic  # noqa package-latest
diff --git a/templates/config.yaml.j2 b/templates/config.yaml.j2
index 44915ec0892a60b5c697219fc1e5bffb9ef1038e..a407a5a8421687b362e6b08ca7905a2c049531ac 100644
--- a/templates/config.yaml.j2
+++ b/templates/config.yaml.j2
@@ -21,7 +21,9 @@ location:
 
 storage:
   compression: {{ borgbackup_compression }}
+{% if borgbackup_enable_encryption %}
   encryption_passphrase: {{ borgbackup_key }}
+{% endif %}
   chunker_params: {{ borgbackup_chunker_params }}
 {% if borgbackup_extra_borg_options | length != 0 %}
   extra_borg_options: