diff --git a/pkg/crypto/aes.go b/pkg/crypto/aes.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..a8c651e317
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkg/crypto/aes.go
@@ -0,0 +1,83 @@
+package crypto
+
+import (
+	"crypto/aes"
+	"crypto/cipher"
+	"crypto/rand"
+	"encoding/base64"
+
+	"github.com/pkg/errors"
+)
+
+type AESCipher struct {
+	key    []byte
+	cipher cipher.AEAD
+	nonce  []byte
+}
+
+const keyLength = 24 // 192 bit
+
+func NewAESCypher() (*AESCipher, error) {
+	key := make([]byte, keyLength)
+	if _, err := rand.Read(key); err != nil {
+		return nil, errors.Wrap(err, "failed to read key")
+	}
+
+	block, err := aes.NewCipher(key)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, errors.Wrap(err, "failed ro create new cipher")
+	}
+
+	gcm, err := cipher.NewGCM(block)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, errors.Wrap(err, "failed to wrap cipher gcm")
+	}
+
+	nonce := make([]byte, gcm.NonceSize())
+	if _, err := rand.Read(nonce); err != nil {
+		return nil, errors.Wrap(err, "failed to read nonce")
+	}
+
+	return &AESCipher{
+		key:    key,
+		cipher: gcm,
+		nonce:  nonce,
+	}, nil
+}
+
+func AESCipherFromString(data string) (*AESCipher, error) {
+	decoded, err := base64.StdEncoding.DecodeString(data)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, errors.Wrap(err, "failed to decode string")
+	}
+
+	if len(decoded) < keyLength {
+		return nil, errors.Errorf("cipher key is invalid: len=%d, expected %d", len(decoded), keyLength)
+	}
+
+	key := decoded[:keyLength]
+	block, err := aes.NewCipher(key)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, errors.Wrap(err, "failed to create cipher from data")
+	}
+
+	gcm, err := cipher.NewGCM(block)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, errors.Wrap(err, "failed to wrap cipher gcm")
+	}
+
+	nonceLen := len(decoded) - keyLength
+	if nonceLen < gcm.NonceSize() {
+		return nil, errors.Errorf("cipher nonce is invalid: len=%d, expected %d", nonceLen, gcm.NonceSize())
+	}
+
+	return &AESCipher{
+		key:    key,
+		cipher: gcm,
+		nonce:  decoded[keyLength:],
+	}, nil
+}
+
+func (c *AESCipher) ToString() string {
+	return base64.StdEncoding.EncodeToString(append(c.key, c.nonce...))
+}
diff --git a/pkg/kotsadm/kotsadm.go b/pkg/kotsadm/kotsadm.go
index 13535f7075..4565188243 100644
--- a/pkg/kotsadm/kotsadm.go
+++ b/pkg/kotsadm/kotsadm.go
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@ type DeployOptions struct {
 	S3SecretKey          string
 	JWT                  string
 	PostgresPassword     string
+	APIEncryptionKey     string
 	ServiceType          string
 	NodePort             int32
 	Hostname             string
@@ -304,5 +305,17 @@ func readDeployOptionsFromCluster(namespace string, kubeconfig string, clientset
 		}
 	}
 
+	// API encryption key, read from the secret or create new password
+	encyptionSecret, err := getAPIEncryptionSecret(namespace, clientset)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, errors.Wrap(err, "failed to get postgres secret")
+	}
+	if encyptionSecret != nil {
+		key, ok := encyptionSecret.Data["encryptionKey"]
+		if ok {
+			deployOptions.APIEncryptionKey = string(key)
+		}
+	}
+
 	return &deployOptions, nil
 }
diff --git a/pkg/kotsadm/secrets.go b/pkg/kotsadm/secrets.go
index 2012ea92f2..8533d74438 100644
--- a/pkg/kotsadm/secrets.go
+++ b/pkg/kotsadm/secrets.go
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/google/uuid"
 	"github.com/manifoldco/promptui"
 	"github.com/pkg/errors"
+	"github.com/replicatedhq/kots/pkg/crypto"
 	"golang.org/x/crypto/bcrypt"
 	corev1 "k8s.io/api/core/v1"
 	kuberneteserrors "k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/api/errors"
@@ -45,6 +46,19 @@ func getSecretsYAML(deployOptions *DeployOptions) (map[string][]byte, error) {
 	}
 	docs["secret-shared-password.yaml"] = sharedPassword.Bytes()
 
+	if deployOptions.APIEncryptionKey == "" {
+		cipher, err := crypto.NewAESCypher()
+		if err != nil {
+			return nil, errors.Wrap(err, "failed to create new API encryption key")
+		}
+		deployOptions.APIEncryptionKey = cipher.ToString()
+	}
+	var apiEncryptionBuffer bytes.Buffer
+	if err := s.Encode(apiEncryptionKeySecret(deployOptions.Namespace, deployOptions.APIEncryptionKey), &apiEncryptionBuffer); err != nil {
+		return nil, errors.Wrap(err, "failed to marshal shared password secret")
+	}
+	docs["secret-api-encryption.yaml"] = apiEncryptionBuffer.Bytes()
+
 	var s3 bytes.Buffer
 	if deployOptions.S3SecretKey == "" {
 		deployOptions.S3SecretKey = uuid.New().String()
@@ -79,6 +93,10 @@ func ensureSecrets(deployOptions *DeployOptions, clientset *kubernetes.Clientset
 		return errors.Wrap(err, "failed to ensure s3 secret")
 	}
 
+	if err := ensureAPIEncryptionSecret(deployOptions, clientset); err != nil {
+		return errors.Wrap(err, "failed to ensure s3 secret")
+	}
+
 	return nil
 }
 
@@ -247,3 +265,44 @@ func promptForSharedPassword() (string, error) {
 	}
 
 }
+
+func ensureAPIEncryptionSecret(deployOptions *DeployOptions, clientset *kubernetes.Clientset) error {
+	secret, err := getAPIEncryptionSecret(deployOptions.Namespace, clientset)
+	if err != nil {
+		return errors.Wrap(err, "failed to check for existing postgres secret")
+	}
+
+	if secret != nil {
+		if key, _ := secret.Data["encryptionKey"]; len(key) > 0 {
+			return nil
+		}
+	}
+
+	if deployOptions.APIEncryptionKey == "" {
+		cipher, err := crypto.NewAESCypher()
+		if err != nil {
+			return errors.Wrap(err, "failed to create new AES cipher")
+		}
+		deployOptions.APIEncryptionKey = cipher.ToString()
+	}
+
+	_, err = clientset.CoreV1().Secrets(deployOptions.Namespace).Create(apiEncryptionKeySecret(deployOptions.Namespace, deployOptions.APIEncryptionKey))
+	if err != nil {
+		return errors.Wrap(err, "failed to create API encryption secret")
+	}
+
+	return nil
+}
+
+func getAPIEncryptionSecret(namespace string, clientset *kubernetes.Clientset) (*corev1.Secret, error) {
+	apiSecret, err := clientset.CoreV1().Secrets(namespace).Get("kotsadm-encryption", metav1.GetOptions{})
+	if err != nil {
+		if kuberneteserrors.IsNotFound(err) {
+			return nil, nil
+		}
+
+		return nil, errors.Wrap(err, "failed to get postgres secret from cluster")
+	}
+
+	return apiSecret, nil
+}
diff --git a/pkg/kotsadm/secrets_objects.go b/pkg/kotsadm/secrets_objects.go
index b8c8240380..6fa7d0e1f4 100644
--- a/pkg/kotsadm/secrets_objects.go
+++ b/pkg/kotsadm/secrets_objects.go
@@ -89,3 +89,21 @@ func s3Secret(namespace string, accessKey string, secretKey string) *corev1.Secr
 
 	return secret
 }
+
+func apiEncryptionKeySecret(namespace string, key string) *corev1.Secret {
+	secret := &corev1.Secret{
+		TypeMeta: metav1.TypeMeta{
+			APIVersion: "v1",
+			Kind:       "Secret",
+		},
+		ObjectMeta: metav1.ObjectMeta{
+			Name:      "kotsadm-encryption",
+			Namespace: namespace,
+		},
+		Data: map[string][]byte{
+			"encryptionKey": []byte(key),
+		},
+	}
+
+	return secret
+}
diff --git a/pkg/upstream/admin-console.go b/pkg/upstream/admin-console.go
index 2fc8455e5c..27ee5e3822 100644
--- a/pkg/upstream/admin-console.go
+++ b/pkg/upstream/admin-console.go
@@ -79,11 +79,17 @@ func findFileAndReadSecret(secretName string, key string, renderDir string, file
 	for _, fi := range files {
 		data, err := ioutil.ReadFile(path.Join(renderDir, "admin-console", fi.Name()))
 		if err != nil {
-			return "", errors.Wrap(err, "failed to read file")
+			// TODO: log errors.Wrap(err, "failed to read file")
+			continue
 		}
 
 		decode := scheme.Codecs.UniversalDeserializer().Decode
 		obj, gvk, err := decode(data, nil, nil)
+		if err != nil {
+			// TODO: log err
+			continue
+		}
+
 		if gvk.Group != "" || gvk.Version != "v1" || gvk.Kind != "Secret" {
 			continue
 		}
diff --git a/pkg/upstream/write.go b/pkg/upstream/write.go
index e4a1dcb7d6..6d850c0413 100644
--- a/pkg/upstream/write.go
+++ b/pkg/upstream/write.go
@@ -2,10 +2,6 @@ package upstream
 
 import (
 	"bytes"
-	"crypto/aes"
-	"crypto/cipher"
-	"crypto/rand"
-	"encoding/base64"
 	"io/ioutil"
 	"os"
 	"path"
@@ -13,6 +9,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/pkg/errors"
 	kotsv1beta1 "github.com/replicatedhq/kots/kotskinds/apis/kots/v1beta1"
 	kotsscheme "github.com/replicatedhq/kots/kotskinds/client/kotsclientset/scheme"
+	"github.com/replicatedhq/kots/pkg/crypto"
 	metav1 "k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/apis/meta/v1"
 	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/runtime/serializer/json"
 	"k8s.io/client-go/kubernetes/scheme"
@@ -154,29 +151,12 @@ func (u *Upstream) GetBaseDir(options WriteOptions) string {
 
 func getEncryptionKey(previousInstallationContent []byte) (string, error) {
 	if previousInstallationContent == nil {
-		key := make([]byte, 24) // 192 bit
-		if _, err := rand.Read(key); err != nil {
-			return "", errors.Wrap(err, "failed to read key")
-		}
-
-		block, err := aes.NewCipher(key)
-		if err != nil {
-			return "", errors.Wrap(err, "failed ro create new cipher")
-		}
-
-		gcm, err := cipher.NewGCM(block)
+		cipher, err := crypto.NewAESCypher()
 		if err != nil {
-			return "", errors.Wrap(err, "failed to wrap cipher gcm")
-		}
-
-		nonce := make([]byte, gcm.NonceSize())
-		if _, err := rand.Read(nonce); err != nil {
-			return "", errors.Wrap(err, "failed to read nonce")
+			return "", errors.Wrap(err, "failed to create new AES cipher")
 		}
 
-		newKey := base64.StdEncoding.EncodeToString(append(key, nonce...))
-
-		return newKey, nil
+		return cipher.ToString(), nil
 	}
 
 	kotsscheme.AddToScheme(scheme.Scheme)