diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 615a64d..720612f 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -129,6 +129,7 @@ const processFromQueue = (n) => {
 1. For the logs where `log.kind` is missing, first 40 chars of dynamic_data is populated to uniquely identify each log in a restricted fashion.
 2. For the logs where no contexts are set, ie. server, process or worker are not set, server format category and version is populated.
 3. `request.request_id` and the `request_start_time` can be set manually if required.
+4. Credential-bearing request headers (`authorization`, `cookie`, `set-cookie`, `x-api-key`, `x-auth-token`, `proxy-authorization`, `www-authenticate`) are logged as `[REDACTED]`. The header name is kept so the log still shows it was sent. Add your own with `Chitragupta.extendSensitiveHeaders(['x-tenant-secret'])`.
 
 ## Contributing
 
diff --git a/lib/chitragupta/chitragupta.js b/lib/chitragupta/chitragupta.js
index 9aa8a88..a88b7ff 100644
--- a/lib/chitragupta/chitragupta.js
+++ b/lib/chitragupta/chitragupta.js
@@ -105,4 +105,5 @@ module.exports = {
   getUniqueLogId,
   jsonLogFormatter,
   setMetaData,
+  extendSensitiveHeaders: util.extendSensitiveHeaders,
 };
diff --git a/lib/chitragupta/util.js b/lib/chitragupta/util.js
index 29f17ed..e97a45a 100644
--- a/lib/chitragupta/util.js
+++ b/lib/chitragupta/util.js
@@ -4,6 +4,45 @@ const formatVersions = require('./format_versions');
 const fieldLimits = require('./field_limits');
 const os = require('os');
 
+// Sensitive headers that must never reach the log sink as cleartext values.
+// Closes DATA-12974 (Authorization/Cookie/etc serialised verbatim) and weakens
+// DATA-13003/13004 chains by removing the secret material at the source.
+// Names are matched case-insensitively against the request header keys.
+const DEFAULT_SENSITIVE_HEADERS = new Set([
+  'authorization',
+  'cookie',
+  'set-cookie',
+  'x-api-key',
+  'x-auth-token',
+  'proxy-authorization',
+  'www-authenticate',
+]);
+
+const customSensitiveHeaders = new Set();
+
+function extendSensitiveHeaders(headerNames) {
+  if (!Array.isArray(headerNames)) return;
+  headerNames.forEach((h) => {
+    if (typeof h === 'string' && h.length) {
+      customSensitiveHeaders.add(h.toLowerCase());
+    }
+  });
+}
+
+function isSensitiveHeader(name) {
+  const lower = String(name).toLowerCase();
+  return DEFAULT_SENSITIVE_HEADERS.has(lower) || customSensitiveHeaders.has(lower);
+}
+
+function redactHeaders(headers) {
+  if (!headers || typeof headers !== 'object') return headers;
+  const out = {};
+  Object.keys(headers).forEach((key) => {
+    out[key] = isSensitiveHeader(key) ? '[REDACTED]' : headers[key];
+  });
+  return out;
+}
+
 function populateServerData(dataParam) {
   const data = dataParam;
   const request = cls.get('request');
@@ -17,7 +56,7 @@ function populateServerData(dataParam) {
   const indexOfQuestionMark = url.indexOf('?');
   let endpoint = '';
   let params = '';
-  let headers = JSON.stringify(request.headers);
+  let headers = JSON.stringify(redactHeaders(request.headers));
   if (indexOfQuestionMark > 0) {
     endpoint = url.slice(0, indexOfQuestionMark);
     params = url.slice(indexOfQuestionMark + 1);
@@ -40,7 +79,7 @@ function populateServerData(dataParam) {
     data.data.request.params = JSON.stringify(data.data.request.params);
   }
   if (data.data.request.headers && typeof data.data.request.headers === 'object') {
-    data.data.request.headers = JSON.stringify(data.data.request.headers);
+    data.data.request.headers = JSON.stringify(redactHeaders(data.data.request.headers));
   }
   data.data.request.params = data.data.request.params.substring(0, fieldLimits.PARAMS) || '';
 
@@ -135,3 +174,4 @@ function sanitizeKeys(logLevel, message, metaData) {
 }
 
 module.exports.sanitizeKeys = sanitizeKeys;
+module.exports.extendSensitiveHeaders = extendSensitiveHeaders;
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index fadf2ef..60ebcc5 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -1,10 +1,10 @@
 {
   "name": "chitragupta",
-  "version": "1.7.6",
+  "version": "1.7.7",
   "description": "An easy to install node module to convert unstructured logs into informative structured logs",
   "main": "lib/index.js",
   "scripts": {
-    "test": "node test/context.js"
+    "test": "node test/context.js && node test/headers.js"
   },
   "repository": {
     "type": "git",
diff --git a/test/headers.js b/test/headers.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b96978b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/headers.js
@@ -0,0 +1,65 @@
+const assert = require('assert');
+const EventEmitter = require('events');
+const { Chitragupta } = require('../lib');
+
+function response() {
+  const res = new EventEmitter();
+  res.finished = true;
+  res.statusCode = 200;
+  res.duration = 1;
+  return res;
+}
+
+function formatted(headers) {
+  let record;
+  Chitragupta.setupServerLogger(
+    { log() {} },
+    { url: '/api/resource?page=2', method: 'GET', headers },
+    response(),
+    'user-1',
+    () => {
+      record = JSON.parse(Chitragupta.jsonLogFormatter({
+        level: 'info',
+        message: 'Done',
+        meta: { log: { kind: 'HEADER_TEST' } },
+      }));
+    },
+  );
+  return JSON.parse(record.data.request.headers);
+}
+
+function testSensitiveHeadersAreRedacted() {
+  const logged = formatted({
+    host: 'app.example.com',
+    authorization: 'Bearer secret-token',
+    cookie: 'session=secret-session',
+    'x-api-key': 'secret-key',
+  });
+
+  assert.strictEqual(logged.authorization, '[REDACTED]');
+  assert.strictEqual(logged.cookie, '[REDACTED]');
+  assert.strictEqual(logged['x-api-key'], '[REDACTED]');
+  assert.strictEqual(logged.host, 'app.example.com');
+}
+
+function testMatchIsCaseInsensitive() {
+  assert.strictEqual(formatted({ Authorization: 'Bearer secret-token' }).Authorization, '[REDACTED]');
+}
+
+function testRequestHeadersAreNotMutated() {
+  const headers = { authorization: 'Bearer secret-token' };
+  formatted(headers);
+  assert.strictEqual(headers.authorization, 'Bearer secret-token');
+}
+
+function testHostsCanExtendTheDenylist() {
+  assert.strictEqual(formatted({ 'x-tenant-secret': 'secret' })['x-tenant-secret'], 'secret');
+  Chitragupta.extendSensitiveHeaders(['X-Tenant-Secret']);
+  assert.strictEqual(formatted({ 'x-tenant-secret': 'secret' })['x-tenant-secret'], '[REDACTED]');
+}
+
+testSensitiveHeadersAreRedacted();
+testMatchIsCaseInsensitive();
+testRequestHeadersAreNotMutated();
+testHostsCanExtendTheDenylist();
+process.stdout.write('header redaction tests passed\n');