diff --git a/plugins/outputs/sql/README.md b/plugins/outputs/sql/README.md
index 8863a7b0421a9..1a5d33f4336b3 100644
--- a/plugins/outputs/sql/README.md
+++ b/plugins/outputs/sql/README.md
@@ -110,7 +110,7 @@ through the convert settings.
   #  text                 = "TEXT"
   #  timestamp            = "TIMESTAMP"
   #  defaultvalue         = "TEXT"
-  #  unsigned             = "UNSIGNED"
+  #  unsigned             = "INT UNSIGNED"
   #  bool                 = "BOOL"
 ```
 
diff --git a/plugins/outputs/sql/sql.go b/plugins/outputs/sql/sql.go
index 8598a220c88f7..207726473b77e 100644
--- a/plugins/outputs/sql/sql.go
+++ b/plugins/outputs/sql/sql.go
@@ -100,7 +100,7 @@ func (p *SQL) deriveDatatype(value interface{}) string {
 	case int64:
 		datatype = p.Convert.Integer
 	case uint64:
-		datatype = fmt.Sprintf("%s %s", p.Convert.Integer, p.Convert.Unsigned)
+		datatype = p.Convert.Unsigned
 	case float64:
 		datatype = p.Convert.Real
 	case string:
@@ -157,7 +157,7 @@ var sampleConfig = `
   #  text                 = "TEXT"
   #  timestamp            = "TIMESTAMP"
   #  defaultvalue         = "TEXT"
-  #  unsigned             = "UNSIGNED"
+  #  unsigned             = "INT UNSIGNED"
 `
 
 func (p *SQL) SampleConfig() string { return sampleConfig }
@@ -305,7 +305,7 @@ func newSQL() *SQL {
 			Text:         "TEXT",
 			Timestamp:    "TIMESTAMP",
 			Defaultvalue: "TEXT",
-			Unsigned:     "UNSIGNED",
+			Unsigned:     "INT UNSIGNED",
 			Bool:         "BOOL",
 		},
 	}