To investigate the effects of a plant autotoxin, cinnamic acid, on bacterial communities in the rhizosphere soil of cucumber seedlings under salt stress, we used cucumber as the experimental material, cinnamic acid as the autotoxin, and NaCl to apply salt stress. Bacterial communities in the rhizosphere soil were analyzed using polymerase chain reaction (PCR), denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE), and clone sequencing. Salt stress decreased the diversity of bacterial species in rhizosphere soil of cucumber seedlings at several growth stages. Cinnamic acid exacerbated the effects of salt stress at high concentrations, but alleviated its effects at low concentrations. Cloning and sequencing results indicated that DGGE bands amplified from soil samples showed high homology to uncultured bacterial species. Cinnamic acid at 50 mg kg-1 soil improved cucumber growth and was the most effective treatment to alleviate the effects of salt stress on bacterial communities. To investigate the effects of a plant autotoxin, cinnamic acid, on bacterial flora in the rhizosphere soil of cucumber seedlings under salt stress, we used cucumber as the experimental material, cinnamic acid as the autotoxin, and NaCl to apply salt stress. Bacterial communities in the rhizosphere soil were analyzed using polymerase chain reaction (PCR), denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE), and clone sequencing. Salt stress decreased the diversity of bacterial species in rhizosphere soil of cucumber seedlings at several growth stages. Cinnamic acid exacerbated the effects of salt stress at high concentrations, but alleviated its effects at low concentrations. Cloning and sequencing results indicated that DGGE bands amplified from soil samples showed high homology to uncultured bacterial species. Cinnamic acid at 50 mg kg-1 soil improved cucumber growth and was the most effective treatment to alleviate the effects of salt stress on bacterial communities.