diff --git a/parsers/base64/70-base64.html b/parsers/base64/70-base64.html
index e8ac133f..780df599 100644
--- a/parsers/base64/70-base64.html
+++ b/parsers/base64/70-base64.html
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@
         <label for="node-input-action"><i class="fa fa-dot-circle-o"></i> Action</label>
         <select style="width:70%" id="node-input-action">
             <option value="">Convert Buffer <-> Base64</option>
-            <option value="str">Convert String to Base64</option>
+            <option value="str">Encode as Base64</option>
             <option value="b64">Convert Base64 to String</option>
         </select>
     </div>
@@ -22,7 +22,8 @@
     <p>A function that converts the chosen property (default <code>msg.payload</code>) to and from base64 format.</p>
     <p>If the input is a buffer it converts it to a Base64 encoded string.</p>
     <p>If the input is a Base64 string it converts it back to a binary buffer.</p>
-    <p>You can also fix conversion string to base64,and base64 to string if required.</p>
+    <p>You can also fix coding into base64, and base64 to buffer if required.</p>
+    <p>Note: Using "Encode to Base64" will encode an already encoded string.</p>
 </script>
 
 <script type="text/javascript">
diff --git a/parsers/base64/70-base64.js b/parsers/base64/70-base64.js
index 7463202e..820a445c 100644
--- a/parsers/base64/70-base64.js
+++ b/parsers/base64/70-base64.js
@@ -6,10 +6,29 @@ module.exports = function(RED) {
         this.action = n.action || "";
         this.property = n.property || "payload";
         var node = this;
+        var regexp = new RegExp('^[A-Za-z0-9+\/=]*$');  // check it only contains valid characters
+
         this.on("input", function(msg) {
             var value = RED.util.getMessageProperty(msg,node.property);
             if (value !== undefined) {
-                if (node.action === "") {
+                if (node.action === "str") {
+                    value = RED.util.ensureBuffer(value).toString('base64');
+                    RED.util.setMessageProperty(msg,node.property,value);
+                    node.send(msg);
+                }
+                else if (node.action === "b64") {
+                    if ( typeof value === "string") {
+                        var load = value.replace(/\s+/g,'');
+                        if (regexp.test(load) && (load.length % 4 === 0) ) {
+                            value = Buffer.from(load,'base64').toString('binary');
+                            RED.util.setMessageProperty(msg,node.property,value);
+                            node.send(msg);
+                        }
+                        else { node.error("Invalid Base64 string",msg); }
+                    }
+                    else { node.error("Not a Base64 string",msg); }
+                }
+                else {
                     if (Buffer.isBuffer(value)) {
                         // Take binary buffer and make into a base64 string
                         value = value.toString('base64');
@@ -21,9 +40,8 @@ module.exports = function(RED) {
                         var load = value.replace(/\s+/g,'');      // remove any whitespace
                         //var load = value.replace(/[\t\r\n\f]+/g,'');
                         //var load = value;
-                        var regexp = new RegExp('^[A-Za-z0-9+\/=]*$');  // check it only contains valid characters
                         if ( regexp.test(load) && (load.length % 4 === 0) ) {
-                            value = Buffer.from(load,'base64').toString('binary');
+                            value = Buffer.from(load,'base64');
                             RED.util.setMessageProperty(msg,node.property,value);
                             node.send(msg);
                         }
@@ -38,17 +56,6 @@ module.exports = function(RED) {
                         node.warn("This node only handles strings or buffers.");
                     }
                 }
-                if (node.action === "str") {
-                    value = Buffer.from(value).toString('base64');
-                    RED.util.setMessageProperty(msg,node.property,value);
-                    node.send(msg);
-                }
-                if (node.action === "b64") {
-                    var load = value.replace(/\s+/g,'');
-                    value = Buffer.from(load,'base64').toString('binary');
-                    RED.util.setMessageProperty(msg,node.property,value);
-                    node.send(msg);
-                }
             }
             else { node.warn("No property found to process"); }
         });
diff --git a/parsers/base64/package.json b/parsers/base64/package.json
index 36a7e79c..0965e4e0 100644
--- a/parsers/base64/package.json
+++ b/parsers/base64/package.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
     "name"          : "node-red-node-base64",
-    "version"       : "0.1.2",
+    "version"       : "0.1.3",
     "description"   : "A Node-RED node to pack and unpack objects to base64 format",
     "dependencies"  : {
     },
diff --git a/test/parsers/base64/70-base64_spec.js b/test/parsers/base64/70-base64_spec.js
index b7324248..68460951 100644
--- a/test/parsers/base64/70-base64_spec.js
+++ b/test/parsers/base64/70-base64_spec.js
@@ -61,6 +61,7 @@ describe('base64 node', function() {
             var n2 = helper.getNode("n2");
             n2.on("input", function(msg) {
                 msg.should.have.a.property("payload");
+                msg.payload.should.be.instanceof(Buffer);
                 msg.payload.toString().should.equal("ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ");
                 done();
             });
@@ -76,6 +77,7 @@ describe('base64 node', function() {
             var n2 = helper.getNode("n2");
             n2.on("input", function(msg) {
                 msg.should.have.a.property("foo");
+                msg.foo.should.be.instanceof(Buffer);
                 msg.foo.toString().should.equal("ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ");
                 done();
             });
@@ -162,4 +164,125 @@ describe('base64 node', function() {
         });
     });
 
+    it('can force encode string to base64', function(done) {
+        var flow = [{id:"n1", type:"base64", action:"str", wires:[["n2"]] },
+            {id:"n2", type:"helper"} ];
+        helper.load(testNode, flow, function() {
+            var n1 = helper.getNode("n1");
+            var n2 = helper.getNode("n2");
+            n2.on("input", function(msg) {
+                msg.should.have.a.property("payload","YW5keQ==");
+                done();
+            });
+            n1.emit("input", {payload:"andy"});
+        });
+    });
+
+    it('can force encode boolean to base64', function(done) {
+        var flow = [{id:"n1", type:"base64", action:"str", wires:[["n2"]] },
+            {id:"n2", type:"helper"} ];
+        helper.load(testNode, flow, function() {
+            var n1 = helper.getNode("n1");
+            var n2 = helper.getNode("n2");
+            n2.on("input", function(msg) {
+                msg.should.have.a.property("payload","dHJ1ZQ==");
+                done();
+            });
+            n1.emit("input", {payload:true});
+        });
+    });
+
+    it('can force encode number to base64', function(done) {
+        var flow = [{id:"n1", type:"base64", action:"str", wires:[["n2"]] },
+            {id:"n2", type:"helper"} ];
+        helper.load(testNode, flow, function() {
+            var n1 = helper.getNode("n1");
+            var n2 = helper.getNode("n2");
+            n2.on("input", function(msg) {
+                msg.should.have.a.property("payload","MTIzNA==");
+                done();
+            });
+            n1.emit("input", {payload:1234});
+        });
+    });
+
+    it('can force encode object to base64', function(done) {
+        var flow = [{id:"n1", type:"base64", action:"str", wires:[["n2"]] },
+            {id:"n2", type:"helper"} ];
+        helper.load(testNode, flow, function() {
+            var n1 = helper.getNode("n1");
+            var n2 = helper.getNode("n2");
+            n2.on("input", function(msg) {
+                msg.should.have.a.property("payload","eyJhIjoxfQ==");
+                done();
+            });
+            n1.emit("input", {payload:{a:1}});
+        });
+    });
+
+    it('can force decode base64 to string', function(done) {
+        var flow = [{id:"n1", type:"base64", action:"b64", wires:[["n2"]] },
+            {id:"n2", type:"helper"} ];
+        helper.load(testNode, flow, function() {
+            var n1 = helper.getNode("n1");
+            var n2 = helper.getNode("n2");
+            n2.on("input", function(msg) {
+                msg.payload.should.be.instanceof(String);
+                msg.should.have.a.property("payload","Hello World");
+                done();
+            });
+            n1.emit("input", {payload:"SGVsbG8gV29ybGQ="});
+        });
+    });
+
+    it('wont decode base64 to string if not a valid string', function(done) {
+        var flow = [{id:"n1", type:"base64", action:"b64", wires:[["n2"]] },
+            {id:"n2", type:"helper"} ];
+        helper.load(testNode, flow, function() {
+            var n1 = helper.getNode("n1");
+            var n2 = helper.getNode("n2");
+            n2.on("input", function(msg) {
+                done("should not get here with no payload.");
+            });
+            setTimeout(function () {
+                try {
+                    var logEvents = helper.log().args.filter(function (evt) {
+                        return evt[0].type == "base64";
+                    });
+                    logEvents[0][0].should.have.a.property('msg');
+                    logEvents[0][0].msg.toString().should.startWith("Invalid Base64 string");
+                    done();
+                } catch (e) {
+                    done(e);
+                }
+            }, 45);
+            n1.emit("input", {payload:"andy!@3"});
+        });
+    });
+
+    it('wont decode base64 to string if not a string', function(done) {
+        var flow = [{id:"n1", type:"base64", action:"b64", wires:[["n2"]] },
+            {id:"n2", type:"helper"} ];
+        helper.load(testNode, flow, function() {
+            var n1 = helper.getNode("n1");
+            var n2 = helper.getNode("n2");
+            n2.on("input", function(msg) {
+                done("should not get here with no payload.");
+            });
+            setTimeout(function () {
+                try {
+                    var logEvents = helper.log().args.filter(function (evt) {
+                        return evt[0].type == "base64";
+                    });
+                    logEvents[0][0].should.have.a.property('msg');
+                    logEvents[0][0].msg.toString().should.startWith("Not a Base64 string");
+                    done();
+                } catch (e) {
+                    done(e);
+                }
+            }, 45);
+            n1.emit("input", {payload:1234});
+        });
+    });
+
 });