diff --git a/nodes/core/locales/en-US/messages.json b/nodes/core/locales/en-US/messages.json
index c3630470b..a7a3e1afa 100644
--- a/nodes/core/locales/en-US/messages.json
+++ b/nodes/core/locales/en-US/messages.json
@@ -520,7 +520,8 @@
             "windows": "Windows (\\r\\n)"
         },
         "errors": {
-            "csv_js": "This node only handles csv strings or js objects."
+            "csv_js": "This node only handles csv strings or js objects.",
+            "obj_csv": "No columns template specified for object -> csv."
         }
     },
     "html": {
diff --git a/nodes/core/parsers/70-CSV.html b/nodes/core/parsers/70-CSV.html
index 32bda3111..ad87b2ea5 100644
--- a/nodes/core/parsers/70-CSV.html
+++ b/nodes/core/parsers/70-CSV.html
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 
 <!--
-  Copyright 2014 IBM Corp.
+  Copyright 2014,2015 IBM Corp.
 
   Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
   you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
@@ -68,12 +68,15 @@
 </script>
 
 <script type="text/x-red" data-help-name="csv">
-    <p>A function that parses the <b>msg.payload</b> to convert csv to/from a javascript object.
+    <p>A function that parses the <b>msg.payload</b> to convert CSV to/from a javascript object.
     Places the result in the payload.</p>
     <p>If the input is a string it tries to parse it as CSV and creates a javascript object.</p>
     <p>If the input is a javascript object it tries to build a CSV string.</p>
-    <p>The columns template should contain an ordered list of column headers. For csv input these become the property names.
-    For csv output these specify the properties to extract from the object and the order for the csv.</p>
+    <p>If the input is a simple array the output is just a CSV generated from that array.</p>
+    <p>If the input is an array of arrays or an array of objects a multiple-line CSV is created.</p>
+    <p>The columns template should contain an ordered list of column headers. For CSV input these become the property names.
+    For CSV output these specify the properties to extract from the object and the order for the CSV.</p>
+    <p>If the input is an array then the columns template does not matter, but can be used to generate a row of column titles.</p>
     <p><b>Note:</b> the columns should always be specified comma separated - even if another separator is chosen for the data.</p>
     </script>
 
diff --git a/nodes/core/parsers/70-CSV.js b/nodes/core/parsers/70-CSV.js
index 5aa4787b4..dc250155c 100644
--- a/nodes/core/parsers/70-CSV.js
+++ b/nodes/core/parsers/70-CSV.js
@@ -69,26 +69,29 @@ module.exports = function(RED) {
                                 ou += msg.payload[s].join(node.sep) + node.ret;
                             }
                             else {
-                                for (var t=0; t < node.template.length; t++) {
+                                if (node.template[0] !== '') {
+                                    for (var t=0; t < node.template.length; t++) {
 
-                                    // aaargh - resorting to eval here - but fairly contained front and back.
-                                    var p = RED.util.ensureString(eval("msg.payload[s]."+node.template[t]));
+                                        // aaargh - resorting to eval here - but fairly contained front and back.
+                                        var p = RED.util.ensureString(eval("msg.payload[s]."+node.template[t]));
 
-                                    if (p === "undefined") { p = ""; }
-                                    if (p.indexOf(node.quo) !== -1) { // add double quotes if any quotes
-                                        p = p.replace(/"/g, '""');
-                                        ou += node.quo + p + node.quo + node.sep;
+                                        if (p === "undefined") { p = ""; }
+                                        if (p.indexOf(node.quo) !== -1) { // add double quotes if any quotes
+                                            p = p.replace(/"/g, '""');
+                                            ou += node.quo + p + node.quo + node.sep;
+                                        }
+                                        else if (p.indexOf(node.sep) !== -1) { // add quotes if any "commas"
+                                            ou += node.quo + p + node.quo + node.sep;
+                                        }
+                                        else { ou += p + node.sep; } // otherwise just add
                                     }
-                                    else if (p.indexOf(node.sep) !== -1) { // add quotes if any "commas"
-                                        ou += node.quo + p + node.quo + node.sep;
-                                    }
-                                    else { ou += p + node.sep; } // otherwise just add
+                                    ou = ou.slice(0,-1) + node.ret; // remove final "comma" and add "newline"
                                 }
-                                ou = ou.slice(0,-1) + node.ret; // remove final "comma" and add "newline"
+                                else { node.warn(RED._("csv.errors.obj_csv")); }
                             }
                         }
                         msg.payload = ou;
-                        node.send(msg);
+                        if (msg.payload !== '') { node.send(msg); }
                     }
                     catch(e) { node.error(e,msg); }
                 }