diff --git a/nodes/core/io/10-mqtt.js b/nodes/core/io/10-mqtt.js
index c8bc49015..4e65bd39b 100644
--- a/nodes/core/io/10-mqtt.js
+++ b/nodes/core/io/10-mqtt.js
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@
 module.exports = function(RED) {
     "use strict";
     var connectionPool = require("./lib/mqttConnectionPool");
+    var isUtf8 = require('is-utf8');
 
     function MQTTBrokerNode(n) {
         RED.nodes.createNode(this,n);
@@ -45,11 +46,12 @@ module.exports = function(RED) {
             this.client = connectionPool.get(this.brokerConfig.broker,this.brokerConfig.port,this.brokerConfig.clientid,this.brokerConfig.username,this.brokerConfig.password);
             var node = this;
             this.client.subscribe(this.topic,2,function(topic,payload,qos,retain) {
-                    var msg = {topic:topic,payload:payload,qos:qos,retain:retain};
-                    if ((node.brokerConfig.broker == "localhost")||(node.brokerConfig.broker == "127.0.0.1")) {
-                        msg._topic = topic;
-                    }
-                    node.send(msg);
+                if (isUtf8(payload)) { payload = payload.toString(); }
+                var msg = {topic:topic,payload:payload,qos:qos,retain:retain};
+                if ((node.brokerConfig.broker === "localhost")||(node.brokerConfig.broker === "127.0.0.1")) {
+                    msg._topic = topic;
+                }
+                node.send(msg);
             });
             this.client.on("connectionlost",function() {
                 node.status({fill:"red",shape:"ring",text:"disconnected"});
@@ -78,7 +80,7 @@ module.exports = function(RED) {
         this.brokerConfig = RED.nodes.getNode(this.broker);
 
         if (this.brokerConfig) {
-            this.status({fill:"red",shape:"ring",text:"disconnected"},true);
+            this.status({fill:"red",shape:"ring",text:"disconnected"});
             this.client = connectionPool.get(this.brokerConfig.broker,this.brokerConfig.port,this.brokerConfig.clientid,this.brokerConfig.username,this.brokerConfig.password);
             var node = this;
             this.on("input",function(msg) {
diff --git a/nodes/core/io/lib/mqtt.js b/nodes/core/io/lib/mqtt.js
index 141a88893..5f35e85de 100644
--- a/nodes/core/io/lib/mqtt.js
+++ b/nodes/core/io/lib/mqtt.js
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ var events = require("events");
 //var inspect = require("sys").inspect;
 
 //var Client = module.exports.Client = function(
-   
+
 var port = 1883;
 var host = "localhost";
 
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ function MQTTClient(port,host) {
    this.lastOutbound = (new Date()).getTime();
    this.lastInbound = (new Date()).getTime();
    this.connected = false;
-   
+
    this._nextMessageId = function() {
       this.messageId += 1;
       if (this.messageId > 0xFFFF) {
@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@ MQTTClient.prototype.connect = function(options) {
        self.options.clean = self.options.clean||true;
        self.options.protocolId = 'MQIsdp';
        self.options.protocolVersion = 3;
-       
+
        self.client = mqtt.createConnection(this.port,this.host,function(err,client) {
              if (err) {
                 self.connected = false;
@@ -87,9 +87,9 @@ MQTTClient.prototype.connect = function(options) {
                    if (packet.returnCode == 0) {
                       self.watchdog = setInterval(function(self) {
                             var now = (new Date()).getTime();
-                            
+
                             //util.log('[mqtt] ['+self.uid+'] watchdog '+inspect({connected:self.connected,connectionError:self.connectionError,pingOutstanding:self.pingOutstanding,now:now,lastOutbound:self.lastOutbound,lastInbound:self.lastInbound}));
-    
+
                             if (now - self.lastOutbound > self.options.keepalive*500 || now - self.lastInbound > self.options.keepalive*500) {
                                if (self.pingOutstanding) {
                                   //util.log('[mqtt] ['+self.uid+'] watchdog pingOustanding - disconnect');
@@ -105,7 +105,7 @@ MQTTClient.prototype.connect = function(options) {
                                   self.client.pingreq();
                                }
                             }
-                            
+
                       },self.options.keepalive*500,self);
                       self.pingOutstanding = false;
                       self.lastInbound = (new Date()).getTime()
@@ -131,7 +131,7 @@ MQTTClient.prototype.connect = function(options) {
                    delete self.pendingSubscriptions[packet.messageId];
              });
              client.on('publish',function(packet) {
-                   self.lastInbound = (new Date()).getTime()
+                   self.lastInbound = (new Date()).getTime();
                    if (packet.qos < 2) {
                       var p = packet;
                       self.emit('message',p.topic,p.payload,p.qos,p.retain);
@@ -145,7 +145,7 @@ MQTTClient.prototype.connect = function(options) {
                       self.client.puback(packet);
                    }
              });
-             
+
              client.on('pubrel',function(packet) {
                    self.lastInbound = (new Date()).getTime()
                    var p = self.inboundMessages[packet.messageId];
@@ -156,12 +156,12 @@ MQTTClient.prototype.connect = function(options) {
                    self.lastOutbound = (new Date()).getTime()
                    self.client.pubcomp(packet);
              });
-             
+
              client.on('puback',function(packet) {
                    self.lastInbound = (new Date()).getTime()
                    // outbound qos-1 complete
              });
-             
+
              client.on('pubrec',function(packet) {
                    self.lastInbound = (new Date()).getTime()
                    self.lastOutbound = (new Date()).getTime()
@@ -176,7 +176,7 @@ MQTTClient.prototype.connect = function(options) {
                    self.lastInbound = (new Date()).getTime()
                    self.pingOutstanding = false;
              });
-             
+
              this.lastOutbound = (new Date()).getTime()
              this.connectionError = false;
              client.connect(self.options);
@@ -192,8 +192,9 @@ MQTTClient.prototype.subscribe = function(topic,qos) {
          messageId: self._nextMessageId()
       };
       this.pendingSubscriptions[options.messageId] = topic;
-      this.lastOutbound = (new Date()).getTime()
+      this.lastOutbound = (new Date()).getTime();
       self.client.subscribe(options);
+      self.client.setPacketEncoding('binary');
    }
 }
 MQTTClient.prototype.unsubscribe = function(topic) {
@@ -212,7 +213,7 @@ MQTTClient.prototype.unsubscribe = function(topic) {
 MQTTClient.prototype.publish = function(topic,payload,qos,retain) {
    var self = this;
    if (self.connected) {
-   
+
       if (!Buffer.isBuffer(payload)) {
          if (typeof payload === "object") {
             payload = JSON.stringify(payload);
@@ -251,4 +252,3 @@ module.exports.createClient = function(port,host) {
    var mqtt_client = new MQTTClient(port,host);
    return mqtt_client;
 }
-