diff --git a/packages/node_modules/@node-red/nodes/core/network/10-mqtt.html b/packages/node_modules/@node-red/nodes/core/network/10-mqtt.html
index 747281ad0..fd39c9a9c 100644
--- a/packages/node_modules/@node-red/nodes/core/network/10-mqtt.html
+++ b/packages/node_modules/@node-red/nodes/core/network/10-mqtt.html
@@ -65,6 +65,11 @@
         /* opacity: 0.3;
         pointer-events: none; */
     }
+    .form-row.form-row-mqtt-datatype-tip > .form-tips {
+        width: calc(70% - 18px);
+        display: inline-block;
+        margin-top: -8px;
+    }
 
 </style>
 
@@ -121,6 +126,7 @@
     <div class="form-row">
         <label for="node-input-datatype"><i class="fa fa-sign-out"></i> <span data-i18n="mqtt.label.output"></span></label>
         <select id="node-input-datatype" style="width:70%;">
+            <option value="auto-detect" data-i18n="mqtt.output.auto-detect"></option>
             <option value="auto" data-i18n="mqtt.output.auto"></option>
             <option value="buffer" data-i18n="mqtt.output.buffer"></option>
             <option value="utf8" data-i18n="mqtt.output.string"></option>
@@ -128,6 +134,10 @@
             <option value="base64" data-i18n="mqtt.output.base64"></option>
         </select>
     </div>
+    <div class="form-row form-row-mqtt-datatype-tip">
+        <label> &nbsp; </label>
+        <div class="form-tips" id="mqtt-in-datatype-depreciated-tip"><span data-i18n="mqtt.label.auto-mode-depreciated"></span></div>
+    </div>
     <div class="form-row">
         <label for="node-input-name"><i class="fa fa-tag"></i> <span data-i18n="common.label.name"></span></label>
         <input type="text" id="node-input-name" data-i18n="[placeholder]common.label.name">
@@ -750,7 +760,7 @@
                 }
             },
             qos: {value: "2"},
-            datatype: {value:"auto",required:true},
+            datatype: {value:"auto-detect",required:true},
             broker: {type:"mqtt-broker", required:true},
             // subscriptionIdentifier: {value:0},
             nl: {value:false},
@@ -787,6 +797,16 @@
                 $("div.form-row-mqtt5").toggleClass("form-row-mqtt5-active",!!v5);
                 $("div.form-row.form-row-mqtt-static").toggleClass("form-row-mqtt-static-disabled", !!dynamic)
             }
+
+            $("#node-input-datatype").on("change", function() {
+                if($(this).val() === "auto") {
+                    $(".form-row.form-row-mqtt-datatype-tip").show();
+                } else {
+                    $(".form-row.form-row-mqtt-datatype-tip").hide();
+                }
+            })
+            $("#node-input-datatype").trigger("change");
+
             $("#node-input-broker").on("change",function(d){
                 updateVisibility();
             });
@@ -807,7 +827,7 @@
                 $("#node-input-qos").val("2");
             }
             if (this.datatype === undefined) {
-                $("#node-input-datatype").val("auto");
+                $("#node-input-datatype").val("auto-detect");
             }
         },
         oneditsave: function() {
diff --git a/packages/node_modules/@node-red/nodes/core/network/10-mqtt.js b/packages/node_modules/@node-red/nodes/core/network/10-mqtt.js
index d3016e5c6..9b365585b 100644
--- a/packages/node_modules/@node-red/nodes/core/network/10-mqtt.js
+++ b/packages/node_modules/@node-red/nodes/core/network/10-mqtt.js
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ module.exports = function(RED) {
         "text/html":"string",
         "text/plain":"string",
         "text/html":"string",
-        "application/json":"object",
+        "application/json":"json",
         "application/octet-stream":"buffer",
         "application/pdf":"buffer",
         "application/x-gtar":"buffer",
@@ -234,15 +234,16 @@ module.exports = function(RED) {
         } else if (datatype === "json") {
             if (v5isUtf8 || isUtf8(payload)) {
                 try {
-                    payload = JSON.parse(payload.toString()); 
-                } catch(e) { 
-                    node.error(RED._("mqtt.errors.invalid-json-parse"),{payload:payload, topic:topic, qos:packet.qos, retain:packet.retain}); return; 
+                    payload = JSON.parse(payload.toString());
+                } catch (e) {
+                    node.error(RED._("mqtt.errors.invalid-json-parse"), { payload: payload, topic: topic, qos: packet.qos, retain: packet.retain }); return;
                 }
+            } else {
+                node.error((RED._("mqtt.errors.invalid-json-string")), { payload: payload, topic: topic, qos: packet.qos, retain: packet.retain }); return;
             }
-            else { node.error((RED._("mqtt.errors.invalid-json-string")),{payload:payload, topic:topic, qos:packet.qos, retain:packet.retain}); return; }
         } else {
-            //auto
-            if(v5isUtf8 || v5HasMediaType) {
+            //"auto" (legacy) or "auto-detect" (new default)
+            if (v5isUtf8 || v5HasMediaType) {
                 const outputType = knownMediaTypes[v5MediaTypeLC]
                 switch (outputType) {
                     case "string":
@@ -251,25 +252,39 @@ module.exports = function(RED) {
                     case "buffer":
                         //no change
                         break;
-                    case "object":
+                    case "json":
                         try {
-                            payload = JSON.parse(payload.toString()); 
-                        } catch(e) { 
-                            node.error(RED._("mqtt.errors.invalid-json-parse"),{payload:payload, topic:topic, qos:packet.qos, retain:packet.retain}); return; 
+                            //since v5 type states this should be JSON, parse it & error out if NOT JSON
+                            payload = payload.toString()
+                            const obj = JSON.parse(payload);
+                            if (datatype === "auto-detect") {
+                                payload = obj; //as mode is "auto-detect", return the parsed JSON
+                            }
+                        } catch (e) {
+                            node.error(RED._("mqtt.errors.invalid-json-parse"), { payload: payload, topic: topic, qos: packet.qos, retain: packet.retain }); return;
                         }
                         break;
                     default:
                         if (v5isUtf8 || isUtf8(payload)) {
                             payload = payload.toString(); //auto String
+                            if (datatype === "auto-detect") {
+                                try {
+                                    payload = JSON.parse(payload); //auto to parsed object (attempt)
+                                } catch (e) {
+                                    /* mute error - it simply isnt JSON, just leave payload as a string */
+                                }
+                            }
                         }
                         break;
                 }
-            } else if (isUtf8(payload)) { 
+            } else if (isUtf8(payload)) {
                 payload = payload.toString(); //auto String
-                try {
-                    payload = JSON.parse(payload); 
-                } catch(e) {
-                    /* mute error - it simply isnt JSON, just leave payload as a string */ 
+                if (datatype === "auto-detect") {
+                    try {
+                        payload = JSON.parse(payload);
+                    } catch (e) {
+                        /* mute error - it simply isnt JSON, just leave payload as a string */
+                    }
                 }
             } //else { 
                 //leave as buffer
diff --git a/packages/node_modules/@node-red/nodes/locales/de/messages.json b/packages/node_modules/@node-red/nodes/locales/de/messages.json
index 35ce50f4d..65f251e98 100755
--- a/packages/node_modules/@node-red/nodes/locales/de/messages.json
+++ b/packages/node_modules/@node-red/nodes/locales/de/messages.json
@@ -422,7 +422,8 @@
             "buffer": "Einen binären Buffer",
             "string": "Ein String",
             "base64": "Ein Base64-kodierter String",
-            "auto": "Auto-Erkennung (parsed JSON-Objekt, string oder buffer)",
+            "auto": "Auto-Erkennung (string oder buffer)",
+            "auto-detect": "Auto-Erkennung (parsed JSON-Objekt, string oder buffer)",
             "json": "Ein analysiertes (parsed) JSON-Objekt"
         },
         "true": "wahr",
diff --git a/packages/node_modules/@node-red/nodes/locales/en-US/messages.json b/packages/node_modules/@node-red/nodes/locales/en-US/messages.json
index 486764d18..d68fff71b 100755
--- a/packages/node_modules/@node-red/nodes/locales/en-US/messages.json
+++ b/packages/node_modules/@node-red/nodes/locales/en-US/messages.json
@@ -424,7 +424,8 @@
             "action": "Action",
             "staticTopic": "Subscribe to single topic",
             "dynamicTopic": "Dynamic subscription",
-            "auto-connect": "Connect automatically"
+            "auto-connect": "Connect automatically",
+            "auto-mode-depreciated": "This option is depreciated. Please use the new auto-detect mode."
         },
         "sections-label":{
             "birth-message": "Message sent on connection (birth message)",
@@ -454,7 +455,8 @@
             "buffer": "a Buffer",
             "string": "a String",
             "base64": "a Base64 encoded string",
-            "auto": "auto-detect (parsed JSON object, string or buffer)",
+            "auto": "auto-detect (string or buffer)",
+            "auto-detect": "auto-detect (parsed JSON object, string or buffer)",
             "json": "a parsed JSON object"
         },
         "true": "true",
diff --git a/packages/node_modules/@node-red/nodes/locales/ja/messages.json b/packages/node_modules/@node-red/nodes/locales/ja/messages.json
index 613871771..f49a973e5 100644
--- a/packages/node_modules/@node-red/nodes/locales/ja/messages.json
+++ b/packages/node_modules/@node-red/nodes/locales/ja/messages.json
@@ -454,7 +454,8 @@
             "buffer": "バイナリバッファ",
             "string": "文字列",
             "base64": "Base64文字列",
-            "auto": "自動判定(JSONオブジェクト、文字列もしくはバイナリバッファ)",
+            "auto": "自動判定(文字列もしくはバイナリバッファ)",
+            "auto-detect": "自動判定(JSONオブジェクト、文字列もしくはバイナリバッファ)",
             "json": "JSONオブジェクト"
         },
         "true": "する",
diff --git a/packages/node_modules/@node-red/nodes/locales/ko/messages.json b/packages/node_modules/@node-red/nodes/locales/ko/messages.json
index b543bba80..15b7bee8e 100755
--- a/packages/node_modules/@node-red/nodes/locales/ko/messages.json
+++ b/packages/node_modules/@node-red/nodes/locales/ko/messages.json
@@ -361,7 +361,8 @@
             "buffer": "바이너리 버퍼",
             "string": "문자열",
             "base64": "Base64문자열",
-            "auto": "자동판정(JSON오브젝트, 문자열혹은 바이너리버퍼)",
+            "auto": "자동판정(문자열혹은 바이너리버퍼)",
+            "auto-detect": "자동판정(JSON오브젝트, 문자열혹은 바이너리버퍼)",
             "json": "JSON오브젝트"
         },
         "true": "한다",
diff --git a/packages/node_modules/@node-red/nodes/locales/ru/messages.json b/packages/node_modules/@node-red/nodes/locales/ru/messages.json
index 33d750950..32364b458 100755
--- a/packages/node_modules/@node-red/nodes/locales/ru/messages.json
+++ b/packages/node_modules/@node-red/nodes/locales/ru/messages.json
@@ -384,7 +384,8 @@
             "buffer": "буфер",
             "string": "строка",
             "base64": "строка в кодировке Base64",
-            "auto": "автоопределение (разобрать объект JSON, строка или буфер)",
+            "auto": "автоопределение (строка или буфер)",
+            "auto-detect": "автоопределение (разобрать объект JSON, строка или буфер)",
             "json": "объект JSON"
         },
         "true": "да",
diff --git a/packages/node_modules/@node-red/nodes/locales/zh-CN/messages.json b/packages/node_modules/@node-red/nodes/locales/zh-CN/messages.json
index 9b972a3bb..b649163b7 100644
--- a/packages/node_modules/@node-red/nodes/locales/zh-CN/messages.json
+++ b/packages/node_modules/@node-red/nodes/locales/zh-CN/messages.json
@@ -381,7 +381,8 @@
             "buffer": "Buffer",
             "string": "字符串",
             "base64": "Base64编码字符串",
-            "auto": "自动检测 (已解析的JSON对象、字符串或buffer)",
+            "auto": "自动检测 (字符串或buffer)",
+            "auto-detect": "自动检测 (已解析的JSON对象、字符串或buffer)",
             "json": "解析的JSON对象"
         },
         "true": "是",
diff --git a/packages/node_modules/@node-red/nodes/locales/zh-TW/messages.json b/packages/node_modules/@node-red/nodes/locales/zh-TW/messages.json
index 03db9d0c4..d63c47865 100644
--- a/packages/node_modules/@node-red/nodes/locales/zh-TW/messages.json
+++ b/packages/node_modules/@node-red/nodes/locales/zh-TW/messages.json
@@ -385,7 +385,8 @@
             "buffer": "Buffer",
             "string": "字串",
             "base64": "Base64編碼字串",
-            "auto": "自动检测 (已解析的JSON对象、字符串或buffer)",
+            "auto": "自動檢測 (字符串或buffer)",
+            "auto-detect": "自动检测 (已解析的JSON对象、字符串或buffer)",
             "json": "解析的JSON對象"
         },
         "true": "是",