diff --git a/nodes/core/io/25-serial.html b/nodes/core/io/25-serial.html
index 2b0b37a40..1a5f92239 100644
--- a/nodes/core/io/25-serial.html
+++ b/nodes/core/io/25-serial.html
@@ -26,15 +26,15 @@
 </script>
 
 <script type="text/x-red" data-help-name="serial in">
-	<p>Reads data from a local serial port.</p>
-	<p>Keeps reading from the serial port until it sees \n (default) or the character(s) requested. Only sets <b>msg.payload</b>.</p>
+    <p>Reads data from a local serial port.</p>
+    <p>Keeps reading from the serial port until it sees \n (default) or the character(s) requested. Only sets <b>msg.payload</b>.</p>
 </script>
 
 <script type="text/javascript">
     RED.nodes.registerType('serial in',{
         category: 'input',
         defaults: {
-			name: {name:""},
+            name: {name:""},
             serial: {type:"serial-port",required:true}
         },
         color:"BurlyWood",
@@ -64,15 +64,16 @@
 </script>
 
 <script type="text/x-red" data-help-name="serial out">
-	<p>Provides a connection to an outbound serial port.</p>
-	<p>Only the <b>msg.payload</b> is sent.</p>
+    <p>Provides a connection to an outbound serial port.</p>
+    <p>Only the <b>msg.payload</b> is sent.</p>
+    <p>Optionally the new line character used to split the input can be appended to every message sent out to the serial port.</p>
 </script>
 
 <script type="text/javascript">
     RED.nodes.registerType('serial out',{
         category: 'output',
         defaults: {
-			name: {name:""},
+            name: {name:""},
             serial: {type:"serial-port",required:true}
         },
         color:"BurlyWood",
@@ -88,7 +89,6 @@
             return this.name?"node_label_italic":"";
         }
     });
-
 </script>
 
 
@@ -121,14 +121,16 @@
     </div>
     <div class="form-row">
         <label for="node-config-input-newline"><i class="icon-text-width"></i> New line</label>
-        <input type="text" id="node-config-input-newline">
+        <input type="text" id="node-config-input-newline"  style="width: 50px;">
     </div>
-<!--
     <div class="form-row">
-        <label for="node-config-input-name"><i class="icon-tag"></i> Name</label>
-        <input type="text" id="node-config-input-name" placeholder="Name">
+        <label for="node-config-input-addchar">&nbsp;</label>
+        <select type="text" id="node-config-input-addchar" style="width: 70%;">
+            <option value="false">Don't add 'New Line' to serial output</option>
+            <option value="true">Add 'New line' to serial output message</option>
+        </select>
     </div>
--->
+    <div class="form-tips">Tip: the new line character is used to split the input into separate messages. It can also be added to every message sent out to the serial port.</div>
 </script>
 
 <script type="text/javascript">
@@ -138,7 +140,8 @@
             //name: {value:""},
             serialport: {value:"",required:true},
             serialbaud: {value:57600,required:true},
-            newline: {value:"\\n"}
+            newline: {value:"\\n"},
+            addchar: {value:false}
         },
         label: function() {
             //return this.name||this.serialport;
diff --git a/nodes/core/io/25-serial.js b/nodes/core/io/25-serial.js
index 18d8b36a5..6c2bca4ed 100644
--- a/nodes/core/io/25-serial.js
+++ b/nodes/core/io/25-serial.js
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@ function SerialPortNode(n) {
     this.serialport = n.serialport;
     this.serialbaud = n.serialbaud * 1;
     this.newline = n.newline;
+    this.addchar = n.addchar || "false";
 }
 RED.nodes.registerType("serial-port",SerialPortNode);
 
@@ -44,28 +45,29 @@ function SerialOutNode(n) {
             this.error(err);
             return;
         }
-
+        node.addCh = "";
+        if (node.serialConfig.addchar == "true") { node.addCh = this.serialConfig.newline.replace("\\n","\n").replace("\\r","\r"); }
         node.on("input",function(msg) {
-                //console.log("{",msg,"}");
-                node.port.write(msg.payload,function(err,res) {
-                        if (err) {
-                            node.error(err);
-                        }
-                });
+            var payload = msg.payload;
+            if (typeof payload === "object") { payload = JSON.stringify(payload); }
+            if (typeof payload !== "buffer") { payload = new String(payload) + node.addCh; }
+            node.port.write(payload,function(err,res) {
+                if (err) { node.error(err); }
+            });
         });
     } else {
         this.error("missing serial config");
     }
+
+    this.on("close", function() {
+        if (this.serialConfig) {
+            serialPool.close(this.serialConfig.serialport);
+        }
+    });
 }
 RED.nodes.registerType("serial out",SerialOutNode);
 
 
-SerialOutNode.prototype.close = function() {
-    if (this.serialConfig) {
-        serialPool.close(this.serialConfig.serialport);
-    }
-}
-
 function SerialInNode(n) {
     RED.nodes.createNode(this,n);
     this.serial = n.serial;
@@ -81,27 +83,25 @@ function SerialInNode(n) {
         }
 
         this.port.on('data', function(msg) {
-                // console.log("{",msg,"}");
-                var m = { "payload": msg };
-                node.send(m);
+            node.send({ "payload": msg });
         });
     } else {
         this.error("missing serial config");
     }
+
+    this.on("close", function() {
+        if (this.serialConfig) {
+            try {
+                serialPool.close(this.serialConfig.serialport);
+            } catch(err) {
+            }
+            this.warn("Deploying with serial-port nodes is known to occasionally cause Node-RED to hang. This is due to an open issue with the underlying module.");
+        }
+    });
 }
 RED.nodes.registerType("serial in",SerialInNode);
 
 
-SerialInNode.prototype.close = function() {
-    if (this.serialConfig) {
-        try {
-            serialPool.close(this.serialConfig.serialport);
-        } catch(err) {
-        }
-        this.warn("Deploying with serial-port nodes is known to occasionally cause Node-RED to hang. This is due to an open issue with the underlying module.");
-    }
-}
-
 var serialPool = function() {
     var connections = {};
     return {
@@ -123,29 +123,29 @@ var serialPool = function() {
                         try {
                             if (newline == "") {
                                 obj.serial = new serialp.SerialPort(port,{
-                                        baudrate: baud,
-                                        parser: serialp.parsers.raw
+                                    baudrate: baud,
+                                    parser: serialp.parsers.raw
                                 });
                             }
                             else {
                                 obj.serial = new serialp.SerialPort(port,{
-                                        baudrate: baud,
-                                        parser: serialp.parsers.readline(newline)
+                                    baudrate: baud,
+                                    parser: serialp.parsers.readline(newline)
                                 });
                             }
                             obj.serial.on('error', function(err) {
-                                    util.log("[serial] serial port "+port+" error "+err);
-                                    obj.tout = setTimeout(function() {
-                                            setupSerial();
-                                    },settings.serialReconnectTime);
+                                util.log("[serial] serial port "+port+" error "+err);
+                                obj.tout = setTimeout(function() {
+                                    setupSerial();
+                                },settings.serialReconnectTime);
                             });
                             obj.serial.on('close', function() {
-                                    if (!obj._closing) {
-                                        util.log("[serial] serial port "+port+" closed unexpectedly");
-                                        obj.tout = setTimeout(function() {
-                                                setupSerial();
-                                        },settings.serialReconnectTime);
-                                    }
+                                if (!obj._closing) {
+                                    util.log("[serial] serial port "+port+" closed unexpectedly");
+                                    obj.tout = setTimeout(function() {
+                                        setupSerial();
+                                    },settings.serialReconnectTime);
+                                }
                             });
                             obj.serial.on('open',function() {
                                     util.log("[serial] serial port "+port+" opened at "+baud+" baud");
@@ -177,7 +177,7 @@ var serialPool = function() {
                 connections[port]._closing = true;
                 try {
                     connections[port].close(function() {
-                            util.log("[serial] serial port closed");
+                        util.log("[serial] serial port closed");
                     });
                 } catch(err) { };
             }