diff --git a/packages/node_modules/@node-red/nodes/core/parsers/70-CSV.html b/packages/node_modules/@node-red/nodes/core/parsers/70-CSV.html
index d24db5267..f7e4e3ba2 100644
--- a/packages/node_modules/@node-red/nodes/core/parsers/70-CSV.html
+++ b/packages/node_modules/@node-red/nodes/core/parsers/70-CSV.html
@@ -30,7 +30,9 @@
         <label><i class="fa fa-sign-in"></i> <span data-i18n="csv.label.input"></span></label>
         <span data-i18n="csv.label.skip-s"></span>&nbsp;<input type="text" id="node-input-skip" style="width:30px; height:25px;"/>&nbsp;<span data-i18n="csv.label.skip-e"></span><br/>
         <label>&nbsp;</label>
-        <input style="width:20px; vertical-align:baseline; margin-right:5px;" type="checkbox" id="node-input-hdrin"><label style="width:auto; margin-top:7px;" for="node-input-hdrin"><span data-i18n="csv.label.firstrow"></span>
+        <input style="width:20px; vertical-align:baseline; margin-right:5px;" type="checkbox" id="node-input-hdrin"><label style="width:auto; margin-top:7px;" for="node-input-hdrin"><span data-i18n="csv.label.firstrow"></span></label><br/>
+        <label>&nbsp;</label>
+        <input style="width:20px; vertical-align:baseline; margin-right:5px;" type="checkbox" id="node-input-strings"><label style="width:auto; margin-top:7px;" for="node-input-strings"><span data-i18n="csv.label.usestrings"></span></label><br/>
     </div>
     <div class="form-row" style="padding-left:20px;">
         <label><i class="fa fa-sign-out"></i> <span data-i18n="csv.label.output"></span></label>
@@ -71,7 +73,8 @@
             multi: {value:"one",required:true},
             ret: {value:'\\n'},
             temp: {value:""},
-            skip: {value:"0"}
+            skip: {value:"0"},
+            strings: {value:true}
         },
         inputs:1,
         outputs:1,
@@ -83,7 +86,7 @@
             return this.name?"node_label_italic":"";
         },
         oneditprepare: function() {
-            console.log(this.skip,$("#node-input-skip").val());
+            if (this.strings === undefined) { this.strings = true; $("#node-input-strings").prop('checked', true); }
             if (this.skip === undefined) { this.skip = 0; $("#node-input-skip").val("0");}
             $("#node-input-skip").spinner({ min:0 });
             if (this.sep == "," || this.sep == "\\t" || this.sep == ";" || this.sep == ":" || this.sep == " " || this.sep == "#") {
diff --git a/packages/node_modules/@node-red/nodes/core/parsers/70-CSV.js b/packages/node_modules/@node-red/nodes/core/parsers/70-CSV.js
index 34b167bb7..e8a45a535 100644
--- a/packages/node_modules/@node-red/nodes/core/parsers/70-CSV.js
+++ b/packages/node_modules/@node-red/nodes/core/parsers/70-CSV.js
@@ -30,6 +30,8 @@ module.exports = function(RED) {
         this.goodtmpl = true;
         this.skip = parseInt(n.skip || 0);
         this.store = [];
+        this.parsestrings = n.strings;
+        if (this.parsestrings === undefined) { this.parsestrings = true; }
         var tmpwarn = true;
         var node = this;
 
@@ -172,7 +174,7 @@ module.exports = function(RED) {
                                 else if ((line[i] === node.sep) && f) { // if it is the end of the line then finish
                                     if (!node.goodtmpl) { node.template[j] = "col"+(j+1); }
                                     if ( node.template[j] && (node.template[j] !== "") && (k[j] !== "" ) ) {
-                                        if ( reg.test(k[j]) ) { k[j] = parseFloat(k[j]); }
+                                        if ( (node.parsestrings === true) && reg.test(k[j]) ) { k[j] = parseFloat(k[j]); }
                                         o[node.template[j]] = k[j];
                                     }
                                     j += 1;
@@ -182,7 +184,7 @@ module.exports = function(RED) {
                                     //console.log(j,k,o,k[j]);
                                     if (!node.goodtmpl) { node.template[j] = "col"+(j+1); }
                                     if ( node.template[j] && (node.template[j] !== "") && (k[j] !== "") ) {
-                                        if ( reg.test(k[j]) ) { k[j] = parseFloat(k[j]); }
+                                        if ( (node.parsestrings === true) && reg.test(k[j]) ) { k[j] = parseFloat(k[j]); }
                                         else { k[j].replace(/\r$/,''); }
                                         o[node.template[j]] = k[j];
                                     }
@@ -203,7 +205,7 @@ module.exports = function(RED) {
                         //console.log(j,k,o,k[j]);
                         if (!node.goodtmpl) { node.template[j] = "col"+(j+1); }
                         if ( node.template[j] && (node.template[j] !== "") && (k[j] !== "") ) {
-                            if ( reg.test(k[j]) ) { k[j] = parseFloat(k[j]); }
+                            if ( (node.parsestrings === true) && reg.test(k[j]) ) { k[j] = parseFloat(k[j]); }
                             else { k[j].replace(/\r$/,''); }
                             o[node.template[j]] = k[j];
                         }
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 82e466fdb..275ab3c9b 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
@@ -694,7 +694,8 @@
             "firstrow": "first row contains column names",
             "output": "Output",
             "includerow": "include column name row",
-            "newline": "Newline"
+            "newline": "Newline",
+            "usestrings": "parse numerical values"
         },
         "placeholder": {
             "columns": "comma-separated column names"
diff --git a/test/nodes/core/parsers/70-CSV_spec.js b/test/nodes/core/parsers/70-CSV_spec.js
index f58e76644..f46afc24a 100644
--- a/test/nodes/core/parsers/70-CSV_spec.js
+++ b/test/nodes/core/parsers/70-CSV_spec.js
@@ -148,6 +148,22 @@ describe('CSV node', function() {
             });
         });
 
+        it('should not parse numbers when told not to do so', function(done) {
+            var flow = [ { id:"n1", type:"csv", temp:"a,b,c,d,e,f,g", strings:false, wires:[["n2"]] },
+                    {id:"n2", type:"helper"} ];
+            helper.load(csvNode, flow, function() {
+                var n1 = helper.getNode("n1");
+                var n2 = helper.getNode("n2");
+                n2.on("input", function(msg) {
+                    msg.should.have.property('payload', { a: "1.23", b: "0123", c: "+123", d: "e123", e: "0", f: "-123", g: "1e3" });
+                    check_parts(msg, 0, 1);
+                    done();
+                });
+                var testString = '1.23,0123,+123,e123,0,-123,1e3'+String.fromCharCode(10);
+                n1.emit("input", {payload:testString});
+            });
+        });
+
         it('should leave handle strings with scientific notation as numbers', function(done) {
             var flow = [ { id:"n1", type:"csv", temp:"a,b,c,d,e,f,g", wires:[["n2"]] },
                     {id:"n2", type:"helper"} ];