diff --git a/packages/node_modules/@node-red/nodes/core/function/90-exec.html b/packages/node_modules/@node-red/nodes/core/function/90-exec.html
index 7106a89b5..c4d841a13 100644
--- a/packages/node_modules/@node-red/nodes/core/function/90-exec.html
+++ b/packages/node_modules/@node-red/nodes/core/function/90-exec.html
@@ -21,9 +21,8 @@
     </div>
     <div class="form-row">
         <label><i class="fa fa-plus"></i> <span data-i18n="exec.label.append"></span></label>
-        <input type="checkbox" id="node-input-addpay" style="display:inline-block; width:auto;">
-        &nbsp;
-        <input type="text" id="node-input-addpayValue" style="width:160px;">
+        <input type="checkbox" id="node-input-addpay-cb" style="display:inline-block; width:auto;">
+        <input type="text" id="node-input-addpay" style="margin-left: 5px; width:160px;">
     </div>
     <div class="form-row">
         <label for="node-input-append"> </label>
@@ -53,8 +52,7 @@
         color:"darksalmon",
         defaults: {
             command: {value:""},
-            addpay: {value:false},
-            addpayValue: {value:"payload"},
+            addpay: {value:""},
             append: {value:""},
             useSpawn: {value:"false"},
             timer: {value:""},
@@ -81,13 +79,24 @@
             if ($("#node-input-useSpawn").val() === null) {
                 $("#node-input-useSpawn").val(this.useSpawn.toString());
             }
-            if ($("#node-input-addpayValue").val() === "") {
-                $("#node-input-addpayValue").val("payload");
-            }
-            $("#node-input-addpayValue").typedInput({
+            $("#node-input-addpay-cb").prop("checked", this.addpay === true || (this.addpay !== false && this.addpay !== ""))
+            var addpayValue = (this.addpay === true)?"payload":((this.addpay === false || this.addpay === "")?"payload":this.addpay);
+            $("#node-input-addpay-cb").on("change", function(evt) {
+                $("#node-input-addpay").typedInput("disable",!$("#node-input-addpay-cb").prop("checked"));
+            });
+
+            $("#node-input-addpay").val(addpayValue);
+            $("#node-input-addpay").typedInput({
                 default: "msg",
                 types: ["msg"]
             });
+
+            $("#node-input-addpay-cb").trigger("change")
+        },
+        oneditsave: function() {
+            if (!$("#node-input-addpay-cb").prop("checked")) {
+                $("#node-input-addpay").val("");
+            }
         }
     });
 </script>
diff --git a/packages/node_modules/@node-red/nodes/core/function/90-exec.js b/packages/node_modules/@node-red/nodes/core/function/90-exec.js
index 487166bcc..9ec60f4ff 100644
--- a/packages/node_modules/@node-red/nodes/core/function/90-exec.js
+++ b/packages/node_modules/@node-red/nodes/core/function/90-exec.js
@@ -26,7 +26,9 @@ module.exports = function(RED) {
         this.cmd = (n.command || "").trim();
         if (n.addpay === undefined) { n.addpay = true; }
         this.addpay = n.addpay;
-        this.addpayValue = n.addpayValue || "payload";
+        if (this.addpay === true) {
+            this.addpay = "payload";
+        }
         this.append = (n.append || "").trim();
         this.useSpawn = (n.useSpawn == "true");
         this.timer = Number(n.timer || 0)*1000;
@@ -66,7 +68,7 @@ module.exports = function(RED) {
                 // then prepend with the msg.payload
                 var arg = node.cmd;
                 if (node.addpay) {
-                    var value = RED.util.getMessageProperty(msg, node.addpayValue);
+                    var value = RED.util.getMessageProperty(msg, node.addpay);
                     if (value !== undefined) {
                         arg += " " + value;
                     }
diff --git a/test/nodes/core/function/90-exec_spec.js b/test/nodes/core/function/90-exec_spec.js
index c57225de8..e89465c3e 100644
--- a/test/nodes/core/function/90-exec_spec.js
+++ b/test/nodes/core/function/90-exec_spec.js
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@ describe('exec node', function() {
             n1.should.have.property("name", "exec1");
             n1.should.have.property("cmd", "");
             n1.should.have.property("append", "");
-            n1.should.have.property("addpay",true);
+            n1.should.have.property("addpay","payload");
             n1.should.have.property("timer",0);
             n1.should.have.property("oldrc","false");
             done();
@@ -115,23 +115,27 @@ describe('exec node', function() {
         });
 
         it('should exec a simple command with appended value from message', function (done) {
-            var flow = [{id:"n1", type:"exec", wires:[["n2"]], command:"echo", addpay:true, addpayValue:"topic", append:"more", oldrc:"false"},
+            var flow = [{id:"n1", type:"exec", wires:[["n2"]], command:"echo", addpay:"topic", append:"more", oldrc:"false"},
                         {id:"n2", type:"helper"}];
             helper.load(execNode, flow, function () {
                 var n1 = helper.getNode("n1");
                 var n2 = helper.getNode("n2");
                 n2.on("input", function (msg) {
+                    try {
                         msg.should.have.property("payload");
                         msg.payload.should.be.a.String();
                         msg.payload.should.equal("bar more\n");
                         done();
+                    } catch(err) {
+                        done(err)
+                    }
                 });
                 n1.receive({payload:"foo", topic:"bar"});
             });
         });
 
         it('should exec a simple command with extra parameters', function(done) {
-            var flow = [{id:"n1",type:"exec",wires:[["n2"],["n3"],["n4"]],command:"echo", addpay:true, append:"more", oldrc:"false"},
+            var flow = [{id:"n1",type:"exec",wires:[["n2"],["n3"],["n4"]],command:"echo", addpay:"payload", append:"more", oldrc:"false"},
                         {id:"n2", type:"helper"},{id:"n3", type:"helper"},{id:"n4", type:"helper"}];
             var spy = sinon.stub(child_process, 'exec',
                 function(arg1, arg2, arg3, arg4) {