diff --git a/packages/node_modules/@node-red/runtime/lib/nodes/Node.js b/packages/node_modules/@node-red/runtime/lib/nodes/Node.js
index c58fa65cc..c465f0b5b 100644
--- a/packages/node_modules/@node-red/runtime/lib/nodes/Node.js
+++ b/packages/node_modules/@node-red/runtime/lib/nodes/Node.js
@@ -539,7 +539,12 @@ Node.prototype.metric = function(eventname, msg, metricValue) {
  * status: "simple text status"
  */
 Node.prototype.status = function(status) {
-    if (typeof(status) === "string") { status = {text:status}; }
+    switch (typeof status) {
+        case "string":
+        case "number":
+        case "boolean":
+            status = {text:""+status}
+    }
     this._flow.handleStatus(this,status);
 };
 
diff --git a/test/unit/@node-red/runtime/lib/nodes/Node_spec.js b/test/unit/@node-red/runtime/lib/nodes/Node_spec.js
index 5ad52211e..1f9ca04ce 100644
--- a/test/unit/@node-red/runtime/lib/nodes/Node_spec.js
+++ b/test/unit/@node-red/runtime/lib/nodes/Node_spec.js
@@ -613,9 +613,6 @@ describe('Node', function() {
             }
             var n = new RedNode({_flow:flow,id:'123',type:'abc'});
             var status = {fill:"green",shape:"dot",text:"connected"};
-            var topic;
-            var message;
-            var retain;
 
             n.status(status);
 
@@ -624,6 +621,33 @@ describe('Node', function() {
             flow.handleStatus.args[0][1].should.eql(status);
             done();
         });
+        it('publishes status for plain string', function(done) {
+            var flow = { handleStatus: sinon.stub() }
+            var n = new RedNode({_flow:flow,id:'123',type:'abc'});
+            n.status("text status");
+            flow.handleStatus.called.should.be.true();
+            flow.handleStatus.args[0][0].should.eql(n);
+            flow.handleStatus.args[0][1].should.eql({text:"text status"});
+            done();
+        });
+        it('publishes status for plain boolean', function(done) {
+            var flow = { handleStatus: sinon.stub() }
+            var n = new RedNode({_flow:flow,id:'123',type:'abc'});
+            n.status(false);
+            flow.handleStatus.called.should.be.true();
+            flow.handleStatus.args[0][0].should.eql(n);
+            flow.handleStatus.args[0][1].should.eql({text:"false"});
+            done();
+        });
+        it('publishes status for plain number', function(done) {
+            var flow = { handleStatus: sinon.stub() }
+            var n = new RedNode({_flow:flow,id:'123',type:'abc'});
+            n.status(123);
+            flow.handleStatus.called.should.be.true();
+            flow.handleStatus.args[0][0].should.eql(n);
+            flow.handleStatus.args[0][1].should.eql({text:"123"});
+            done();
+        });
     });
 
 });