diff --git a/nodes/core/core/20-inject.html b/nodes/core/core/20-inject.html
index 756caad36..39b27900b 100644
--- a/nodes/core/core/20-inject.html
+++ b/nodes/core/core/20-inject.html
@@ -16,7 +16,15 @@
 
 <script type="text/x-red" data-template-name="inject">
     <div class="form-row node-input-payload">
-        <label for="node-input-payload"><i class="icon-envelope"></i> Payload</label>
+        <label for="node-input-payloadType"><i class="icon-envelope"></i> Payload</label>
+        <select id="node-input-payloadType" style="width:125px !important">
+          <option value="date">timestamp</option>
+          <option value="none">blank</option>
+          <option value="string">string</option>
+        </select>
+    </div>
+    <div class="form-row" id="node-input-row-payload">
+        <label for="node-input-payload"></label>
         <input type="text" id="node-input-payload" placeholder="Payload">
     </div>
 
@@ -61,7 +69,6 @@
         <input type="text" id="node-input-name" placeholder="Name">
     </div>
 
-    <div class="form-tips">Tip: Injects Date.now() if no payload set</div>
     <script>
     {
 
@@ -187,6 +194,7 @@
             name: {value:""},
             topic: {value:""},
             payload: {value:""},
+            payloadType: {value:"date"},
             repeat: {value:""},
             crontab: {value:""},
             once: {value:false}
@@ -277,6 +285,24 @@
             $(".inject-time-row").hide();
             $("#inject-time-type-select option").filter(function() {return $(this).val() == repeattype;}).attr('selected',true);
             $("#inject-time-row-"+repeattype).show();
+            
+            if (this.payloadType == null) {
+                if (this.payload == "") {
+                    this.payloadType = "date";
+                } else {
+                    this.payloadType = "string";
+                }
+            }
+            
+            $("#node-input-payloadType").change(function() {
+                var id = $("#node-input-payloadType option:selected").val();
+                if (id == "string") {
+                    $("#node-input-row-payload").show();
+                } else {
+                    $("#node-input-row-payload").hide();
+                }
+            });
+            $("#node-input-payloadType").val(this.payloadType);
 
 
         },
diff --git a/nodes/core/core/20-inject.js b/nodes/core/core/20-inject.js
index 712276e98..c8a4d288f 100644
--- a/nodes/core/core/20-inject.js
+++ b/nodes/core/core/20-inject.js
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@ function InjectNode(n) {
 	RED.nodes.createNode(this,n);
 	this.topic = n.topic;
 	this.payload = n.payload;
+	this.payloadType = n.payloadType;
 	this.repeat = n.repeat;
 	this.crontab = n.crontab;
 	this.once = n.once;
@@ -56,8 +57,16 @@ function InjectNode(n) {
 	}
 
 	this.on("input",function(msg) {
-		var msg = {topic:this.topic,payload:this.payload};
-		if (msg.payload == "") { msg.payload = Date.now(); }
+		var msg = {topic:this.topic};
+		console.log(this.payloadType);
+		console.log(this.payload);
+		if ( (this.payloadType == null && this.payload == "") || this.payloadType == "date") {
+		    msg.payload = Date.now();
+		} else if (this.payloadType == null || this.payloadType == "string") {
+		    msg.payload = this.payload;
+		} else {
+		    msg.payload = "";
+		}
 		this.send(msg);
 		msg = null;
 	});