diff --git a/packages/node_modules/@node-red/nodes/core/network/31-tcpin.html b/packages/node_modules/@node-red/nodes/core/network/31-tcpin.html
index 2aab13437..6e97417ea 100644
--- a/packages/node_modules/@node-red/nodes/core/network/31-tcpin.html
+++ b/packages/node_modules/@node-red/nodes/core/network/31-tcpin.html
@@ -196,6 +196,13 @@
     </div>
     <div class="form-row">
         <label for="node-input-out"><i class="fa fa-sign-out"></i> <span data-i18n="tcpin.label.return"></span></label>
+        <select type="text" id="node-input-ret" style="width:54%;">
+            <option value="buffer" data-i18n="tcpin.return.buffer"></option>
+            <option value="string" data-i18n="tcpin.return.string"></option>
+        </select>
+    </div>
+    <div class="form-row">
+        <label for="node-input-out"> </label>
         <select type="text" id="node-input-out" style="width:54%;">
             <option value="time" data-i18n="tcpin.return.timeout"></option>
             <option value="char" data-i18n="tcpin.return.character"></option>
@@ -220,6 +227,7 @@
             server: {value:""},
             port: {value:"",validate:RED.validators.regex(/^(\d*|)$/)},
             out: {value:"time",required:true},
+            ret: {value:"buffer"},
             splitc: {value:"0",required:true},
             name: {value:""}
         },
@@ -234,6 +242,10 @@
         },
         oneditprepare: function() {
             var previous = null;
+            if ($("#node-input-ret").val() == undefined) {
+                $("#node-input-ret").val("buffer");
+                this.ret = "buffer";
+            }
             $("#node-input-out").on('focus', function () { previous = this.value; }).on("change", function() {
                 $("#node-input-splitc").show();
                 if (previous === null) { previous = $("#node-input-out").val(); }
diff --git a/packages/node_modules/@node-red/nodes/core/network/31-tcpin.js b/packages/node_modules/@node-red/nodes/core/network/31-tcpin.js
index a83e7a37e..2f59227c8 100644
--- a/packages/node_modules/@node-red/nodes/core/network/31-tcpin.js
+++ b/packages/node_modules/@node-red/nodes/core/network/31-tcpin.js
@@ -311,7 +311,7 @@ module.exports = function(RED) {
             }
             setupTcpClient();
 
-            node.on("input", function(msg,nodeSend,nodeDone) {
+            node.on("input", function(msg, nodeSend, nodeDone) {
                 if (node.connected && msg.payload != null) {
                     if (Buffer.isBuffer(msg.payload)) {
                         client.write(msg.payload);
@@ -444,6 +444,7 @@ module.exports = function(RED) {
         this.server = n.server;
         this.port = Number(n.port);
         this.out = n.out;
+        this.ret = n.ret || "buffer";
         this.splitc = n.splitc;
 
         if (this.out === "immed") { this.splitc = -1; this.out = "time"; }
@@ -488,7 +489,7 @@ module.exports = function(RED) {
                 connected: false,
                 connecting: false
             };
-            enqueue(clients[connection_id].msgQueue, {msg:msg,nodeSend:nodeSend, nodeDone: nodeDone});
+            enqueue(clients[connection_id].msgQueue, {msg:msg, nodeSend:nodeSend, nodeDone:nodeDone});
             clients[connection_id].lastMsg = msg;
 
             if (!clients[connection_id].connecting && !clients[connection_id].connected) {
@@ -532,8 +533,12 @@ module.exports = function(RED) {
                     if (node.out === "sit") { // if we are staying connected just send the buffer
                         if (clients[connection_id]) {
                             const msg = clients[connection_id].lastMsg || {};
-                            msg.payload = data;
-                            nodeSend(RED.util.cloneMessage(msg));
+                            msg.payload = RED.util.cloneMessage(data);
+                            if (node.ret === "string") {
+                                try { msg.payload = msg.payload.toString(); }
+                                catch(e) { node.error("Failed to create string", msg); }
+                            }
+                            nodeSend(msg);
                         }
                     }
                     // else if (node.splitc === 0) {
@@ -556,6 +561,10 @@ module.exports = function(RED) {
                                                 const msg = clients[connection_id].lastMsg || {};
                                                 msg.payload = Buffer.alloc(i+1);
                                                 buf.copy(msg.payload,0,0,i+1);
+                                                if (node.ret === "string") {
+                                                    try { msg.payload = msg.payload.toString(); }
+                                                    catch(e) { node.error("Failed to create string", msg); }
+                                                }
                                                 nodeSend(msg);
                                                 if (clients[connection_id].client) {
                                                     node.status({});
@@ -578,6 +587,10 @@ module.exports = function(RED) {
                                         const msg = clients[connection_id].lastMsg || {};
                                         msg.payload = Buffer.alloc(i);
                                         buf.copy(msg.payload,0,0,i);
+                                        if (node.ret === "string") {
+                                            try { msg.payload = msg.payload.toString(); }
+                                            catch(e) { node.error("Failed to create string", msg); }
+                                        }
                                         nodeSend(msg);
                                         if (clients[connection_id].client) {
                                             node.status({});
@@ -597,6 +610,10 @@ module.exports = function(RED) {
                                         const msg = clients[connection_id].lastMsg || {};
                                         msg.payload = Buffer.alloc(i);
                                         buf.copy(msg.payload,0,0,i);
+                                        if (node.ret === "string") {
+                                            try { msg.payload = msg.payload.toString(); }
+                                            catch(e) { node.error("Failed to create string", msg); }
+                                        }
                                         nodeSend(msg);
                                         if (clients[connection_id].client) {
                                             node.status({});
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 cda9c71eb..cdf42a962 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
@@ -598,7 +598,9 @@
             "character": "when character received is",
             "number": "a fixed number of chars",
             "never": "never - keep connection open",
-            "immed": "immediately - don't wait for reply"
+            "immed": "immediately - don't wait for reply",
+            "buffer": "a Buffer",
+            "string": "a String"
         },
         "status": {
             "connecting": "connecting to __host__:__port__",