diff --git a/nodes/core/core/80-template.html b/nodes/core/core/80-template.html
index 56c68f3e8..0768a9d17 100644
--- a/nodes/core/core/80-template.html
+++ b/nodes/core/core/80-template.html
@@ -54,6 +54,9 @@
     <dl class="message-properties">
         <dt>msg <span class="property-type">object</span></dt>
         <dd>A msg object containing information to populate the template.</dd>
+        <dt class="optional">template <span class="property-type">string</span></dt>
+        <dd>A template to be populated from msg.payload. If not configured in the edit panel,
+         this can be set as a property of msg.</dd>
     </dl>
     <h3>Outputs</h3>
     <dl class="message-properties">
diff --git a/nodes/core/core/80-template.js b/nodes/core/core/80-template.js
index 2d695825e..14f0350d0 100644
--- a/nodes/core/core/80-template.js
+++ b/nodes/core/core/80-template.js
@@ -83,6 +83,16 @@ module.exports = function(RED) {
         node.on("input", function(msg) {
             try {
                 var value;
+                /***
+                * Allow template contents to be defined externally
+                * through inbound msg.template IFF node.template empty
+                */
+                if (msg.hasOwnProperty("template")) {
+                    if (node.template == "" || node.template === null) {
+                        node.template = msg.template;
+                    }
+                }
+
                 if (node.syntax === "mustache") {
                     if (node.outputFormat === "json") {
                         value = mustache.render(node.template,new NodeContext(msg, node.context(), null, true));
diff --git a/test/nodes/core/core/80-template_spec.js b/test/nodes/core/core/80-template_spec.js
index b59c0f46c..2d2c6b65b 100644
--- a/test/nodes/core/core/80-template_spec.js
+++ b/test/nodes/core/core/80-template_spec.js
@@ -37,9 +37,40 @@ describe('template node', function() {
             n2.on("input", function(msg) {
                 msg.should.have.property('topic', 'bar');
                 msg.should.have.property('payload', 'payload=foo');
+                msg.should.have.property('template', '{{payload}}');
                 done();
             });
-            n1.receive({payload:"foo",topic: "bar"});
+            n1.receive({payload:"foo",topic: "bar", template: "{{payload}}"});
+        });
+    });
+
+    it('should modify template from msg.template', function(done) {
+        var flow = [{id:"n1", type:"template", field:"template", template:"",wires:[["n2"]]},{id:"n2",type:"helper"}];
+        helper.load(templateNode, flow, function() {
+            var n1 = helper.getNode("n1");
+            var n2 = helper.getNode("n2");
+            n2.on("input", function(msg) {
+                msg.should.have.property('topic', 'bar');
+                msg.should.have.property('payload', 'foo');
+                msg.should.have.property('template', 'payload=foo');
+                done();
+            });
+            n1.receive({payload:"foo", topic: "bar", template: "payload={{payload}}"});
+        });
+    });
+
+    it('should modify payload from msg.template', function(done) {
+        var flow = [{id:"n1", type:"template", field:"payload", template:"",wires:[["n2"]]},{id:"n2",type:"helper"}];
+        helper.load(templateNode, flow, function() {
+            var n1 = helper.getNode("n1");
+            var n2 = helper.getNode("n2");
+            n2.on("input", function(msg) {
+                msg.should.have.property('topic', 'bar');
+                msg.should.have.property('payload', 'topic=bar');
+                msg.should.have.property('template', 'topic={{topic}}');
+                done();
+            });
+            n1.receive({payload:"foo", topic: "bar", template: "topic={{topic}}"});
         });
     });