diff --git a/heka/files/lua/common/influxdb.lua b/heka/files/lua/common/influxdb.lua
index d9c359d..9341399 100644
--- a/heka/files/lua/common/influxdb.lua
+++ b/heka/files/lua/common/influxdb.lua
@@ -26,8 +26,14 @@
 
 setfenv(1, InfluxEncoder) -- Remove external access to contain everything in the module
 
-local function escape_string(str)
-    return tostring(str):gsub("([ ,])", "\\%1")
+local function escape_string(str, preserve_quotes)
+    v = tostring(str)
+    -- single quotes are always forbidden
+    v = v:gsub("'", "")
+    if not preserve_quotes then
+        v = v:gsub('"', "")
+    end
+    return v:gsub("([ ,=])", "\\%1")
 end
 
 local function encode_scalar_value(value)
@@ -40,7 +46,7 @@
         -- string values need to be double quoted
         return '"' .. value:gsub('"', '\\"') .. '"'
     elseif type(value) == "boolean" then
-        return '"' .. tostring(value) .. '"'
+        return tostring(value)
     end
 end
 
@@ -50,7 +56,7 @@
         for k,v in pairs(value) do
             table.insert(
                 values,
-                string.format("%s=%s", escape_string(k), encode_scalar_value(v))
+                string.format("%s=%s", escape_string(k, true), encode_scalar_value(v))
             )
         end
         return table.concat(values, ',')
diff --git a/tests/lua/test_afd.lua b/tests/lua/test_afd.lua
index 478a36c..1016984 100644
--- a/tests/lua/test_afd.lua
+++ b/tests/lua/test_afd.lua
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@
         assertEquals(last_injected_msg.Type, 'afd_metric')
         assertEquals(last_injected_msg.Fields.value, consts.OKAY)
         assertEquals(last_injected_msg.Fields.hostname, 'node-1')
-        assertEquals(last_injected_msg.Fields.notification_handler, 'mail')
+        assertEquals(last_injected_msg.Fields.notification_handler, nil)
         assertEquals(last_injected_msg.Payload, '{"alarms":[]}')
     end
 
diff --git a/tests/lua/test_influxdb.lua b/tests/lua/test_influxdb.lua
index 160c6b5..73d650d 100644
--- a/tests/lua/test_influxdb.lua
+++ b/tests/lua/test_influxdb.lua
@@ -21,11 +21,18 @@
 
 TestInfluxDB = {}
 
+    function TestInfluxDB:test_escaping_characters()
+        local encoder = influxdb.new("s")
+        assertEquals(encoder:encode_datapoint(1e9 * 1000, 'foo', 2, {tag1='"tag1"'}), 'foo,tag1=tag1 value=2.000000 1000')
+        assertEquals(encoder:encode_datapoint(1e9 * 1000, 'foo', 2, {tag1=",tag 1="}), 'foo,tag1=\\,tag\\ 1\\= value=2.000000 1000')
+        assertEquals(encoder:encode_datapoint(1e9 * 1000, 'foo', 'b"ar'), 'foo value="b\\"ar" 1000')
+        assertEquals(encoder:encode_datapoint(1e9 * 1000, 'foo', true), 'foo value=true 1000')
+    end
+
     function TestInfluxDB:test_ms_precision_encoder()
         local encoder = influxdb.new("ms")
         assertEquals(encoder:encode_datapoint(1e9 * 1000, 'foo', 1), 'foo value=1.000000 1000000')
         assertEquals(encoder:encode_datapoint(1e9 * 1000, 'foo', 'bar'), 'foo value="bar" 1000000')
-        assertEquals(encoder:encode_datapoint(1e9 * 1000, 'foo', 'b"ar'), 'foo value="b\\"ar" 1000000')
         assertEquals(encoder:encode_datapoint(1e9 * 1000, 'foo', 1, {tag2="t2",tag1="t1"}), 'foo,tag1=t1,tag2=t2 value=1.000000 1000000')
         assertEquals(encoder:encode_datapoint(1e9 * 1000, 'foo', {a=1, b=2}), 'foo a=1.000000,b=2.000000 1000000')
     end