diff --git a/plugins/parsers/csv/parser.go b/plugins/parsers/csv/parser.go
index 2bbf2ce0df858..4a86a33de2e30 100644
--- a/plugins/parsers/csv/parser.go
+++ b/plugins/parsers/csv/parser.go
@@ -33,18 +33,10 @@ func (p *Parser) compile(r *bytes.Reader) (*csv.Reader, error) {
 	// ensures that the reader reads records of different lengths without an error
 	csvReader.FieldsPerRecord = -1
 	if p.Delimiter != "" {
-		runeStr := []rune(p.Delimiter)
-		if len(runeStr) > 1 {
-			return nil, fmt.Errorf("delimiter must be a single character, got: %s", p.Delimiter)
-		}
-		csvReader.Comma = runeStr[0]
+		csvReader.Comma = []rune(p.Delimiter)[0]
 	}
 	if p.Comment != "" {
-		runeStr := []rune(p.Comment)
-		if len(runeStr) > 1 {
-			return nil, fmt.Errorf("comment must be a single character, got: %s", p.Comment)
-		}
-		csvReader.Comment = runeStr[0]
+		csvReader.Comment = []rune(p.Comment)[0]
 	}
 	return csvReader, nil
 }
@@ -71,7 +63,9 @@ func (p *Parser) Parse(buf []byte) ([]telegraf.Metric, error) {
 			//concatenate header names
 			for i := range header {
 				name := header[i]
-				name = strings.Trim(name, " ")
+				if p.TrimSpace {
+					name = strings.Trim(name, " ")
+				}
 				if len(headerNames) <= i {
 					headerNames = append(headerNames, name)
 				} else {
@@ -80,14 +74,11 @@ func (p *Parser) Parse(buf []byte) ([]telegraf.Metric, error) {
 			}
 		}
 		p.ColumnNames = headerNames[p.SkipColumns:]
-	} else if len(p.ColumnNames) > 0 {
+	} else {
 		// if columns are named, just skip header rows
 		for i := 0; i < p.HeaderRowCount; i++ {
 			csvReader.Read()
 		}
-	} else if p.HeaderRowCount == 0 && len(p.ColumnNames) == 0 {
-		// if there is no header and no DataColumns, that's an error
-		return nil, fmt.Errorf("there must be a header if `csv_data_columns` is not specified")
 	}
 
 	table, err := csvReader.ReadAll()
@@ -140,7 +131,9 @@ func (p *Parser) parseRecord(record []string) (telegraf.Metric, error) {
 	for i, fieldName := range p.ColumnNames {
 		if i < len(record) {
 			value := record[i]
-			value = strings.Trim(value, " ")
+			if p.TrimSpace {
+				value = strings.Trim(value, " ")
+			}
 			// attempt type conversions
 			if iValue, err := strconv.ParseInt(value, 10, 64); err == nil {
 				recordFields[fieldName] = iValue
@@ -162,14 +155,14 @@ func (p *Parser) parseRecord(record []string) (telegraf.Metric, error) {
 	// will default to plugin name
 	measurementName := p.MetricName
 	if recordFields[p.MeasurementColumn] != nil {
-		measurementName = recordFields[p.MeasurementColumn].(string)
+		measurementName = fmt.Sprintf("%v", recordFields[p.MeasurementColumn])
 	}
 
 	for _, tagName := range p.TagColumns {
 		if recordFields[tagName] == nil {
 			return nil, fmt.Errorf("could not find field: %v", tagName)
 		}
-		tags[tagName] = recordFields[tagName].(string)
+		tags[tagName] = fmt.Sprintf("%v", recordFields[tagName])
 		delete(recordFields, tagName)
 	}
 
@@ -178,7 +171,7 @@ func (p *Parser) parseRecord(record []string) (telegraf.Metric, error) {
 		if recordFields[p.TimestampColumn] == nil {
 			return nil, fmt.Errorf("timestamp column: %v could not be found", p.TimestampColumn)
 		}
-		tStr := recordFields[p.TimestampColumn].(string)
+		tStr := fmt.Sprintf("%v", recordFields[p.TimestampColumn])
 		if p.TimestampFormat == "" {
 			return nil, fmt.Errorf("timestamp format must be specified")
 		}
diff --git a/plugins/parsers/registry.go b/plugins/parsers/registry.go
index eb1269da81532..32027e417a878 100644
--- a/plugins/parsers/registry.go
+++ b/plugins/parsers/registry.go
@@ -211,6 +211,28 @@ func newCSVParser(metricName string,
 	timestampColumn string,
 	timestampFormat string,
 	defaultTags map[string]string) (Parser, error) {
+
+	if header == 0 && len(dataColumns) == 0 {
+		// if there is no header and no DataColumns, that's an error
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("there must be a header if `csv_data_columns` is not specified")
+	}
+
+	if delimiter != "" {
+		runeStr := []rune(delimiter)
+		if len(runeStr) > 1 {
+			return nil, fmt.Errorf("delimiter must be a single character, got: %s", delimiter)
+		}
+		delimiter = fmt.Sprintf("%v", runeStr[0])
+	}
+
+	if comment != "" {
+		runeStr := []rune(comment)
+		if len(runeStr) > 1 {
+			return nil, fmt.Errorf("delimiter must be a single character, got: %s", comment)
+		}
+		comment = fmt.Sprintf("%v", runeStr[0])
+	}
+
 	parser := &csv.Parser{
 		MetricName:        metricName,
 		HeaderRowCount:    header,