diff --git a/plugins/inputs/nsq/nsq.go b/plugins/inputs/nsq/nsq.go
index b59420c26..1ef47ef05 100644
--- a/plugins/inputs/nsq/nsq.go
+++ b/plugins/inputs/nsq/nsq.go
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@ package nsq
 import (
 	"encoding/json"
 	"fmt"
+	"io/ioutil"
 	"net/http"
 	"net/url"
 	"strconv"
@@ -101,28 +102,42 @@ func (n *NSQ) gatherEndpoint(e string, acc telegraf.Accumulator) error {
 		return fmt.Errorf("%s returned HTTP status %s", u.String(), r.Status)
 	}
 
-	s := &NSQStats{}
-	err = json.NewDecoder(r.Body).Decode(s)
+	body, err := ioutil.ReadAll(r.Body)
+	if err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf(`Error reading body: %s`, err)
+	}
+
+	data := &NSQStatsData{}
+	err = json.Unmarshal(body, data)
 	if err != nil {
 		return fmt.Errorf(`Error parsing response: %s`, err)
 	}
+	// Data was not parsed correctly attempt to use old format.
+	if len(data.Version) < 1 {
+		wrapper := &NSQStats{}
+		err = json.Unmarshal(body, wrapper)
+		if err != nil {
+			return fmt.Errorf(`Error parsing response: %s`, err)
+		}
+		data = &wrapper.Data
+	}
 
 	tags := map[string]string{
 		`server_host`:    u.Host,
-		`server_version`: s.Data.Version,
+		`server_version`: data.Version,
 	}
 
 	fields := make(map[string]interface{})
-	if s.Data.Health == `OK` {
+	if data.Health == `OK` {
 		fields["server_count"] = int64(1)
 	} else {
 		fields["server_count"] = int64(0)
 	}
-	fields["topic_count"] = int64(len(s.Data.Topics))
+	fields["topic_count"] = int64(len(data.Topics))
 
 	acc.AddFields("nsq_server", fields, tags)
-	for _, t := range s.Data.Topics {
-		topicStats(t, acc, u.Host, s.Data.Version)
+	for _, t := range data.Topics {
+		topicStats(t, acc, u.Host, data.Version)
 	}
 
 	return nil
@@ -189,7 +204,6 @@ func clientStats(c ClientStats, acc telegraf.Accumulator, host, version, topic,
 		"server_version":    version,
 		"topic":             topic,
 		"channel":           channel,
-		"client_name":       c.Name,
 		"client_id":         c.ID,
 		"client_hostname":   c.Hostname,
 		"client_version":    c.Version,
@@ -199,6 +213,9 @@ func clientStats(c ClientStats, acc telegraf.Accumulator, host, version, topic,
 		"client_snappy":     strconv.FormatBool(c.Snappy),
 		"client_deflate":    strconv.FormatBool(c.Deflate),
 	}
+	if len(c.Name) > 0 {
+		tags["client_name"] = c.Name
+	}
 
 	fields := map[string]interface{}{
 		"ready_count":    c.ReadyCount,
@@ -248,7 +265,7 @@ type ChannelStats struct {
 }
 
 type ClientStats struct {
-	Name                          string `json:"name"`
+	Name                          string `json:"name"` // DEPRECATED 1.x+, still here as the structs are currently being shared for parsing v3.x and 1.x
 	ID                            string `json:"client_id"`
 	Hostname                      string `json:"hostname"`
 	Version                       string `json:"version"`
diff --git a/plugins/inputs/nsq/nsq_test.go b/plugins/inputs/nsq/nsq_test.go
index 926f99638..f3e9ce868 100644
--- a/plugins/inputs/nsq/nsq_test.go
+++ b/plugins/inputs/nsq/nsq_test.go
@@ -12,10 +12,267 @@ import (
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
 )
 
-func TestNSQStats(t *testing.T) {
+func TestNSQStatsV1(t *testing.T) {
 	ts := httptest.NewServer(http.HandlerFunc(func(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
 		w.WriteHeader(http.StatusOK)
-		fmt.Fprintln(w, response)
+		fmt.Fprintln(w, responseV1)
+	}))
+	defer ts.Close()
+
+	n := &NSQ{
+		Endpoints: []string{ts.URL},
+	}
+
+	var acc testutil.Accumulator
+	err := acc.GatherError(n.Gather)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+
+	u, err := url.Parse(ts.URL)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	host := u.Host
+
+	// actually validate the tests
+	tests := []struct {
+		m string
+		f map[string]interface{}
+		g map[string]string
+	}{
+		{
+			"nsq_server",
+			map[string]interface{}{
+				"server_count": int64(1),
+				"topic_count":  int64(2),
+			},
+			map[string]string{
+				"server_host":    host,
+				"server_version": "1.0.0-compat",
+			},
+		},
+		{
+			"nsq_topic",
+			map[string]interface{}{
+				"depth":         int64(12),
+				"backend_depth": int64(13),
+				"message_count": int64(14),
+				"channel_count": int64(1),
+			},
+			map[string]string{
+				"server_host":    host,
+				"server_version": "1.0.0-compat",
+				"topic":          "t1"},
+		},
+		{
+			"nsq_channel",
+			map[string]interface{}{
+				"depth":          int64(0),
+				"backend_depth":  int64(1),
+				"inflight_count": int64(2),
+				"deferred_count": int64(3),
+				"message_count":  int64(4),
+				"requeue_count":  int64(5),
+				"timeout_count":  int64(6),
+				"client_count":   int64(1),
+			},
+			map[string]string{
+				"server_host":    host,
+				"server_version": "1.0.0-compat",
+				"topic":          "t1",
+				"channel":        "c1",
+			},
+		},
+		{
+			"nsq_client",
+			map[string]interface{}{
+				"ready_count":    int64(200),
+				"inflight_count": int64(7),
+				"message_count":  int64(8),
+				"finish_count":   int64(9),
+				"requeue_count":  int64(10),
+			},
+			map[string]string{"server_host": host, "server_version": "1.0.0-compat",
+				"topic": "t1", "channel": "c1",
+				"client_id": "373a715cd990", "client_hostname": "373a715cd990",
+				"client_version": "V2", "client_address": "172.17.0.11:35560",
+				"client_tls": "false", "client_snappy": "false",
+				"client_deflate":    "false",
+				"client_user_agent": "nsq_to_nsq/0.3.6 go-nsq/1.0.5"},
+		},
+		{
+			"nsq_topic",
+			map[string]interface{}{
+				"depth":         int64(28),
+				"backend_depth": int64(29),
+				"message_count": int64(30),
+				"channel_count": int64(1),
+			},
+			map[string]string{
+				"server_host":    host,
+				"server_version": "1.0.0-compat",
+				"topic":          "t2"},
+		},
+		{
+			"nsq_channel",
+			map[string]interface{}{
+				"depth":          int64(15),
+				"backend_depth":  int64(16),
+				"inflight_count": int64(17),
+				"deferred_count": int64(18),
+				"message_count":  int64(19),
+				"requeue_count":  int64(20),
+				"timeout_count":  int64(21),
+				"client_count":   int64(1),
+			},
+			map[string]string{
+				"server_host":    host,
+				"server_version": "1.0.0-compat",
+				"topic":          "t2",
+				"channel":        "c2",
+			},
+		},
+		{
+			"nsq_client",
+			map[string]interface{}{
+				"ready_count":    int64(22),
+				"inflight_count": int64(23),
+				"message_count":  int64(24),
+				"finish_count":   int64(25),
+				"requeue_count":  int64(26),
+			},
+			map[string]string{"server_host": host, "server_version": "1.0.0-compat",
+				"topic": "t2", "channel": "c2",
+				"client_id": "377569bd462b", "client_hostname": "377569bd462b",
+				"client_version": "V2", "client_address": "172.17.0.8:48145",
+				"client_user_agent": "go-nsq/1.0.5", "client_tls": "true",
+				"client_snappy": "true", "client_deflate": "true"},
+		},
+	}
+
+	for _, test := range tests {
+		acc.AssertContainsTaggedFields(t, test.m, test.f, test.g)
+	}
+}
+
+// v1 version of localhost/stats?format=json reesponse body
+var responseV1 = `
+{
+    "version": "1.0.0-compat",
+    "health": "OK",
+    "start_time": 1452021674,
+    "topics": [
+      {
+        "topic_name": "t1",
+        "channels": [
+          {
+            "channel_name": "c1",
+            "depth": 0,
+            "backend_depth": 1,
+            "in_flight_count": 2,
+            "deferred_count": 3,
+            "message_count": 4,
+            "requeue_count": 5,
+            "timeout_count": 6,
+            "clients": [
+              {
+                "client_id": "373a715cd990",
+                "hostname": "373a715cd990",
+                "version": "V2",
+                "remote_address": "172.17.0.11:35560",
+                "state": 3,
+                "ready_count": 200,
+                "in_flight_count": 7,
+                "message_count": 8,
+                "finish_count": 9,
+                "requeue_count": 10,
+                "connect_ts": 1452021675,
+                "sample_rate": 11,
+                "deflate": false,
+                "snappy": false,
+                "user_agent": "nsq_to_nsq\/0.3.6 go-nsq\/1.0.5",
+                "tls": false,
+                "tls_cipher_suite": "",
+                "tls_version": "",
+                "tls_negotiated_protocol": "",
+                "tls_negotiated_protocol_is_mutual": false
+              }
+            ],
+            "paused": false,
+            "e2e_processing_latency": {
+              "count": 0,
+              "percentiles": null
+            }
+          }
+        ],
+        "depth": 12,
+        "backend_depth": 13,
+        "message_count": 14,
+        "paused": false,
+        "e2e_processing_latency": {
+          "count": 0,
+          "percentiles": null
+        }
+      },
+      {
+        "topic_name": "t2",
+        "channels": [
+          {
+            "channel_name": "c2",
+            "depth": 15,
+            "backend_depth": 16,
+            "in_flight_count": 17,
+            "deferred_count": 18,
+            "message_count": 19,
+            "requeue_count": 20,
+            "timeout_count": 21,
+            "clients": [
+              {
+                "client_id": "377569bd462b",
+                "hostname": "377569bd462b",
+                "version": "V2",
+                "remote_address": "172.17.0.8:48145",
+                "state": 3,
+                "ready_count": 22,
+                "in_flight_count": 23,
+                "message_count": 24,
+                "finish_count": 25,
+                "requeue_count": 26,
+                "connect_ts": 1452021678,
+                "sample_rate": 27,
+                "deflate": true,
+                "snappy": true,
+                "user_agent": "go-nsq\/1.0.5",
+                "tls": true,
+                "tls_cipher_suite": "",
+                "tls_version": "",
+                "tls_negotiated_protocol": "",
+                "tls_negotiated_protocol_is_mutual": false
+              }
+            ],
+            "paused": false,
+            "e2e_processing_latency": {
+              "count": 0,
+              "percentiles": null
+            }
+          }
+        ],
+        "depth": 28,
+        "backend_depth": 29,
+        "message_count": 30,
+        "paused": false,
+        "e2e_processing_latency": {
+          "count": 0,
+          "percentiles": null
+        }
+      }
+    ]
+  }
+
+`
+
+// TestNSQStatsPreV1 is for backwards compatibility with nsq versions < 1.0
+func TestNSQStatsPreV1(t *testing.T) {
+	ts := httptest.NewServer(http.HandlerFunc(func(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
+		w.WriteHeader(http.StatusOK)
+		fmt.Fprintln(w, responsePreV1)
 	}))
 	defer ts.Close()
 
@@ -152,7 +409,7 @@ func TestNSQStats(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
-var response = `
+var responsePreV1 = `
 {
   "status_code": 200,
   "status_txt": "OK",