diff --git a/plugins/outputs/datadog/datadog.go b/plugins/outputs/datadog/datadog.go
index 5d6fab165..56fdc38e4 100644
--- a/plugins/outputs/datadog/datadog.go
+++ b/plugins/outputs/datadog/datadog.go
@@ -139,6 +139,9 @@ func (d *Datadog) authenticatedUrl() string {
 func buildMetrics(m telegraf.Metric) (map[string]Point, error) {
 	ms := make(map[string]Point)
 	for k, v := range m.Fields() {
+		if !verifyValue(v) {
+			continue
+		}
 		var p Point
 		if err := p.setValue(v); err != nil {
 			return ms, fmt.Errorf("unable to extract value from Fields, %s", err.Error())
@@ -160,6 +163,14 @@ func buildTags(mTags map[string]string) []string {
 	return tags
 }
 
+func verifyValue(v interface{}) bool {
+	switch v.(type) {
+	case string:
+		return false
+	}
+	return true
+}
+
 func (p *Point) setValue(v interface{}) error {
 	switch d := v.(type) {
 	case int:
diff --git a/plugins/outputs/datadog/datadog_test.go b/plugins/outputs/datadog/datadog_test.go
index 30495a044..2d3095be1 100644
--- a/plugins/outputs/datadog/datadog_test.go
+++ b/plugins/outputs/datadog/datadog_test.go
@@ -152,14 +152,6 @@ func TestBuildPoint(t *testing.T) {
 			},
 			nil,
 		},
-		{
-			testutil.TestMetric("11234.5", "test7"),
-			Point{
-				float64(time.Date(2009, time.November, 10, 23, 0, 0, 0, time.UTC).Unix()),
-				11234.5,
-			},
-			fmt.Errorf("unable to extract value from Fields, undeterminable type"),
-		},
 	}
 	for _, tt := range tagtests {
 		pt, err := buildMetrics(tt.ptIn)
@@ -175,3 +167,25 @@ func TestBuildPoint(t *testing.T) {
 		}
 	}
 }
+
+func TestVerifyValue(t *testing.T) {
+	var tagtests = []struct {
+		ptIn        telegraf.Metric
+		validMetric bool
+	}{
+		{
+			testutil.TestMetric(float32(11234.5), "test1"),
+			true,
+		},
+		{
+			testutil.TestMetric("11234.5", "test2"),
+			false,
+		},
+	}
+	for _, tt := range tagtests {
+		ok := verifyValue(tt.ptIn.Fields()["value"])
+		if tt.validMetric != ok {
+			t.Errorf("%s: verification failed\n", tt.ptIn.Name())
+		}
+	}
+}
diff --git a/plugins/outputs/librato/librato.go b/plugins/outputs/librato/librato.go
index 910ac8b4e..f0f03400e 100644
--- a/plugins/outputs/librato/librato.go
+++ b/plugins/outputs/librato/librato.go
@@ -165,6 +165,9 @@ func (l *Librato) buildGauges(m telegraf.Metric) ([]*Gauge, error) {
 			Name:        l.buildGaugeName(m, fieldName),
 			MeasureTime: m.Time().Unix(),
 		}
+		if !gauge.verifyValue(value) {
+			continue
+		}
 		if err := gauge.setValue(value); err != nil {
 			return gauges, fmt.Errorf("unable to extract value from Fields, %s\n",
 				err.Error())
@@ -186,6 +189,14 @@ func (l *Librato) buildGauges(m telegraf.Metric) ([]*Gauge, error) {
 	return gauges, nil
 }
 
+func (g *Gauge) verifyValue(v interface{}) bool {
+	switch v.(type) {
+	case string:
+		return false
+	}
+	return true
+}
+
 func (g *Gauge) setValue(v interface{}) error {
 	switch d := v.(type) {
 	case int:
diff --git a/plugins/outputs/librato/librato_test.go b/plugins/outputs/librato/librato_test.go
index ae08793e0..3aa5b8748 100644
--- a/plugins/outputs/librato/librato_test.go
+++ b/plugins/outputs/librato/librato_test.go
@@ -139,12 +139,8 @@ func TestBuildGauge(t *testing.T) {
 		},
 		{
 			testutil.TestMetric("11234.5", "test7"),
-			&Gauge{
-				Name:        "value1.test7.value",
-				MeasureTime: time.Date(2009, time.November, 10, 23, 0, 0, 0, time.UTC).Unix(),
-				Value:       11234.5,
-			},
-			fmt.Errorf("unable to extract value from Fields, undeterminable type"),
+			nil,
+			nil,
 		},
 	}
 
@@ -158,6 +154,9 @@ func TestBuildGauge(t *testing.T) {
 			t.Errorf("%s: expected an error (%s) but none returned",
 				gt.ptIn.Name(), gt.err.Error())
 		}
+		if len(gauges) != 0 && gt.outGauge == nil {
+			t.Errorf("%s: unexpected gauge, %+v\n", gt.ptIn.Name(), gt.outGauge)
+		}
 		if len(gauges) == 0 {
 			continue
 		}