diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index e5e8ba7..414fae8 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "node-red-contrib-salesforce",
-  "version": "0.0.5",
+  "version": "0.0.6",
   "description": "A set of Node-RED nodes to interact with Salesforce and Force.com.",
   "author": {
     "name": "Jeff Douglas",
diff --git a/soql.js b/soql.js
index 839d9bc..6963300 100644
--- a/soql.js
+++ b/soql.js
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ module.exports = function(RED) {
     RED.nodes.createNode(this,config);
     this.connection = RED.nodes.getNode(config.connection);
     var node = this;
+    var query = '';
     this.on('input', function(msg) {
 
       // show initial status of progress
@@ -13,7 +14,9 @@ module.exports = function(RED) {
 
       // use msg query if node's query is blank
       if (msg.hasOwnProperty("query") && config.query === '') {
-        config.query = msg.query;
+        query = msg.query;
+      } else {
+        query = config.query;
       }
 
       // create connection object
@@ -27,7 +30,7 @@ module.exports = function(RED) {
 
       // auth and run query
       org.authenticate({ username: this.connection.username, password: this.connection.password }).then(function(){
-        return org.query({ query: config.query })
+        return org.query({ query: query })
       }).then(function(results) {
         msg.payload = {
           size: results.totalSize,
diff --git a/sosl.js b/sosl.js
index 309a6f3..be12127 100644
--- a/sosl.js
+++ b/sosl.js
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ module.exports = function(RED) {
     RED.nodes.createNode(this,config);
     this.connection = RED.nodes.getNode(config.connection);
     var node = this;
+    var query = '';
     this.on('input', function(msg) {
 
       // show initial status of progress
@@ -13,7 +14,9 @@ module.exports = function(RED) {
 
       // use msg query if node's query is blank
       if (msg.hasOwnProperty("query") && config.query === '') {
-        config.query = msg.query;
+        query = msg.query;
+      } else {
+        query = config.query;
       }
 
       // create connection object
@@ -27,7 +30,7 @@ module.exports = function(RED) {
 
       // auth and run query
       org.authenticate({ username: this.connection.username, password: this.connection.password }).then(function(){
-        return org.search({ search: config.query })
+        return org.search({ search: query })
       }).then(function(results) {
         msg.payload = {
           size: results.length,