diff --git a/homeassistant/components/influxdb.py b/homeassistant/components/influxdb.py
index 99b5be37556..123cf5bc0e3 100644
--- a/homeassistant/components/influxdb.py
+++ b/homeassistant/components/influxdb.py
@@ -70,25 +70,22 @@ def setup(hass, config):
         """ Listen for new messages on the bus and sends them to Influx. """
 
         state = event.data.get('new_state')
-
-        if state is None:
+        if state is None or state.state in (STATE_UNKNOWN, ''):
             return
 
         if state.state in (STATE_ON, STATE_LOCKED, STATE_ABOVE_HORIZON):
             _state = 1
-        elif state.state in (STATE_OFF, STATE_UNLOCKED, STATE_UNKNOWN,
-                             STATE_BELOW_HORIZON):
+        elif state.state in (STATE_OFF, STATE_UNLOCKED, STATE_BELOW_HORIZON):
             _state = 0
         else:
-            _state = state.state
-            if _state == '':
-                return
             try:
-                _state = float(_state)
+                _state = float(state.state)
             except ValueError:
-                pass
+                _state = state.state
 
-        measurement = state.attributes.get('unit_of_measurement', state.domain)
+        measurement = state.attributes.get('unit_of_measurement')
+        if measurement in (None, ''):
+            measurement = state.entity_id
 
         json_body = [
             {
diff --git a/homeassistant/components/sensor/mqtt.py b/homeassistant/components/sensor/mqtt.py
index 8cf2569acd5..032462430e0 100644
--- a/homeassistant/components/sensor/mqtt.py
+++ b/homeassistant/components/sensor/mqtt.py
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ For more details about this platform, please refer to the documentation at
 https://home-assistant.io/components/sensor.mqtt/
 """
 import logging
-from homeassistant.const import CONF_VALUE_TEMPLATE
+from homeassistant.const import CONF_VALUE_TEMPLATE, STATE_UNKNOWN
 from homeassistant.helpers.entity import Entity
 from homeassistant.util import template
 import homeassistant.components.mqtt as mqtt
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ class MqttSensor(Entity):
     """ Represents a sensor that can be updated using MQTT. """
     def __init__(self, hass, name, state_topic, qos, unit_of_measurement,
                  value_template):
-        self._state = "-"
+        self._state = STATE_UNKNOWN
         self._hass = hass
         self._name = name
         self._state_topic = state_topic