diff --git a/files/rsyslog/20-viaq-templates.conf b/files/rsyslog/20-viaq-templates.conf
index 160e73c305..be3b02700e 100644
--- a/files/rsyslog/20-viaq-templates.conf
+++ b/files/rsyslog/20-viaq-templates.conf
@@ -15,11 +15,11 @@ template(name="viaq_template_nl" type="list") {
 
 template(name="prefix_index_template" type="list") {
     property(name="$.viaq_index_prefix")
-    property(name="$!@timestamp" dateFormat="rfc3339" position.from="1" position.to="4")
+    property(name="$.ts_for_index" dateFormat="rfc3339" position.from="1" position.to="4")
     constant(value=".")
-    property(name="$!@timestamp" dateFormat="rfc3339" position.from="6" position.to="7")
+    property(name="$.ts_for_index" dateFormat="rfc3339" position.from="6" position.to="7")
     constant(value=".")
-    property(name="$!@timestamp" dateFormat="rfc3339" position.from="9" position.to="10")
+    property(name="$.ts_for_index" dateFormat="rfc3339" position.from="9" position.to="10")
 }
 
 template(name="index_template" type="string" string="%$.viaq_index_name%")
diff --git a/files/rsyslog/60-mmk8s.conf b/files/rsyslog/60-mmk8s.conf
index 788328bef0..44c2021e8b 100644
--- a/files/rsyslog/60-mmk8s.conf
+++ b/files/rsyslog/60-mmk8s.conf
@@ -16,36 +16,48 @@ if ((strlen($!CONTAINER_NAME) > 0) and (strlen($!CONTAINER_ID_FULL) > 0)) or
     if ((strlen($!metadata) > 0) and (strlen($!metadata!filename) > 0) and ($!metadata!filename startswith "/var/log/containers/")) then {
         if $msg startswith "{" then {
             action(name="parse_multiline_docker_json" type="mmnormalize" rulebase="/etc/rsyslog.d/multiline-json.rulebase")
-            foreach ($.ii in $!multilinejson) do {
-                if strlen($!@timestamp) == 0 then {
-                    set $!@timestamp = $.ii!time;
-                }
-                if strlen($!stream) == 0 then {
-                    set $!stream = $.ii!stream;
-                }
-                if strlen($!log) == 0 then {
-                    set $!log = $.ii!log;
-                } else {
-                    reset $!log = $!log & $.ii!log;
+            if strlen($!originalmsg) > 0 then {
+                # parsing failed
+                unset $!originalmsg;
+                unset $!unparsed-data;
+            } else {
+                foreach ($.ii in $!multilinejson) do {
+                    if strlen($!@timestamp) == 0 then {
+                        set $!@timestamp = $.ii!time;
+                    }
+                    if strlen($!stream) == 0 then {
+                        set $!stream = $.ii!stream;
+                    }
+                    if strlen($!log) == 0 then {
+                        set $!log = $.ii!log;
+                    } else {
+                        reset $!log = $!log & $.ii!log;
+                    }
                 }
+                unset $!multilinejson;
             }
-            unset $!multilinejson;
         } else {
             action(name="parse_multiline_crio_file" type="mmnormalize" rulebase="/etc/rsyslog.d/crio.rulebase")
-            foreach ($.ii in $!multilinecrio) do {
-                if strlen($!@timestamp) == 0 then {
-                    set $!@timestamp = $.ii!time;
-                }
-                if strlen($!stream) == 0 then {
-                    set $!stream = $.ii!stream;
-                }
-                if strlen($!log) == 0 then {
-                    set $!log = $.ii!log;
-                } else {
-                    reset $!log = $!log & $.ii!log;
+            if strlen($!originalmsg) > 0 then {
+                # parsing failed
+                unset $!originalmsg;
+                unset $!unparsed-data;
+            } else {
+                foreach ($.ii in $!multilinecrio) do {
+                    if strlen($!@timestamp) == 0 then {
+                        set $!@timestamp = $.ii!time;
+                    }
+                    if strlen($!stream) == 0 then {
+                        set $!stream = $.ii!stream;
+                    }
+                    if strlen($!log) == 0 then {
+                        set $!log = $.ii!log;
+                    } else {
+                        reset $!log = $!log & $.ii!log;
+                    }
                 }
+                unset $!multilinecrio;
             }
-            unset $!multilinecrio;
         }
     }
     action(type="mmkubernetes"
diff --git a/files/rsyslog/65-viaq-formatting.conf b/files/rsyslog/65-viaq-formatting.conf
index b67d3abca8..5d9d66b84d 100644
--- a/files/rsyslog/65-viaq-formatting.conf
+++ b/files/rsyslog/65-viaq-formatting.conf
@@ -11,6 +11,11 @@ if strlen($!MESSAGE) > 0 then {
     set $!pipeline_metadata!collector!original_raw_message = $!MESSAGE;
     if (strlen(`echo $MERGE_JSON_LOG`) > 0) and (`echo $MERGE_JSON_LOG` == "true") then {
         action(name="parse_json_journald" type="mmnormalize" ruleBase="/etc/rsyslog.d/parse_json.rulebase" variable="$!MESSAGE")
+        if strlen($!originalmsg) > 0 then {
+            # parsing failed - not json - just continue
+            unset $!originalmsg;
+            unset $!unparsed-data;
+        }
     }
     # ensure that $!message is set and $!MESSAGE is unset
     # if rsyslog is case sensitive, then $!MESSAGE == $!message
@@ -25,21 +30,22 @@ if strlen($!MESSAGE) > 0 then {
         }
         unset $!MESSAGE;
     }
-    unset $!originalmsg;
-    unset $!unparsed-data;
 } else {
     if strlen($!log) > 0 then {
         set $!pipeline_metadata!collector!original_raw_message = $!log;
         if (strlen(`echo $MERGE_JSON_LOG`) > 0) and (`echo $MERGE_JSON_LOG` == "true") then {
             action(name="parse_json_containers" type="mmnormalize" ruleBase="/etc/rsyslog.d/parse_json.rulebase" variable="$!log")
+            if strlen($!originalmsg) > 0 then {
+                # parsing failed - not json - just continue
+                unset $!originalmsg;
+                unset $!unparsed-data;
+            }
         }
         if strlen($!message) == 0 then {
             set $!message = $!log;
         }
         unset $!log;
     }
-    unset $!originalmsg;
-    unset $!unparsed-data;
 }
 
 if strlen($!_MACHINE_ID) > 0 then {
@@ -262,6 +268,17 @@ if strlen($!level) > 0 then {
 }
 unset $!stream;
 
+# normalize timestamp for use in index name, but preserve whatever
+# timestamp the user may have set in the log e.g. when using
+# MERGE_JSON_LOG=true and the user has set "@timestamp" in the log
+# we must have something in YYYY-MM-DD format for the index suffix
+set $.tssec = parse_time($!@timestamp);
+if $.tssec == 0 then {
+    set $.ts_for_index = exec_template("cnvt_to_viaq_timestamp");
+} else {
+    set $.ts_for_index = format_time($.tssec, "date-rfc3339");
+}
+
 # add eventrouter
 
 if (strlen($!kubernetes) > 0) and (strlen($!kubernetes!namespace_name) > 0) then {
diff --git a/files/rsyslog/67-mmexternal.conf b/files/rsyslog/67-mmexternal.conf
index e950c82984..c30c9a88ec 100644
--- a/files/rsyslog/67-mmexternal.conf
+++ b/files/rsyslog/67-mmexternal.conf
@@ -2,6 +2,11 @@ module(load="mmexternal")
 
 if (strlen(`echo $SKIP_EMPTY`) > 0) and (`echo $SKIP_EMPTY` == "true") then {
     action(name="skip_empty" type="mmnormalize" ruleBase="/etc/rsyslog.d/parse_json_skip_empty.rulebase" path="$!openshift_logging_all")
+    if strlen($!originalmsg) > 0 then {
+        # parsing failed - not json - just continue
+        unset $!originalmsg;
+        unset $!unparsed-data;
+    }
 } else if (strlen(`echo $USE_MMEXTERNAL`) > 0) and (`echo $USE_MMEXTERNAL` == "true") then {
     action(name="undefined_field" type="mmexternal" binary="/usr/local/bin/undefined_field" interface.input="fulljson")
 }