diff --git a/src/encoding/csv/writer.go b/src/encoding/csv/writer.go
index 1faecb6648061..17e7bb7f5c79b 100644
--- a/src/encoding/csv/writer.go
+++ b/src/encoding/csv/writer.go
@@ -115,10 +115,22 @@ func (w *Writer) WriteAll(records [][]string) (err error) {
 }
 
 // fieldNeedsQuotes returns true if our field must be enclosed in quotes.
-// Empty fields, files with a Comma, fields with a quote or newline, and
+// Fields with a Comma, fields with a quote or newline, and
 // fields which start with a space must be enclosed in quotes.
+// We used to quote empty strings, but we do not anymore (as of Go 1.4).
+// The two representations should be equivalent, but Postgres distinguishes
+// quoted vs non-quoted empty string during database imports, and it has
+// an option to force the quoted behavior for non-quoted CSV but it has
+// no option to force the non-quoted behavior for quoted CSV, making
+// CSV with quoted empty strings strictly less useful.
+// Not quoting the empty string also makes this package match the behavior
+// of Microsoft Excel and Google Drive.
+// For Postgres, quote the data termating string `\.`.
 func (w *Writer) fieldNeedsQuotes(field string) bool {
-	if len(field) == 0 || strings.IndexRune(field, w.Comma) >= 0 || strings.IndexAny(field, "\"\r\n") >= 0 {
+	if field == "" {
+		return false
+	}
+	if field == `\.` || strings.IndexRune(field, w.Comma) >= 0 || strings.IndexAny(field, "\"\r\n") >= 0 {
 		return true
 	}
 
diff --git a/src/encoding/csv/writer_test.go b/src/encoding/csv/writer_test.go
index 22b740c074529..8ddca0abe0c13 100644
--- a/src/encoding/csv/writer_test.go
+++ b/src/encoding/csv/writer_test.go
@@ -28,6 +28,17 @@ var writeTests = []struct {
 	{Input: [][]string{{"abc\ndef"}}, Output: "\"abc\r\ndef\"\r\n", UseCRLF: true},
 	{Input: [][]string{{"abc\rdef"}}, Output: "\"abcdef\"\r\n", UseCRLF: true},
 	{Input: [][]string{{"abc\rdef"}}, Output: "\"abc\rdef\"\n", UseCRLF: false},
+	{Input: [][]string{{""}}, Output: "\n"},
+	{Input: [][]string{{"", ""}}, Output: ",\n"},
+	{Input: [][]string{{"", "", ""}}, Output: ",,\n"},
+	{Input: [][]string{{"", "", "a"}}, Output: ",,a\n"},
+	{Input: [][]string{{"", "a", ""}}, Output: ",a,\n"},
+	{Input: [][]string{{"", "a", "a"}}, Output: ",a,a\n"},
+	{Input: [][]string{{"a", "", ""}}, Output: "a,,\n"},
+	{Input: [][]string{{"a", "", "a"}}, Output: "a,,a\n"},
+	{Input: [][]string{{"a", "a", ""}}, Output: "a,a,\n"},
+	{Input: [][]string{{"a", "a", "a"}}, Output: "a,a,a\n"},
+	{Input: [][]string{{`\.`}}, Output: "\"\\.\"\n"},
 }
 
 func TestWrite(t *testing.T) {