diff --git a/ghost/members-csv/lib/parse.js b/ghost/members-csv/lib/parse.js
index 3ef8d75977..16add0b831 100644
--- a/ghost/members-csv/lib/parse.js
+++ b/ghost/members-csv/lib/parse.js
@@ -10,18 +10,17 @@ const fs = require('fs-extra');
  * @param {Array<string>} [defaultLabels] - A list of labels to apply to every parsed member row
  * @returns 
  */
-module.exports = (path, headerMapping = {}, defaultLabels = []) => {
+module.exports = (path, headerMapping, defaultLabels = []) => {
     return new Promise(function (resolve, reject) {
         const csvFileStream = fs.createReadStream(path);
         const csvParserStream = papaparse.parse(papaparse.NODE_STREAM_INPUT, {
             header: true,
             transformHeader(_header) {
-                let header = _header;
-                if (headerMapping && Reflect.has(headerMapping, _header)) {
-                    header = headerMapping[_header];
+                if (!headerMapping || !Reflect.has(headerMapping, _header)) {
+                    return undefined;
                 }
 
-                return header;
+                return headerMapping[_header];
             },
             transform(value, header) {
                 if (header === 'labels') {
@@ -73,11 +72,23 @@ module.exports = (path, headerMapping = {}, defaultLabels = []) => {
         });
 
         parsedCSVStream.on('data', (row) => {
+            // unmapped columns end up being assigned to 'undefined' property
+            // in the transformHeader stage, those should be removed completely
+            if (Reflect.has(row, 'undefined')) {
+                delete row.undefined;
+            }
+
+            // skip a rows with no data
+            if (!Object.keys(row).length){
+                return;
+            }
+
             if (row.labels) {
                 row.labels = row.labels.concat(defaultLabels);
             } else {
                 row.labels = defaultLabels;
             }
+
             rows.push(row);
         });
     });
diff --git a/ghost/members-csv/test/parse.test.js b/ghost/members-csv/test/parse.test.js
index 57930e4a5d..8c801dc7d2 100644
--- a/ghost/members-csv/test/parse.test.js
+++ b/ghost/members-csv/test/parse.test.js
@@ -5,9 +5,14 @@ const {parse} = require('../index');
 const csvPath = path.join(__dirname, '/fixtures/');
 
 describe('parse', function () {
+    const DEFAULT_HEADER_MAPPING = {
+        email: 'email',
+        name: 'name'
+    };
+
     it('empty file', async function () {
         const filePath = csvPath + 'empty.csv';
-        const result = await parse(filePath);
+        const result = await parse(filePath, DEFAULT_HEADER_MAPPING);
 
         should.exist(result);
         result.length.should.eql(0);
@@ -15,7 +20,7 @@ describe('parse', function () {
 
     it('one column', async function () {
         const filePath = csvPath + 'single-column-with-header.csv';
-        const result = await parse(filePath);
+        const result = await parse(filePath, DEFAULT_HEADER_MAPPING);
 
         should.exist(result);
         result.length.should.eql(2);
@@ -33,7 +38,7 @@ describe('parse', function () {
 
     it('two columns, 1 filter', async function () {
         const filePath = csvPath + 'two-columns-with-header.csv';
-        const result = await parse(filePath);
+        const result = await parse(filePath, DEFAULT_HEADER_MAPPING);
 
         should.exist(result);
         result.length.should.eql(2);
@@ -44,6 +49,7 @@ describe('parse', function () {
     it('two columns, 2 filters', async function () {
         const filePath = csvPath + 'two-columns-obscure-header.csv';
         const mapping = {
+            id: 'id',
             'Email Address': 'email'
         };
         const result = await parse(filePath, mapping);
@@ -59,6 +65,7 @@ describe('parse', function () {
     it('two columns with mapping', async function () {
         const filePath = csvPath + 'two-columns-mapping-header.csv';
         const mapping = {
+            id: 'id',
             correo_electronico: 'email',
             nombre: 'name'
         };
@@ -78,6 +85,7 @@ describe('parse', function () {
     it('two columns with partial mapping', async function () {
         const filePath = csvPath + 'two-columns-mapping-header.csv';
         const mapping = {
+            id: 'id',
             correo_electronico: 'email'
         };
         const result = await parse(filePath, mapping);
@@ -85,33 +93,15 @@ describe('parse', function () {
         should.exist(result);
         result.length.should.eql(2);
         result[0].email.should.eql('jbloggs@example.com');
-        result[0].nombre.should.eql('joe');
         result[0].id.should.eql('1');
 
         result[1].email.should.eql('test@example.com');
-        result[1].nombre.should.eql('test');
-        result[1].id.should.eql('2');
-    });
-
-    it('two columns with empty mapping', async function () {
-        const filePath = csvPath + 'two-columns-mapping-header.csv';
-        const mapping = {};
-        const result = await parse(filePath, mapping);
-
-        should.exist(result);
-        result.length.should.eql(2);
-        result[0].correo_electronico.should.eql('jbloggs@example.com');
-        result[0].nombre.should.eql('joe');
-        result[0].id.should.eql('1');
-
-        result[1].correo_electronico.should.eql('test@example.com');
-        result[1].nombre.should.eql('test');
         result[1].id.should.eql('2');
     });
 
     it('transforms empty values to nulls', async function () {
         const filePath = csvPath + 'multiple-records-with-empty-values.csv';
-        const result = await parse(filePath);
+        const result = await parse(filePath, DEFAULT_HEADER_MAPPING);
 
         should.exist(result);
         result.length.should.eql(2);
@@ -125,6 +115,7 @@ describe('parse', function () {
     it(' transforms "subscribed_to_emails" column to "subscribed" property when the mapping is passed in', async function () {
         const filePath = csvPath + 'subscribed-to-emails-header.csv';
         const mapping = {
+            email: 'email',
             subscribed_to_emails: 'subscribed'
         };
         const result = await parse(filePath, mapping);
@@ -140,14 +131,14 @@ describe('parse', function () {
 
     it('DOES NOT transforms "subscribed_to_emails" column to "subscribed" property when the WITHOUT mapping', async function () {
         const filePath = csvPath + 'subscribed-to-emails-header.csv';
-        const result = await parse(filePath);
+        const result = await parse(filePath, DEFAULT_HEADER_MAPPING);
 
         assert.ok(result);
         assert.equal(result.length, 2);
         assert.equal(result[0].email, 'jbloggs@example.com');
-        assert.ok(result[0].subscribed_to_emails);
+        assert.equal(result[0].subscribed_to_emails, undefined, 'property not present in the mapping should not be defined');
 
         assert.equal(result[1].email, 'test@example.com');
-        assert.equal(result[1].subscribed_to_emails, false);
+        assert.equal(result[1].subscribed_to_emails, undefined, 'property not present in the mapping should not be defined');
     });
 });