diff --git a/lightningd/gossip_control.c b/lightningd/gossip_control.c
index 559b6c534..1a9a01ecc 100644
--- a/lightningd/gossip_control.c
+++ b/lightningd/gossip_control.c
@@ -431,18 +431,10 @@ static void json_dev_query_scids(struct command *cmd,
 
 	if (!param(cmd, buffer, params,
 		   p_req("id", json_tok_pubkey, &id),
-		   p_req("scids", json_tok_tok, &scidstok),
+		   p_req("scids", json_tok_array, &scidstok),
 		   NULL))
 		return;
 
-	if (scidstok->type != JSMN_ARRAY) {
-		command_fail(cmd, JSONRPC2_INVALID_PARAMS,
-			     "'%.*s' is not an array",
-			     scidstok->end - scidstok->start,
-			     buffer + scidstok->start);
-		return;
-	}
-
 	scids = tal_arr(cmd, struct short_channel_id, scidstok->size);
 	end = json_next(scidstok);
 	for (i = 0, t = scidstok + 1; t < end; t = json_next(t), i++) {
diff --git a/lightningd/invoice.c b/lightningd/invoice.c
index 9163f860d..375169aaa 100644
--- a/lightningd/invoice.c
+++ b/lightningd/invoice.c
@@ -149,7 +149,7 @@ static void json_invoice(struct command *cmd,
 		   p_req("label", json_tok_label, &label_val),
 		   p_req("description", json_tok_escaped_string, &desc_val),
 		   p_opt_def("expiry", json_tok_u64, &expiry, 3600),
-		   p_opt("fallbacks", json_tok_tok, &fallbacks),
+		   p_opt("fallbacks", json_tok_array, &fallbacks),
 		   p_opt("preimage", json_tok_tok, &preimagetok),
 		   NULL))
 		return;
@@ -180,11 +180,6 @@ static void json_invoice(struct command *cmd,
 		const jsmntok_t *i, *end = json_next(fallbacks);
 		size_t n = 0;
 
-		if (fallbacks->type != JSMN_ARRAY) {
-			command_fail(cmd, JSONRPC2_INVALID_PARAMS,
-				     "fallback must be an array");
-			return;
-		}
 		fallback_scripts = tal_arr(cmd, const u8 *, n);
 		for (i = fallbacks + 1; i < end; i = json_next(i)) {
 			tal_resize(&fallback_scripts, n+1);
diff --git a/lightningd/json.c b/lightningd/json.c
index 75f49dcdf..e821d34e5 100644
--- a/lightningd/json.c
+++ b/lightningd/json.c
@@ -92,6 +92,19 @@ void json_add_txid(struct json_result *result, const char *fieldname,
 	json_add_string(result, fieldname, hex);
 }
 
+bool json_tok_array(struct command *cmd, const char *name,
+		    const char *buffer, const jsmntok_t *tok,
+		    const jsmntok_t **arr)
+{
+	if (tok->type == JSMN_ARRAY)
+		return (*arr = tok);
+
+	command_fail(cmd, JSONRPC2_INVALID_PARAMS,
+		     "'%s' should be an array, not '%.*s'",
+		     name, tok->end - tok->start, buffer + tok->start);
+	return false;
+}
+
 bool json_tok_bool(struct command *cmd, const char *name,
 		   const char *buffer, const jsmntok_t *tok,
 		   bool **b)
diff --git a/lightningd/json.h b/lightningd/json.h
index 531eef896..232271243 100644
--- a/lightningd/json.h
+++ b/lightningd/json.h
@@ -44,6 +44,11 @@ void json_add_pubkey(struct json_result *response,
 void json_add_txid(struct json_result *result, const char *fieldname,
 		   const struct bitcoin_txid *txid);
 
+/* Extract json array token */
+bool json_tok_array(struct command *cmd, const char *name,
+		    const char *buffer, const jsmntok_t *tok,
+		    const jsmntok_t **arr);
+
 /* Extract boolean this (must be a true or false) */
 bool json_tok_bool(struct command *cmd, const char *name,
 		   const char *buffer, const jsmntok_t *tok,
diff --git a/lightningd/pay.c b/lightningd/pay.c
index 64ac0cc63..040e5a68b 100644
--- a/lightningd/pay.c
+++ b/lightningd/pay.c
@@ -954,21 +954,13 @@ static void json_sendpay(struct command *cmd,
 	const char *description;
 
 	if (!param(cmd, buffer, params,
-		   p_req("route", json_tok_tok, &routetok),
+		   p_req("route", json_tok_array, &routetok),
 		   p_req("payment_hash", json_tok_sha256, &rhash),
 		   p_opt("description", json_tok_escaped_string, &description),
 		   p_opt("msatoshi", json_tok_u64, &msatoshi),
 		   NULL))
 		return;
 
-	if (routetok->type != JSMN_ARRAY) {
-		command_fail(cmd, JSONRPC2_INVALID_PARAMS,
-			     "'%.*s' is not an array",
-			     routetok->end - routetok->start,
-			     buffer + routetok->start);
-		return;
-	}
-
 	end = json_next(routetok);
 	n_hops = 0;
 	route = tal_arr(cmd, struct route_hop, n_hops);