diff --git a/lightningd/gossip_control.c b/lightningd/gossip_control.c
index c3db528c7..ade73a96e 100644
--- a/lightningd/gossip_control.c
+++ b/lightningd/gossip_control.c
@@ -383,7 +383,7 @@ static void json_listchannels(struct command *cmd, const char *buffer,
 	u8 *req;
 	struct short_channel_id *id;
 	if (!param(cmd, buffer, params,
-		   p_opt("short_channel_id", json_tok_short_channel_id, &id),
+		   p_opt_tal("short_channel_id", json_tok_short_channel_id, &id),
 		   NULL))
 		return;
 
@@ -452,7 +452,7 @@ static void json_dev_query_scids(struct command *cmd,
 	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++) {
-		if (!json_tok_short_channel_id(buffer, t, &scids[i])) {
+		if (!json_to_short_channel_id(buffer, t, &scids[i])) {
 			command_fail(cmd, JSONRPC2_INVALID_PARAMS,
 				     "scid %zu '%.*s' is not an scid",
 				     i, t->end - t->start,
diff --git a/lightningd/json.c b/lightningd/json.c
index fc92e45bf..baac19d0b 100644
--- a/lightningd/json.c
+++ b/lightningd/json.c
@@ -201,12 +201,26 @@ void json_add_short_channel_id(struct json_result *response,
 			type_to_string(response, struct short_channel_id, id));
 }
 
-bool json_tok_short_channel_id(const char *buffer, const jsmntok_t *tok,
-			       struct short_channel_id *scid)
+bool json_to_short_channel_id(const char *buffer, const jsmntok_t *tok,
+			      struct short_channel_id *scid)
 {
-	return short_channel_id_from_str(buffer + tok->start,
-					 tok->end - tok->start,
-					 scid);
+	return (short_channel_id_from_str(buffer + tok->start,
+					  tok->end - tok->start, scid));
+}
+
+bool json_tok_short_channel_id(struct command *cmd, const char *name,
+			       const char *buffer, const jsmntok_t *tok,
+			       struct short_channel_id **scid)
+{
+	*scid = tal(cmd, struct short_channel_id);
+	if (short_channel_id_from_str(buffer + tok->start,
+				      tok->end - tok->start, *scid))
+		return true;
+
+	command_fail(cmd, JSONRPC2_INVALID_PARAMS,
+		     "'%s' should be a short channel id, not '%.*s'",
+		     name, tok->end - tok->start, buffer + tok->start);
+	return false;
 }
 
 bool
diff --git a/lightningd/json.h b/lightningd/json.h
index 7e9c76441..cf664ce10 100644
--- a/lightningd/json.h
+++ b/lightningd/json.h
@@ -71,8 +71,12 @@ bool json_tok_pubkey(struct command *cmd, const char *name,
 		     struct pubkey **pubkey);
 
 /* Extract a short_channel_id from this */
-bool json_tok_short_channel_id(const char *buffer, const jsmntok_t *tok,
-			       struct short_channel_id *scid);
+bool json_to_short_channel_id(const char *buffer, const jsmntok_t *tok,
+			      struct short_channel_id *scid);
+
+bool json_tok_short_channel_id(struct command *cmd, const char *name,
+			       const char *buffer, const jsmntok_t *tok,
+			       struct short_channel_id **scid);
 
 /* Extract number from this (may be a string, or a number literal) */
 bool json_tok_u64(struct command *cmd, const char *name,
diff --git a/lightningd/pay.c b/lightningd/pay.c
index 3988c342f..6cb19991e 100644
--- a/lightningd/pay.c
+++ b/lightningd/pay.c
@@ -1007,8 +1007,8 @@ static void json_sendpay(struct command *cmd,
 			return;
 		}
 
-		if (!json_tok_short_channel_id(buffer, chantok,
-					       &route[n_hops].channel_id)) {
+		if (!json_to_short_channel_id(buffer, chantok,
+					      &route[n_hops].channel_id)) {
 			command_fail(cmd, JSONRPC2_INVALID_PARAMS,
 				     "Route %zu invalid channel_id", n_hops);
 			return;
diff --git a/lightningd/peer_control.c b/lightningd/peer_control.c
index 39f55b309..add0e06d3 100644
--- a/lightningd/peer_control.c
+++ b/lightningd/peer_control.c
@@ -803,7 +803,7 @@ command_find_channel(struct command *cmd,
 			     tok->end - tok->start,
 			     buffer + tok->start);
 		return NULL;
-	} else if (json_tok_short_channel_id(buffer, tok, &scid)) {
+	} else if (json_to_short_channel_id(buffer, tok, &scid)) {
 		list_for_each(&ld->peers, peer, list) {
 			channel = peer_active_channel(peer);
 			if (!channel)
@@ -1172,7 +1172,7 @@ static void json_dev_forget_channel(struct command *cmd, const char *buffer,
 	bool *force;
 	if (!param(cmd, buffer, params,
 		   p_req_tal("id", json_tok_pubkey, &peerid),
-		   p_opt("short_channel_id", json_tok_short_channel_id, &scid),
+		   p_opt_tal("short_channel_id", json_tok_short_channel_id, &scid),
 		   p_opt_def_tal("force", json_tok_bool, &force, false),
 		   NULL))
 		return;
diff --git a/wallet/test/run-wallet.c b/wallet/test/run-wallet.c
index 9a6dd9605..aef8add53 100644
--- a/wallet/test/run-wallet.c
+++ b/wallet/test/run-wallet.c
@@ -241,8 +241,9 @@ bool json_tok_pubkey(struct command *cmd UNNEEDED, const char *name UNNEEDED,
 		     struct pubkey **pubkey UNNEEDED)
 { fprintf(stderr, "json_tok_pubkey called!\n"); abort(); }
 /* Generated stub for json_tok_short_channel_id */
-bool json_tok_short_channel_id(const char *buffer UNNEEDED, const jsmntok_t *tok UNNEEDED,
-			       struct short_channel_id *scid UNNEEDED)
+bool json_tok_short_channel_id(struct command *cmd UNNEEDED, const char *name UNNEEDED,
+			       const char *buffer UNNEEDED, const jsmntok_t *tok UNNEEDED,
+			       struct short_channel_id **scid UNNEEDED)
 { fprintf(stderr, "json_tok_short_channel_id called!\n"); abort(); }
 /* Generated stub for json_tok_tok */
 bool json_tok_tok(struct command *cmd UNNEEDED, const char *name UNNEEDED,
@@ -253,6 +254,10 @@ bool json_tok_tok(struct command *cmd UNNEEDED, const char *name UNNEEDED,
 bool json_to_pubkey(const char *buffer UNNEEDED, const jsmntok_t *tok UNNEEDED,
 		    struct pubkey *pubkey UNNEEDED)
 { fprintf(stderr, "json_to_pubkey called!\n"); abort(); }
+/* Generated stub for json_to_short_channel_id */
+bool json_to_short_channel_id(const char *buffer UNNEEDED, const jsmntok_t *tok UNNEEDED,
+			      struct short_channel_id *scid UNNEEDED)
+{ fprintf(stderr, "json_to_short_channel_id called!\n"); abort(); }
 /* Generated stub for kill_uncommitted_channel */
 void kill_uncommitted_channel(struct uncommitted_channel *uc UNNEEDED,
 			      const char *why UNNEEDED)