diff --git a/common/json_tok.c b/common/json_tok.c
index 4621d4ccc..7695639cd 100644
--- a/common/json_tok.c
+++ b/common/json_tok.c
@@ -256,3 +256,71 @@ struct command_result *param_bin_from_hex(struct command *cmd, const char *name,
 				    "'%s' should be a hex value, not '%.*s'",
 				    name, tok->end - tok->start, buffer + tok->start);
 }
+
+struct command_result *param_hops_array(struct command *cmd, const char *name,
+					const char *buffer, const jsmntok_t *tok,
+					struct sphinx_hop **hops)
+{
+	const jsmntok_t *hop, *payloadtok, *typetok, *pubkeytok;
+	struct sphinx_hop h;
+	size_t i;
+	if (tok->type != JSMN_ARRAY) {
+		return command_fail(
+		    cmd, JSONRPC2_INVALID_PARAMS,
+		    "'%s' should be an array of hops, got '%.*s'", name,
+		    tok->end - tok->start, buffer + tok->start);
+	}
+
+	*hops = tal_arr(cmd, struct sphinx_hop, 0);
+
+	json_for_each_arr(i, hop, tok) {
+
+		payloadtok = json_get_member(buffer, hop, "payload");
+		typetok = json_get_member(buffer, hop, "type");
+		pubkeytok = json_get_member(buffer, hop, "pubkey");
+
+		if (!pubkeytok)
+			return command_fail(cmd, JSONRPC2_INVALID_PARAMS,
+					    "Hop %zu does not have a pubkey", i);
+
+		if (!payloadtok)
+			return command_fail(cmd, JSONRPC2_INVALID_PARAMS,
+					    "Hop %zu does not have a payload", i);
+
+		h.payload = json_tok_bin_from_hex(*hops, buffer, payloadtok);
+		if (!json_to_pubkey(buffer, pubkeytok, &h.pubkey))
+			return command_fail(
+			    cmd, JSONRPC2_INVALID_PARAMS,
+			    "'pubkey' should be a pubkey, not '%.*s'",
+			    pubkeytok->end - pubkeytok->start,
+			    buffer + pubkeytok->start);
+
+		if (!h.payload)
+			return command_fail(
+			    cmd, JSONRPC2_INVALID_PARAMS,
+			    "'payload' should be a hex encoded binary, not '%.*s'",
+			    pubkeytok->end - pubkeytok->start,
+			    buffer + pubkeytok->start);
+
+		if (!typetok || json_tok_streq(buffer, typetok, "tlv")) {
+			h.type = SPHINX_TLV_PAYLOAD;
+		} else if (json_tok_streq(buffer, typetok, "legacy")) {
+			h.type = SPHINX_V0_PAYLOAD;
+		} else {
+			return command_fail(
+			    cmd, JSONRPC2_INVALID_PARAMS,
+			    "Unknown payload type for hop %zu: '%.*s'", i,
+			    pubkeytok->end - pubkeytok->start,
+			    buffer + pubkeytok->start);
+		}
+
+		tal_arr_expand(hops, h);
+	}
+
+	if (tal_count(*hops) == 0) {
+		return command_fail(cmd, JSONRPC2_INVALID_PARAMS,
+				    "At least one hop must be specified.");
+	}
+
+	return NULL;
+}
diff --git a/common/json_tok.h b/common/json_tok.h
index 3a8cf9417..beba94303 100644
--- a/common/json_tok.h
+++ b/common/json_tok.h
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@
 #include <ccan/short_types/short_types.h>
 #include <common/json.h>
 #include <common/node_id.h>
+#include <common/sphinx.h>
 #include <wire/wire.h>
 
 struct amount_msat;
@@ -121,4 +122,8 @@ struct command_result *param_bin_from_hex(struct command *cmd, const char *name,
 					  const char *buffer, const jsmntok_t *tok,
 					  u8 **bin);
 
+struct command_result *param_hops_array(struct command *cmd, const char *name,
+					const char *buffer, const jsmntok_t *tok,
+					struct sphinx_hop **hops);
+
 #endif /* LIGHTNING_COMMON_JSON_TOK_H */
diff --git a/common/test/run-param.c b/common/test/run-param.c
index 6fe4c65bc..37c91a03d 100644
--- a/common/test/run-param.c
+++ b/common/test/run-param.c
@@ -50,6 +50,10 @@ bool json_to_channel_id(const char *buffer UNNEEDED, const jsmntok_t *tok UNNEED
 bool json_to_node_id(const char *buffer UNNEEDED, const jsmntok_t *tok UNNEEDED,
 			       struct node_id *id UNNEEDED)
 { fprintf(stderr, "json_to_node_id called!\n"); abort(); }
+/* Generated stub for json_to_pubkey */
+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(); }
 /* AUTOGENERATED MOCKS END */
 
 /* We do this lightningd-style: */
diff --git a/lightningd/pay.c b/lightningd/pay.c
index 5a1547db1..faa9d7049 100644
--- a/lightningd/pay.c
+++ b/lightningd/pay.c
@@ -1370,18 +1370,15 @@ static struct command_result *json_createonion(struct command *cmd,
 						const jsmntok_t *obj UNNEEDED,
 						const jsmntok_t *params)
 {
-	const jsmntok_t *hopstok, *hop, *payloadtok, *typetok, *pubkeytok;
-	enum sphinx_payload_type type;
-	size_t i, hop_count = 0;
 	struct json_stream *response;
-	struct pubkey pubkey;
 	struct secret *session_key, *shared_secrets;
 	struct sphinx_path *sp;
-	u8 *assocdata, *payload, *serialized;
+	u8 *assocdata, *serialized;
 	struct onionpacket *packet;
+	struct sphinx_hop *hops;
 
 	if (!param(cmd, buffer, params,
-		   p_req("hops", param_array, &hopstok),
+		   p_req("hops", param_hops_array, &hops),
 		   p_req("assocdata", param_bin_from_hex, &assocdata),
 		   p_opt("session_key", param_secret, &session_key),
 		   NULL)) {
@@ -1393,48 +1390,9 @@ static struct command_result *json_createonion(struct command *cmd,
 	else
 		sp = sphinx_path_new_with_key(cmd, assocdata, session_key);
 
-	json_for_each_arr(i, hop, hopstok) {
-		payloadtok = json_get_member(buffer, hop, "payload");
-		typetok = json_get_member(buffer, hop, "type");
-		pubkeytok = json_get_member(buffer, hop, "pubkey");
-
-		if (!pubkeytok)
-			return command_fail(cmd, JSONRPC2_INVALID_REQUEST,
-					    "Hop %zu does not have a pubkey", i);
-
-		if (!payloadtok)
-			return command_fail(cmd, JSONRPC2_INVALID_REQUEST,
-					    "Hop %zu does not have a payload", i);
-
-		payload = json_tok_bin_from_hex(cmd, buffer, payloadtok);
-		if (!json_to_pubkey(buffer, pubkeytok, &pubkey))
-			return command_fail(
-			    cmd, JSONRPC2_INVALID_PARAMS,
-			    "'pubkey' should be a pubkey, not '%.*s'",
-			    pubkeytok->end - pubkeytok->start,
-			    buffer + pubkeytok->start);
-
-		if (!payload)
-			return command_fail(
-			    cmd, JSONRPC2_INVALID_PARAMS,
-			    "'payload' should be a hex encoded binary, not '%.*s'",
-			    pubkeytok->end - pubkeytok->start,
-			    buffer + pubkeytok->start);
-
-		if (!typetok || !json_tok_streq(buffer, typetok, "legacy")) {
-			type = SPHINX_RAW_PAYLOAD;
-		} else {
-			type = SPHINX_V0_PAYLOAD;
-		}
-
-		sphinx_add_raw_hop(sp, &pubkey, type, payload);
-		hop_count++;
-	}
-
-	if (hop_count == 0)
-		return command_fail(cmd, JSONRPC2_INVALID_REQUEST,
-				    "Cannot create an onion without hops.");
-
+	for (size_t i=0; i<tal_count(hops); i++)
+		sphinx_add_raw_hop(sp, &hops[i].pubkey, hops[i].type,
+				   hops[i].payload);
 
 	packet = create_onionpacket(cmd, sp, &shared_secrets);
 	if (!packet)
@@ -1446,7 +1404,7 @@ static struct command_result *json_createonion(struct command *cmd,
 	response = json_stream_success(cmd);
 	json_add_hex(response, "onion", serialized, tal_bytelen(serialized));
 	json_array_start(response, "shared_secrets");
-	for (size_t i=0; i<hop_count; i++) {
+	for (size_t i=0; i<tal_count(hops); i++) {
 		json_add_secret(response, NULL, &shared_secrets[i]);
 	}
 	json_array_end(response);