diff --git a/devtools/onion.c b/devtools/onion.c
index 33160330fc3c..27140914190b 100644
--- a/devtools/onion.c
+++ b/devtools/onion.c
@@ -31,38 +31,39 @@ static void do_generate(int argc, char **argv,
 	struct sphinx_path *sp;
 	struct hop_data hops_data[num_hops];
 
-	assocdata = tal_arr(ctx, u8, ASSOC_DATA_SIZE);
+	const u8* tmp_assocdata =tal_dup_arr(ctx, u8, assocdata,
+					  ASSOC_DATA_SIZE, 0);
 	memset(&session_key, 'A', sizeof(struct secret));
 
-	sp = sphinx_path_new_with_key(ctx, assocdata, &session_key);
+	sp = sphinx_path_new_with_key(ctx, tmp_assocdata, &session_key);
 
 	for (int i = 0; i < num_hops; i++) {
-		size_t klen = strcspn(argv[1 + i], "/");
+		size_t klen = strcspn(argv[2 + i], "/");
 		if (hex_data_size(klen) == PRIVKEY_LEN) {
-			if (!hex_decode(argv[1 + i], klen, rawprivkey, PRIVKEY_LEN))
+			if (!hex_decode(argv[2 + i], klen, rawprivkey, PRIVKEY_LEN))
 				errx(1, "Invalid private key hex '%s'",
-				     argv[1 + i]);
+				     argv[2 + i]);
 
 			if (secp256k1_ec_pubkey_create(secp256k1_ctx,
 						       &path[i].pubkey,
 						       rawprivkey) != 1)
 				errx(1, "Could not decode pubkey");
 		} else if (hex_data_size(klen) == PUBKEY_CMPR_LEN) {
-			if (!pubkey_from_hexstr(argv[i + 1], klen, &path[i]))
+			if (!pubkey_from_hexstr(argv[2 + i], klen, &path[i]))
 				errx(1, "Invalid public key hex '%s'",
-				     argv[1 + i]);
+				     argv[2 + i]);
 		} else {
 			errx(1,
 			     "Provided key is neither a pubkey nor a privkey: "
 			     "%s\n",
-			     argv[1 + i]);
+			     argv[2 + i]);
 		}
 
 		memset(&hops_data[i], 0, sizeof(hops_data[i]));
-		if (argv[1 + i][klen] != '\0') {
+		if (argv[2 + i][klen] != '\0') {
 			/* FIXME: Generic realm support, not this hack! */
 			/* FIXME: Multi hop! */
-			const char *hopstr = argv[1 + i] + klen + 1;
+			const char *hopstr = argv[2 + i] + klen + 1;
 			size_t dsize = hex_data_size(strlen(hopstr));
 			be64 scid, msat;
 			be32 cltv;
@@ -100,7 +101,7 @@ static void do_generate(int argc, char **argv,
 			hops_data[i].outgoing_cltv = i;
 		}
 		fprintf(stderr, "Hopdata %d: %s\n", i, tal_hexstr(NULL, &hops_data[i], sizeof(hops_data[i])));
-		sphinx_add_v0_hop(sp, &path[i], &hops_data[i].channel_id, hops_data[i].amt_forward, i);
+		sphinx_add_v0_hop(sp, &path[i], &hops_data[i].channel_id, hops_data[i].amt_forward, hops_data[i].outgoing_cltv);
 	}
 
 	struct onionpacket *res = create_onionpacket(ctx, sp, &shared_secrets);
@@ -141,20 +142,24 @@ static void do_decode(int argc, char **argv, const u8 assocdata[ASSOC_DATA_SIZE]
 	const tal_t *ctx = talz(NULL, tal_t);
 	u8 serialized[TOTAL_PACKET_SIZE];
 	struct route_step *step;
-	char hextemp[2 * sizeof(serialized)];
-	memset(hextemp, 0, sizeof(hextemp));
 
-	if (argc != 3)
-		opt_usage_exit_fail("Expect a privkey with --decode");
+	if (argc != 4)
+		opt_usage_exit_fail("Expect an filename and privkey with 'decode' method");
 
-	if (!read_all(STDIN_FILENO, hextemp, sizeof(hextemp)))
-		errx(1, "Reading in onion");
+	char *hextemp = grab_file(ctx, argv[2]);
+	size_t hexlen = strlen(hextemp);
 
-	if (!hex_decode(hextemp, sizeof(hextemp), serialized, sizeof(serialized))) {
+	// trim trailing whitespace
+	while (isspace(hextemp[hexlen-1]))
+		hexlen--;
+
+	if (!hex_decode(hextemp, hexlen, serialized, sizeof(serialized))) {
 		errx(1, "Invalid onion hex '%s'", hextemp);
 	}
 
-	step = decode_with_privkey(ctx, serialized, tal_strdup(ctx, argv[2]), assocdata);
+	const u8* tmp_assocdata =tal_dup_arr(ctx, u8, assocdata,
+					  ASSOC_DATA_SIZE, 0);
+	step = decode_with_privkey(ctx, serialized, tal_strdup(ctx, argv[3]), tmp_assocdata);
 
 	if (!step || !step->next)
 		errx(1, "Error processing message.");
@@ -304,11 +309,14 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv)
 			 assocdata,
 			 "Associated data (usu. payment_hash of payment)");
 	opt_register_noarg("--help|-h", opt_usage_and_exit,
-			   "\n\n\tdecode <onion>\n"
+			   "\n\n\tdecode <onion_file> <privkey>\n"
 			   "\tgenerate <pubkey1> <pubkey2> ...\n"
 			   "\tgenerate <pubkey1>[/hopdata] <pubkey2>[/hopdata]\n"
 			   "\tgenerate <privkey1>[/hopdata] <privkey2>[/hopdata]\n"
-			   "\truntest <test-filename>\n\n", "Show this message");
+			   "\truntest <test-filename>\n\n", "Show this message\n\n"
+			   "\texample:\n"
+			   "\t> onion generate 02c18e7ff9a319983e85094b8c957da5c1230ecb328c1f1c7e88029f1fec2046f8/00000000000000000000000000000f424000000138000000000000000000000000 --assoc-data 44ee26f01e54665937b892f6afbfdfb88df74bcca52d563f088668cf4490aacd > onion.dat\n"
+			   "\t> onion decode onion.dat 78302c8edb1b94e662464e99af721054b6ab9d577d3189f933abde57709c5cb8 --assoc-data 44ee26f01e54665937b892f6afbfdfb88df74bcca52d563f088668cf4490aacd\n");
 	opt_register_version();
 
 	opt_early_parse(argc, argv, opt_log_stderr_exit);