diff --git a/plugins/pay.c b/plugins/pay.c
index 62831f9abcda..8d15edd5430f 100644
--- a/plugins/pay.c
+++ b/plugins/pay.c
@@ -262,7 +262,7 @@ static struct command_result *waitsendpay_expired(struct command *cmd,
 	for (size_t i = 0; i < tal_count(pc->ps->attempts); i++) {
 		json_object_start(data, NULL);
 		if (pc->ps->attempts[i].route)
-			json_add_member(data, "route", false, "%s",
+			json_add_member(data, "route", true, "%s",
 					 pc->ps->attempts[i].route);
 		json_out_add_splice(data->jout, "failure",
 				    pc->ps->attempts[i].failure);
@@ -698,6 +698,9 @@ static bool maybe_exclude(struct pay_command *pc,
 {
 	const jsmntok_t *scid, *dir;
 
+	if (!route)
+		return false;
+
 	scid = json_get_member(buf, route, "channel");
 
 	if (node_or_channel_in_routehint(pc->plugin,