diff --git a/wire/fromwire.c b/wire/fromwire.c
index 8e81c8157..9fded589e 100644
--- a/wire/fromwire.c
+++ b/wire/fromwire.c
@@ -41,10 +41,9 @@ const u8 *fromwire(const u8 **cursor, size_t *max, void *copy, size_t n)
 	return memcheck(p, n);
 }
 
-int fromwire_peektype(const u8 *cursor)
+int fromwire_peektypen(const u8 *cursor, size_t max)
 {
 	be16 be_type;
-	size_t max = tal_count(cursor);
 
 	fromwire(&cursor, &max, &be_type, sizeof(be_type));
 	if (!cursor)
@@ -52,6 +51,11 @@ int fromwire_peektype(const u8 *cursor)
 	return be16_to_cpu(be_type);
 }
 
+int fromwire_peektype(const u8 *cursor)
+{
+	return fromwire_peektypen(cursor, tal_count(cursor));
+}
+
 u8 fromwire_u8(const u8 **cursor, size_t *max)
 {
 	u8 ret;
diff --git a/wire/wire.h b/wire/wire.h
index 8e8f12ac6..da3858cc4 100644
--- a/wire/wire.h
+++ b/wire/wire.h
@@ -15,6 +15,8 @@ typedef char utf8;
 
 /* Read the type; returns -1 if not long enough.  cursor is a tal ptr. */
 int fromwire_peektype(const u8 *cursor);
+/* Same, but doesn't need to be a tal ptr */
+int fromwire_peektypen(const u8 *cursor, size_t len);
 void *fromwire_fail(const u8 **cursor, size_t *max);
 
 void towire(u8 **pptr, const void *data, size_t len);