diff --git a/routing/errors.go b/routing/errors.go
index a8bd6fba..ff055d2e 100644
--- a/routing/errors.go
+++ b/routing/errors.go
@@ -15,6 +15,11 @@ const (
 	// this update can't bring us something new, or because a node
 	// announcement was given for node not found in any channel.
 	ErrIgnored
+
+	// ErrChannelSpent is returned when we go to validate a channel, but
+	// the purported funding output has actually already been spent on
+	// chain.
+	ErrChannelSpent
 )
 
 // routerError is a structure that represent the error inside the routing package,
diff --git a/routing/router.go b/routing/router.go
index a1f50215..673b2cef 100644
--- a/routing/router.go
+++ b/routing/router.go
@@ -1354,7 +1354,8 @@ func (r *ChannelRouter) processUpdate(msg interface{},
 			r.quit,
 		)
 		if err != nil {
-			return fmt.Errorf("unable to fetch utxo "+
+
+			return newErrf(ErrChannelSpent, "unable to fetch utxo "+
 				"for chan_id=%v, chan_point=%v: %v",
 				msg.ChannelID, fundingPoint, err)
 		}