diff --git a/lnrpc/routerrpc/router_backend.go b/lnrpc/routerrpc/router_backend.go
index 49d60ad0..78dec019 100644
--- a/lnrpc/routerrpc/router_backend.go
+++ b/lnrpc/routerrpc/router_backend.go
@@ -238,6 +238,14 @@ func (r *RouterBackend) QueryRoutes(ctx context.Context,
 	if in.FinalCltvDelta != 0 {
 		finalCLTVDelta = uint16(in.FinalCltvDelta)
 	}
+
+	// Do bounds checking without block padding so we don't give routes
+	// that will leave the router in a zombie payment state.
+	err = routing.ValidateCLTVLimit(cltvLimit, finalCLTVDelta, false)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+
 	cltvLimit -= uint32(finalCLTVDelta)
 
 	// Parse destination feature bits.
@@ -860,6 +868,15 @@ func (r *RouterBackend) extractIntentFromSendRequest(
 		payIntent.DestFeatures = features
 	}
 
+	// Do bounds checking with the block padding so the router isn't
+	// left with a zombie payment in case the user messes up.
+	err = routing.ValidateCLTVLimit(
+		payIntent.CltvLimit, payIntent.FinalCLTVDelta, true,
+	)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+
 	// Check for disallowed payments to self.
 	if !rpcPayReq.AllowSelfPayment && payIntent.Target == r.SelfNode {
 		return nil, errors.New("self-payments not allowed")
diff --git a/lnrpc/routerrpc/router_backend_test.go b/lnrpc/routerrpc/router_backend_test.go
index f92a6f15..26a44cbb 100644
--- a/lnrpc/routerrpc/router_backend_test.go
+++ b/lnrpc/routerrpc/router_backend_test.go
@@ -37,17 +37,22 @@ var (
 // and passed onto path finding.
 func TestQueryRoutes(t *testing.T) {
 	t.Run("no mission control", func(t *testing.T) {
-		testQueryRoutes(t, false, false)
+		testQueryRoutes(t, false, false, true)
 	})
 	t.Run("no mission control and msat", func(t *testing.T) {
-		testQueryRoutes(t, false, true)
+		testQueryRoutes(t, false, true, true)
 	})
 	t.Run("with mission control", func(t *testing.T) {
-		testQueryRoutes(t, true, false)
+		testQueryRoutes(t, true, false, true)
+	})
+	t.Run("no mission control bad cltv limit", func(t *testing.T) {
+		testQueryRoutes(t, false, false, false)
 	})
 }
 
-func testQueryRoutes(t *testing.T, useMissionControl bool, useMsat bool) {
+func testQueryRoutes(t *testing.T, useMissionControl bool, useMsat bool,
+	setTimelock bool) {
+
 	ignoreNodeBytes, err := hex.DecodeString(ignoreNodeKey)
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatal(err)
@@ -207,7 +212,21 @@ func testQueryRoutes(t *testing.T, useMissionControl bool, useMsat bool) {
 		},
 	}
 
+	// If this is set, we'll populate MaxTotalTimelock. If this is not set,
+	// the test will fail as CltvLimit will be 0.
+	if setTimelock {
+		backend.MaxTotalTimelock = 1000
+	}
+
 	resp, err := backend.QueryRoutes(context.Background(), request)
+
+	// If no MaxTotalTimelock was set for the QueryRoutes request, make
+	// sure an error was returned.
+	if !setTimelock {
+		require.NotEmpty(t, err)
+		return
+	}
+
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatal(err)
 	}
diff --git a/routing/payment_session.go b/routing/payment_session.go
index ebaef74d..9dc280fa 100644
--- a/routing/payment_session.go
+++ b/routing/payment_session.go
@@ -14,6 +14,22 @@ import (
 // to prevent an HTLC being failed if some blocks are mined while it's in-flight.
 const BlockPadding uint16 = 3
 
+// ValidateCLTVLimit is a helper function that validates that the cltv limit is
+// greater than the final cltv delta parameter, optionally including the
+// BlockPadding in this calculation.
+func ValidateCLTVLimit(limit uint32, delta uint16, includePad bool) error {
+	if includePad {
+		delta += BlockPadding
+	}
+
+	if limit <= uint32(delta) {
+		return fmt.Errorf("cltv limit %v should be greater than %v",
+			limit, delta)
+	}
+
+	return nil
+}
+
 // noRouteError encodes a non-critical error encountered during path finding.
 type noRouteError uint8
 
diff --git a/routing/payment_session_test.go b/routing/payment_session_test.go
index 2d1eb999..2fa103d3 100644
--- a/routing/payment_session_test.go
+++ b/routing/payment_session_test.go
@@ -6,8 +6,70 @@ import (
 	"github.com/lightningnetwork/lnd/channeldb"
 	"github.com/lightningnetwork/lnd/lnwire"
 	"github.com/lightningnetwork/lnd/routing/route"
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
 )
 
+func TestValidateCLTVLimit(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Parallel()
+
+	testCases := []struct {
+		name           string
+		cltvLimit      uint32
+		finalCltvDelta uint16
+		includePadding bool
+		expectError    bool
+	}{
+		{
+			name:           "bad limit with padding",
+			cltvLimit:      uint32(103),
+			finalCltvDelta: uint16(100),
+			includePadding: true,
+			expectError:    true,
+		},
+		{
+			name:           "good limit with padding",
+			cltvLimit:      uint32(104),
+			finalCltvDelta: uint16(100),
+			includePadding: true,
+			expectError:    false,
+		},
+		{
+			name:           "bad limit no padding",
+			cltvLimit:      uint32(100),
+			finalCltvDelta: uint16(100),
+			includePadding: false,
+			expectError:    true,
+		},
+		{
+			name:           "good limit no padding",
+			cltvLimit:      uint32(101),
+			finalCltvDelta: uint16(100),
+			includePadding: false,
+			expectError:    false,
+		},
+	}
+
+	for _, testCase := range testCases {
+		testCase := testCase
+
+		success := t.Run(testCase.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			err := ValidateCLTVLimit(
+				testCase.cltvLimit, testCase.finalCltvDelta,
+				testCase.includePadding,
+			)
+
+			if testCase.expectError {
+				require.NotEmpty(t, err)
+			} else {
+				require.NoError(t, err)
+			}
+		})
+		if !success {
+			break
+		}
+	}
+}
+
 func TestRequestRoute(t *testing.T) {
 	const (
 		height = 10
diff --git a/rpcserver.go b/rpcserver.go
index 6338bb7b..c425c927 100644
--- a/rpcserver.go
+++ b/rpcserver.go
@@ -4374,6 +4374,15 @@ func (r *rpcServer) extractPaymentIntent(rpcPayReq *rpcPaymentRequest) (rpcPayme
 		payIntent.cltvDelta = uint16(r.cfg.Bitcoin.TimeLockDelta)
 	}
 
+	// Do bounds checking with the block padding so the router isn't left
+	// with a zombie payment in case the user messes up.
+	err = routing.ValidateCLTVLimit(
+		payIntent.cltvLimit, payIntent.cltvDelta, true,
+	)
+	if err != nil {
+		return payIntent, err
+	}
+
 	// If the user is manually specifying payment details, then the payment
 	// hash may be encoded as a string.
 	switch {