diff --git a/routing/pathfind_test.go b/routing/pathfind_test.go
index 9c419403..82bcea0a 100644
--- a/routing/pathfind_test.go
+++ b/routing/pathfind_test.go
@@ -118,11 +118,14 @@ type testGraph struct {
 
 // testNode represents a node within the test graph above. We skip certain
 // information such as the node's IP address as that information isn't needed
-// for our tests.
+// for our tests. Private keys are optional. If set, they should be consistent
+// with the public key. The private key is used to sign error messages
+// sent from the node.
 type testNode struct {
-	Source bool   `json:"source"`
-	PubKey string `json:"pubkey"`
-	Alias  string `json:"alias"`
+	Source  bool   `json:"source"`
+	PubKey  string `json:"pubkey"`
+	PrivKey string `json:"privkey"`
+	Alias   string `json:"alias"`
 }
 
 // testChan represents the JSON version of a payment channel. This struct
@@ -200,6 +203,7 @@ func parseTestGraph(path string) (*testGraphInstance, error) {
 	}
 
 	aliasMap := make(map[string]route.Vertex)
+	privKeyMap := make(map[string]*btcec.PrivateKey)
 	var source *channeldb.LightningNode
 
 	// First we insert all the nodes within the graph as vertexes.
@@ -230,6 +234,33 @@ func parseTestGraph(path string) (*testGraphInstance, error) {
 		// alias map for easy lookup.
 		aliasMap[node.Alias] = dbNode.PubKeyBytes
 
+		// private keys are needed for signing error messages. If set
+		// check the consistency with the public key.
+		privBytes, err := hex.DecodeString(node.PrivKey)
+		if err != nil {
+			return nil, err
+		}
+		if len(privBytes) > 0 {
+			key, derivedPub := btcec.PrivKeyFromBytes(
+				btcec.S256(), privBytes,
+			)
+
+			if !bytes.Equal(
+				pubBytes, derivedPub.SerializeCompressed(),
+			) {
+
+				return nil, fmt.Errorf("%s public key and "+
+					"private key are inconsistent\n"+
+					"got  %x\nwant %x\n",
+					node.Alias,
+					derivedPub.SerializeCompressed(),
+					pubBytes,
+				)
+			}
+
+			privKeyMap[node.Alias] = key
+		}
+
 		// If the node is tagged as the source, then we create a
 		// pointer to is so we can mark the source in the graph
 		// properly.
@@ -240,7 +271,8 @@ func parseTestGraph(path string) (*testGraphInstance, error) {
 			// node can be the source in the graph.
 			if source != nil {
 				return nil, errors.New("JSON is invalid " +
-					"multiple nodes are tagged as the source")
+					"multiple nodes are tagged as the " +
+					"source")
 			}
 
 			source = dbNode
@@ -327,9 +359,10 @@ func parseTestGraph(path string) (*testGraphInstance, error) {
 	}
 
 	return &testGraphInstance{
-		graph:    graph,
-		cleanUp:  cleanUp,
-		aliasMap: aliasMap,
+		graph:      graph,
+		cleanUp:    cleanUp,
+		aliasMap:   aliasMap,
+		privKeyMap: privKeyMap,
 	}, nil
 }
 
diff --git a/routing/router_test.go b/routing/router_test.go
index b4739916..aeba0530 100644
--- a/routing/router_test.go
+++ b/routing/router_test.go
@@ -35,6 +35,8 @@ type testCtx struct {
 
 	aliases map[string]route.Vertex
 
+	privKeys map[string]*btcec.PrivateKey
+
 	chain *mockChain
 
 	chainView *mockChainView
@@ -151,6 +153,7 @@ func createTestCtxFromGraphInstanceAssumeValid(startingHeight uint32,
 		router:    router,
 		graph:     graphInstance.graph,
 		aliases:   graphInstance.aliasMap,
+		privKeys:  graphInstance.privKeyMap,
 		chain:     chain,
 		chainView: chainView,
 	}
diff --git a/routing/testdata/basic_graph.json b/routing/testdata/basic_graph.json
index c04430b6..7e4e3636 100644
--- a/routing/testdata/basic_graph.json
+++ b/routing/testdata/basic_graph.json
@@ -39,7 +39,8 @@
         }, 
         {
             "source": false, 
-            "pubkey": "032b480de5d002f1a8fd1fe1bbf0a0f1b07760f65f052e66d56f15d71097c01add", 
+            "pubkey": "026c43a8ac1cd8519985766e90748e1e06871dab0ff6b8af27e8c1a61640481318",
+            "privkey": "82b266f659bd83a976bac11b2cc442baec5508e84e61085d7ec2b0fc52156c87",
             "alias": "songoku" 
         }, 
         {
@@ -154,7 +155,7 @@
             "capacity": 120000
         },
         {
-            "node_1": "032b480de5d002f1a8fd1fe1bbf0a0f1b07760f65f052e66d56f15d71097c01add",
+            "node_1": "026c43a8ac1cd8519985766e90748e1e06871dab0ff6b8af27e8c1a61640481318",
             "node_2": "0367cec75158a4129177bfb8b269cb586efe93d751b43800d456485e81c2620ca6",
             "channel_id": 12345, 
             "channel_point": "89dc56859c6a082d15ba1a7f6cb6be3fea62e1746e2cb8497b1189155c21a233:0", 
@@ -168,7 +169,7 @@
             "capacity": 100000
         },
         {
-            "node_1": "032b480de5d002f1a8fd1fe1bbf0a0f1b07760f65f052e66d56f15d71097c01add",
+            "node_1": "026c43a8ac1cd8519985766e90748e1e06871dab0ff6b8af27e8c1a61640481318",
             "node_2": "0367cec75158a4129177bfb8b269cb586efe93d751b43800d456485e81c2620ca6",
             "channel_id": 12345, 
             "channel_point": "89dc56859c6a082d15ba1a7f6cb6be3fea62e1746e2cb8497b1189155c21a233:0", 
@@ -182,7 +183,7 @@
             "capacity": 100000
         },
         {
-            "node_1": "032b480de5d002f1a8fd1fe1bbf0a0f1b07760f65f052e66d56f15d71097c01add",
+            "node_1": "026c43a8ac1cd8519985766e90748e1e06871dab0ff6b8af27e8c1a61640481318",
             "node_2": "036264734b40c9e91d3d990a8cdfbbe23b5b0b7ad3cd0e080a25dcd05d39eeb7eb",
             "channel_id": 3495345, 
             "channel_point": "9f155756b33a0a6827713965babbd561b55f9520444ac5db0cf7cb2eb0deb5bc:0", 
@@ -196,7 +197,7 @@
             "capacity": 110000
         },
         {
-            "node_1": "032b480de5d002f1a8fd1fe1bbf0a0f1b07760f65f052e66d56f15d71097c01add",
+            "node_1": "026c43a8ac1cd8519985766e90748e1e06871dab0ff6b8af27e8c1a61640481318",
             "node_2": "036264734b40c9e91d3d990a8cdfbbe23b5b0b7ad3cd0e080a25dcd05d39eeb7eb",
             "channel_id": 3495345, 
             "channel_point": "9f155756b33a0a6827713965babbd561b55f9520444ac5db0cf7cb2eb0deb5bc:0",