diff --git a/proxy_docker/app/script/blockchainrpc.sh b/proxy_docker/app/script/blockchainrpc.sh
index 661d91f..7d85aec 100644
--- a/proxy_docker/app/script/blockchainrpc.sh
+++ b/proxy_docker/app/script/blockchainrpc.sh
@@ -84,6 +84,7 @@ get_mempool_info() {
   send_to_watcher_node "${data}" | jq ".result"
   return $?
 }
+
 get_blockhash() {
   trace "Entering get_blockhash()..."
   local blockheight=${1}
@@ -91,3 +92,14 @@ get_blockhash() {
   send_to_watcher_node "${data}" | jq ".result"
   return $?
 }
+
+validateaddress() {
+  trace "Entering validateaddress()..."
+
+  local address=${1}
+  trace "[validateaddress] address=${address}"
+  local data="{\"method\":\"validateaddress\",\"params\":[\"${address}\"]}"
+  trace "[validateaddress] data=${data}"
+  send_to_watcher_node "${data}"
+  return $?
+}
diff --git a/proxy_docker/app/script/watchrequest.sh b/proxy_docker/app/script/watchrequest.sh
index 6322533..6790a31 100644
--- a/proxy_docker/app/script/watchrequest.sh
+++ b/proxy_docker/app/script/watchrequest.sh
@@ -21,6 +21,28 @@ watchrequest() {
   local result
   trace "[watchrequest] Watch request on address (\"${address}\"), cb 0-conf (${cb0conf_url}), cb 1-conf (${cb1conf_url}) with event_message=${event_message}"
 
+  local isvalid
+  isvalid=$(validateaddress "${address}" | jq ".result.isvalid")
+  if [ "${isvalid}" != "true" ]; then
+    result="{
+      \"result\":null,
+      \"error\":{
+      \"code\":-5,
+      \"message\":\"Invalid address\",
+      \"data\":{
+      \"event\":\"watch\",
+      \"address\":\"${address}\",
+      \"unconfirmedCallbackURL\":${cb0conf_url},
+      \"confirmedCallbackURL\":${cb1conf_url},
+      \"eventMessage\":${event_message}}}}"
+    trace "[watchrequest] Invalid address"
+    trace "[watchrequest] responding=${result}"
+
+    echo "${result}"
+
+    return 1
+  fi
+
   result=$(importaddress_rpc ${address})
   returncode=$?
   trace_rc ${returncode}
@@ -54,7 +76,7 @@ watchrequest() {
   fees144blocks=$(getestimatesmartfee 144)
   trace_rc $?
 
-  local data="{\"id\":\"${id_inserted}\",
+  result="{\"id\":\"${id_inserted}\",
   \"event\":\"watch\",
   \"imported\":\"${imported}\",
   \"inserted\":\"${inserted}\",
@@ -66,9 +88,9 @@ watchrequest() {
   \"estimatesmartfee36blocks\":\"${fees36blocks}\",
   \"estimatesmartfee144blocks\":\"${fees144blocks}\",
   \"eventMessage\":${event_message}}"
-  trace "[watchrequest] responding=${data}"
+  trace "[watchrequest] responding=${result}"
 
-  echo "${data}"
+  echo "${result}"
 
   return ${returncode}
 }