diff --git a/cli/lightning-cli.c b/cli/lightning-cli.c
index 06e47f2b8..ede08a6b4 100644
--- a/cli/lightning-cli.c
+++ b/cli/lightning-cli.c
@@ -276,7 +276,7 @@ static bool is_literal(const char *arg)
 	if (arglen == 0) {
 		return false;
 	}
-	return strspn(arg, "0123456789") == arglen
+	return strspn(arg, "0123456789.") == arglen
 		|| streq(arg, "true")
 		|| streq(arg, "false")
 		|| streq(arg, "null")
diff --git a/doc/lightning-cli.1.md b/doc/lightning-cli.1.md
index 254616c1d..263340bbe 100644
--- a/doc/lightning-cli.1.md
+++ b/doc/lightning-cli.1.md
@@ -89,7 +89,8 @@ this is to avoid having lightningd intrepret the position of an arguement.
 
 Arguments may be integer numbers (composed entirely of digits), floating-point 
 numbers (has a radix point but otherwise composed of digits), *true*, *false*,
-or *null*. Other arguments are treated as strings.
+or *null*. Arguments which begin with *{*, *[* or *"* are also considered
+raw JSON and are passed through.  Other arguments are treated as strings.
 
 Some commands have optional arguments. You may use *null* to skip
 optional arguments to provide later arguments, although this is not encouraged.