diff --git a/wallet/db.c b/wallet/db.c
index dc157a8e6..6484873a2 100644
--- a/wallet/db.c
+++ b/wallet/db.c
@@ -1101,11 +1101,7 @@ void fillin_missing_scriptpubkeys(struct lightningd *ld, struct db *db)
 
 			channel_id = db_col_u64(stmt, "channel_id");
 			db_col_node_id(stmt, "peer_id", &peer_id);
-			if (!db_col_is_null(stmt, "commitment_point")) {
-				commitment_point = tal(stmt, struct pubkey);
-				db_col_pubkey(stmt, "commitment_point", commitment_point);
-			} else
-				commitment_point = NULL;
+			commitment_point = db_col_optional(stmt, stmt, "commitment_point", pubkey);
 
 			/* Have to go ask the HSM to derive the pubkey for us */
 			msg = towire_hsmd_get_output_scriptpubkey(NULL,
diff --git a/wallet/invoices.c b/wallet/invoices.c
index 2727429a3..748267e5f 100644
--- a/wallet/invoices.c
+++ b/wallet/invoices.c
@@ -87,13 +87,7 @@ static struct invoice_details *wallet_stmt2invoice_details(const tal_t *ctx,
 
 	dtl->label = db_col_json_escape(dtl, stmt, "label");
 
-	if (!db_col_is_null(stmt, "msatoshi")) {
-		dtl->msat = tal(dtl, struct amount_msat);
-		db_col_amount_msat(stmt, "msatoshi", dtl->msat);
-	} else {
-		dtl->msat = NULL;
-	}
-
+	dtl->msat = db_col_optional(dtl, stmt, "msatoshi", amount_msat);
 	dtl->expiry_time = db_col_u64(stmt, "expiry_time");
 
 	if (dtl->state == PAID) {
@@ -115,12 +109,7 @@ static struct invoice_details *wallet_stmt2invoice_details(const tal_t *ctx,
 		dtl->description = NULL;
 
 	dtl->features = db_col_arr(dtl, stmt, "features", u8);
-	if (!db_col_is_null(stmt, "local_offer_id")) {
-		dtl->local_offer_id = tal(dtl, struct sha256);
-		db_col_sha256(stmt, "local_offer_id",
-			      dtl->local_offer_id);
-	} else
-		dtl->local_offer_id = NULL;
+	dtl->local_offer_id = db_col_optional(dtl, stmt, "local_offer_id", sha256);
 
 	return dtl;
 }
diff --git a/wallet/wallet.c b/wallet/wallet.c
index 5506c63be..d7825570f 100644
--- a/wallet/wallet.c
+++ b/wallet/wallet.c
@@ -207,13 +207,10 @@ static struct utxo *wallet_stmt2output(const tal_t *ctx, struct db_stmt *stmt)
 		utxo->close_info = tal(utxo, struct unilateral_close_info);
 		utxo->close_info->channel_id = db_col_u64(stmt, "channel_id");
 		db_col_node_id(stmt, "peer_id", &utxo->close_info->peer_id);
-		if (!db_col_is_null(stmt, "commitment_point")) {
-			utxo->close_info->commitment_point
-				= tal(utxo->close_info, struct pubkey);
-			db_col_pubkey(stmt, "commitment_point",
-				      utxo->close_info->commitment_point);
-		} else
-			utxo->close_info->commitment_point = NULL;
+		utxo->close_info->commitment_point
+			= db_col_optional(utxo->close_info, stmt,
+					  "commitment_point",
+					  pubkey);
 		utxo->close_info->option_anchor_outputs
 			= db_col_int(stmt, "option_anchor_outputs");
 		utxo->close_info->csv = db_col_int(stmt, "csv_lock");
@@ -1315,26 +1312,11 @@ static struct channel *wallet_stmt2channel(struct wallet *w, struct db_stmt *stm
 		}
 	}
 
-	if (!db_col_is_null(stmt, "scid")) {
-		scid = tal(tmpctx, struct short_channel_id);
-		db_col_short_channel_id(stmt, "scid", scid);
-	} else {
-		scid = NULL;
-	}
-
-	if (!db_col_is_null(stmt, "alias_local")) {
-		alias[LOCAL] = tal(tmpctx, struct short_channel_id);
-		db_col_short_channel_id(stmt, "alias_local", alias[LOCAL]);
-	} else {
-		alias[LOCAL] = NULL;
-	}
-
-	if (!db_col_is_null(stmt, "alias_remote")) {
-		alias[REMOTE] = tal(tmpctx, struct short_channel_id);
-		db_col_short_channel_id(stmt, "alias_remote", alias[REMOTE]);
-	} else {
-		alias[REMOTE] = NULL;
-	}
+	scid = db_col_optional(tmpctx, stmt, "scid", short_channel_id);
+	alias[LOCAL] = db_col_optional(tmpctx, stmt, "alias_local",
+				       short_channel_id);
+	alias[REMOTE] = db_col_optional(tmpctx, stmt, "alias_remote",
+					short_channel_id);
 
 	ok &= wallet_shachain_load(w, db_col_u64(stmt, "shachain_remote_id"),
 				   &wshachain);
@@ -1368,12 +1350,9 @@ static struct channel *wallet_stmt2channel(struct wallet *w, struct db_stmt *stm
 	db_col_ignore(stmt, "last_sent_commit_state");
 	db_col_ignore(stmt, "last_sent_commit_id");
 
-	if (!db_col_is_null(stmt, "future_per_commitment_point")) {
-		future_per_commitment_point = tal(tmpctx, struct pubkey);
-		db_col_pubkey(stmt, "future_per_commitment_point",
-			      future_per_commitment_point);
-	} else
-		future_per_commitment_point = NULL;
+	future_per_commitment_point = db_col_optional(tmpctx, stmt,
+						      "future_per_commitment_point",
+						      pubkey);
 
 	db_col_channel_id(stmt, "full_channel_id", &cid);
 	channel_config_id = db_col_u64(stmt, "channel_config_local");
@@ -2626,12 +2605,7 @@ static bool wallet_stmt2htlc_in(struct channel *channel,
 
 	db_col_sha256(stmt, "payment_hash", &in->payment_hash);
 
-	if (!db_col_is_null(stmt, "payment_key")) {
-		in->preimage = tal(in, struct preimage);
-		db_col_preimage(stmt, "payment_key", in->preimage);
-	} else {
-		in->preimage = NULL;
-	}
+	in->preimage = db_col_optional(in, stmt, "payment_key", preimage);
 
 	assert(db_col_bytes(stmt, "routing_onion")
 	       == sizeof(in->onion_routing_packet));
@@ -2643,18 +2617,12 @@ static bool wallet_stmt2htlc_in(struct channel *channel,
 	else
 		in->failonion = db_col_onionreply(in, stmt, "failuremsg");
 	in->badonion = db_col_int(stmt, "malformed_onion");
-	if (db_col_is_null(stmt, "shared_secret")) {
-		in->shared_secret = NULL;
-	} else {
-		assert(db_col_bytes(stmt, "shared_secret") == sizeof(struct secret));
-		in->shared_secret = tal(in, struct secret);
-		memcpy(in->shared_secret, db_col_blob(stmt, "shared_secret"),
-		       sizeof(struct secret));
+	in->shared_secret = db_col_optional(in, stmt, "shared_secret", secret);
 #ifdef COMPAT_V062
-		if (memeqzero(in->shared_secret, sizeof(*in->shared_secret)))
-			in->shared_secret = tal_free(in->shared_secret);
+	if (in->shared_secret
+	    && memeqzero(in->shared_secret, sizeof(*in->shared_secret)))
+		in->shared_secret = tal_free(in->shared_secret);
 #endif
-	}
 
 #ifdef COMPAT_V072
 	if (db_col_is_null(stmt, "received_time")) {
@@ -2707,12 +2675,7 @@ static bool wallet_stmt2htlc_out(struct wallet *wallet,
 	/* FIXME: save blinding in db !*/
 	out->blinding = NULL;
 
-	if (!db_col_is_null(stmt, "payment_key")) {
-		out->preimage = tal(out, struct preimage);
-		db_col_preimage(stmt, "payment_key", out->preimage);
-	} else {
-		out->preimage = NULL;
-	}
+	out->preimage = db_col_optional(out, stmt, "payment_key", preimage);
 
 	assert(db_col_bytes(stmt, "routing_onion")
 	       == sizeof(out->onion_routing_packet));
@@ -3229,24 +3192,15 @@ static struct wallet_payment *wallet_stmt2payment(const tal_t *ctx,
 	struct wallet_payment *payment = tal(ctx, struct wallet_payment);
 	payment->id = db_col_u64(stmt, "id");
 	payment->status = db_col_int(stmt, "status");
-
-	if (!db_col_is_null(stmt, "destination")) {
-		payment->destination = tal(payment, struct node_id);
-		db_col_node_id(stmt, "destination", payment->destination);
-	} else {
-		payment->destination = NULL;
-	}
-
+	payment->destination = db_col_optional(payment, stmt, "destination",
+					       node_id);
 	db_col_amount_msat(stmt, "msatoshi", &payment->msatoshi);
 	db_col_sha256(stmt, "payment_hash", &payment->payment_hash);
 
 	payment->timestamp = db_col_int(stmt, "timestamp");
-	if (!db_col_is_null(stmt, "payment_preimage")) {
-		payment->payment_preimage = tal(payment, struct preimage);
-		db_col_preimage(stmt, "payment_preimage",
-				payment->payment_preimage);
-	} else
-		payment->payment_preimage = NULL;
+	payment->payment_preimage = db_col_optional(payment, stmt,
+						    "payment_preimage",
+						    preimage);
 
 	/* We either used `sendpay` or `sendonion` with the `shared_secrets`
 	 * argument. */
@@ -3302,11 +3256,8 @@ static struct wallet_payment *wallet_stmt2payment(const tal_t *ctx,
 	else
 		payment->partid = 0;
 
-	if (!db_col_is_null(stmt, "local_invreq_id")) {
-		payment->local_invreq_id = tal(payment, struct sha256);
-		db_col_sha256(stmt, "local_invreq_id", payment->local_invreq_id);
-	} else
-		payment->local_invreq_id = NULL;
+	payment->local_invreq_id = db_col_optional(payment, stmt,
+						   "local_invreq_id", sha256);
 
 	if (!db_col_is_null(stmt, "completed_at")) {
 		payment->completed_at = tal(payment, u32);
@@ -3471,21 +3422,13 @@ void wallet_payment_get_failinfo(const tal_t *ctx,
 	*faildestperm = db_col_int(stmt, "faildestperm") != 0;
 	*failindex = db_col_int(stmt, "failindex");
 	*failcode = (enum onion_wire) db_col_int(stmt, "failcode");
-	if (db_col_is_null(stmt, "failnode"))
-		*failnode = NULL;
-	else {
-		*failnode = tal(ctx, struct node_id);
-		db_col_node_id(stmt, "failnode", *failnode);
-	}
-	if (db_col_is_null(stmt, "failscid")) {
-		db_col_ignore(stmt, "faildirection");
-		*failchannel = NULL;
-	} else {
-		*failchannel = tal(ctx, struct short_channel_id);
-		db_col_short_channel_id(stmt, "failscid", *failchannel);
-
+	*failnode = db_col_optional(ctx, stmt, "failnode", node_id);
+	*failchannel = db_col_optional(ctx, stmt, "failscid", short_channel_id);
+	if (*failchannel) {
 		/* For pre-0.6.2 dbs, direction will be 0 */
 		*faildirection = db_col_int(stmt, "faildirection");
+	} else {
+		db_col_ignore(stmt, "faildirection");
 	}
 	if (db_col_is_null(stmt, "failupdate"))
 		*failupdate = NULL;