diff --git a/web/src/main/java/de/cotto/lndmanagej/controller/ChannelIdConverter.java b/web/src/main/java/de/cotto/lndmanagej/controller/ChannelIdConverter.java
index 4478346f..3eeef131 100644
--- a/web/src/main/java/de/cotto/lndmanagej/controller/ChannelIdConverter.java
+++ b/web/src/main/java/de/cotto/lndmanagej/controller/ChannelIdConverter.java
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ import org.springframework.core.convert.converter.Converter;
 import org.springframework.stereotype.Component;
 
 import javax.annotation.Nonnull;
+import java.util.Optional;
 
 @Component
 public class ChannelIdConverter implements Converter<String, ChannelId> {
@@ -25,6 +26,20 @@ public class ChannelIdConverter implements Converter<String, ChannelId> {
         }
     }
 
+    @SuppressWarnings("PMD.EmptyCatchBlock")
+    public Optional<ChannelId> tryToConvert(String source) {
+        try {
+            return Optional.of(fromShortChannelId(source));
+        } catch (IllegalArgumentException e) {
+            // ignore
+        }
+        try {
+            return Optional.of(fromCompactFormOrChannelPoint(source));
+        } catch (IllegalArgumentException e) {
+            return Optional.empty();
+        }
+    }
+
     private ChannelId fromCompactFormOrChannelPoint(String source) {
         try {
             return ChannelId.fromCompactForm(source);
diff --git a/web/src/test/java/de/cotto/lndmanagej/controller/ChannelIdConverterTest.java b/web/src/test/java/de/cotto/lndmanagej/controller/ChannelIdConverterTest.java
index 748c95ed..9add36ed 100644
--- a/web/src/test/java/de/cotto/lndmanagej/controller/ChannelIdConverterTest.java
+++ b/web/src/test/java/de/cotto/lndmanagej/controller/ChannelIdConverterTest.java
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 package de.cotto.lndmanagej.controller;
 
 import de.cotto.lndmanagej.model.ChannelIdResolver;
+import org.junit.jupiter.api.Nested;
 import org.junit.jupiter.api.Test;
 import org.junit.jupiter.api.extension.ExtendWith;
 import org.mockito.InjectMocks;
@@ -10,9 +11,11 @@ import org.mockito.junit.jupiter.MockitoExtension;
 import java.util.Optional;
 
 import static de.cotto.lndmanagej.model.ChannelIdFixtures.CHANNEL_ID;
+import static de.cotto.lndmanagej.model.ChannelIdFixtures.CHANNEL_ID_COMPACT;
 import static de.cotto.lndmanagej.model.ChannelPointFixtures.CHANNEL_POINT;
 import static org.assertj.core.api.Assertions.assertThat;
 import static org.assertj.core.api.Assertions.assertThatExceptionOfType;
+import static org.mockito.Mockito.verifyNoInteractions;
 import static org.mockito.Mockito.when;
 
 @ExtendWith(MockitoExtension.class)
@@ -50,4 +53,70 @@ class ChannelIdConverterTest {
         assertThatExceptionOfType(IllegalArgumentException.class)
                 .isThrownBy(() -> channelIdConverter.convert(CHANNEL_POINT.toString()));
     }
-}
\ No newline at end of file
+
+    @Nested
+    class TryToConvert {
+        @Test
+        void valid_short_channel_id() {
+            assertThat(channelIdConverter.tryToConvert(String.valueOf(CHANNEL_ID.getShortChannelId())))
+                    .contains(CHANNEL_ID);
+        }
+
+        @Test
+        void just_numbers_small_number() {
+            assertThat(channelIdConverter.tryToConvert("123")).isEmpty();
+        }
+
+        @Test
+        void just_numbers_too_early() {
+            assertThat(channelIdConverter.tryToConvert("430103660018532351")).isEmpty();
+        }
+
+        @Test
+        void compact_form_valid() {
+            assertThat(channelIdConverter.tryToConvert(CHANNEL_ID_COMPACT)).contains(CHANNEL_ID);
+        }
+
+        @Test
+        void compact_form_too_early() {
+            assertThat(channelIdConverter.tryToConvert("300000x123x1")).isEmpty();
+        }
+
+        @Test
+        void compact_lnd_form_valid() {
+            assertThat(channelIdConverter.tryToConvert(CHANNEL_ID.getCompactFormLnd())).contains(CHANNEL_ID);
+        }
+
+        @Test
+        void compact_lnd_form_too_early() {
+            assertThat(channelIdConverter.tryToConvert("300000:123:1")).isEmpty();
+        }
+
+        @Test
+        void channel_point_valid() {
+            when(channelIdResolver.resolveFromChannelPoint(CHANNEL_POINT)).thenReturn(Optional.of(CHANNEL_ID));
+            assertThat(channelIdConverter.tryToConvert(CHANNEL_POINT.toString())).contains(CHANNEL_ID);
+        }
+
+        @Test
+        void channel_point_not_found() {
+            assertThat(channelIdConverter.tryToConvert(CHANNEL_POINT.toString())).isEmpty();
+        }
+
+        @Test
+        void channel_point_lookalike() {
+            assertThat(channelIdConverter.tryToConvert("abc:1")).isEmpty();
+            verifyNoInteractions(channelIdResolver);
+        }
+
+        @Test
+        void weird_string() {
+            assertThat(channelIdConverter.tryToConvert("[123$!12123.. peter")).isEmpty();
+        }
+
+        @Test
+        void empty_string() {
+            assertThat(channelIdConverter.tryToConvert("[123$!12123.. peter")).isEmpty();
+        }
+    }
+}