diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index c69beb6bf..429027960 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@ and this project adheres to [Semantic Versioning](https://semver.org/spec/v2.0.0
 - pylightning: New class 'Millisatoshi' can be used for JSON API, and new '_msat' fields are turned into this on reading.
 - JSON API: `fundchannel` and `withdraw` now have a new parameter `minconf` that limits coinselection to outputs that have at least `minconf` confirmations (default 1). (#2380)
 - JSON API: `listfunds` now displays addresses for all outputs owned by the wallet (#2387)
+- JSON API: `waitsendpay` and `sendpay` output field `label` as specified by `sendpay` call.
 
 ### Changed
 
@@ -38,6 +39,7 @@ and this project adheres to [Semantic Versioning](https://semver.org/spec/v2.0.0
 - JSON API: `listpeers` now includes `funding_allocation_msat`, which returns a map of the amounts initially funded to the channel by each peer, indexed by channel id.
 - `option_data_loss_protect` is now enabled by default.
 - JSON API: `help` with a `command` argument gives a JSON array, like other commands.
+- JSON API: `sendpay` `description` parameter is renamed `label`.
 - build: we'll use the system libbase58 and libsodium if found suitable.
 
 ### Deprecated
@@ -50,6 +52,7 @@ fields for your own sanity checking, and that you similarly
 provide appropriate suffixes for JSON input fields.
 
 - JSON API: `short_channel_id` fields in JSON commands with `:` separators (use `x` instead).
+- JSON API: `sendpay` parameter `description` and `waitsendpay` and `sendpay` output fields `description` (now `label`).
 
 ### Removed
 
diff --git a/doc/lightning-sendpay.7 b/doc/lightning-sendpay.7
index d0d3df391..3b1b9e1de 100644
--- a/doc/lightning-sendpay.7
+++ b/doc/lightning-sendpay.7
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@
 lightning-sendpay \- Low\-level command for sending a payment via a route\&.
 .SH "SYNOPSIS"
 .sp
-\fBsendpay\fR \fIroute\fR \fIpayment_hash\fR [\fIdescription\fR] [\fImsatoshi\fR] [\fIbolt11\fR]
+\fBsendpay\fR \fIroute\fR \fIpayment_hash\fR [\fIlabel\fR] [\fImsatoshi\fR] [\fIbolt11\fR]
 .SH "DESCRIPTION"
 .sp
 The \fBsendpay\fR RPC command attempts to send funds associated with the given \fIpayment_hash\fR, along a route to the final destination in the route\&.
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ Generally, a client would call lightning\-getroute(7) to resolve a route, then u
 .sp
 The response will occur when the payment is on its way to the destination\&. The \fBsendpay\fR RPC command does not wait for definite success or definite failure of the payment\&. Instead, use the \fBwaitsendpay\fR RPC command to poll or wait for definite success or definite failure\&.
 .sp
-The \fIdescription\fR and \fIbolt11\fR parameters, if provided, will be returned in \fIwaitsendpay\fR and \fIlistpayments\fR results\&.
+The \fIlabel\fR and \fIbolt11\fR parameters, if provided, will be returned in \fIwaitsendpay\fR and \fIlistpayments\fR results\&.
 .sp
 The \fImsatoshi\fR amount, if provided, is the amount that will be recorded as the target payment value\&. If not specified, it will be the final amount to the destination\&. If specified, then the final amount at the destination must be from the specified \fImsatoshi\fR to twice the specified \fImsatoshi\fR, inclusive\&. This is intended to obscure payments by overpaying slightly at the destination; the actual target payment is what should be specified as the \fImsatoshi\fR argument\&. \fImsatoshi\fR is in millisatoshi precision; it can be a whole number, or a whole number ending in \fImsat\fR or \fIsat\fR, or a number with three decimal places ending in \fIsat\fR, or a number with 1 to 11 decimal places ending in \fIbtc\fR\&.
 .sp
diff --git a/doc/lightning-sendpay.7.txt b/doc/lightning-sendpay.7.txt
index e83d27abb..72ec862c4 100644
--- a/doc/lightning-sendpay.7.txt
+++ b/doc/lightning-sendpay.7.txt
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ lightning-sendpay - Low-level command for sending a payment via a route.
 
 SYNOPSIS
 --------
-*sendpay* 'route' 'payment_hash' ['description'] ['msatoshi'] ['bolt11']
+*sendpay* 'route' 'payment_hash' ['label'] ['msatoshi'] ['bolt11']
 
 DESCRIPTION
 -----------
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ definite failure of the payment.
 Instead, use the *waitsendpay* RPC command to poll or wait for
 definite success or definite failure.
 
-The 'description' and 'bolt11' parameters, if provided, will be returned in
+The 'label' and 'bolt11' parameters, if provided, will be returned in
 'waitsendpay' and 'listpayments' results.
 
 The 'msatoshi' amount, if provided, is the amount that will be
diff --git a/lightningd/pay.c b/lightningd/pay.c
index 8d18a080a..a3faafbb5 100644
--- a/lightningd/pay.c
+++ b/lightningd/pay.c
@@ -99,8 +99,11 @@ json_add_payment_fields(struct json_stream *response,
 		json_add_hex(response, "payment_preimage",
 			     t->payment_preimage,
 			     sizeof(*t->payment_preimage));
-	if (t->description)
-		json_add_string(response, "description", t->description);
+	if (t->label) {
+		if (deprecated_apis)
+			json_add_string(response, "description", t->label);
+		json_add_string(response, "label", t->label);
+	}
 	if (t->bolt11)
 		json_add_string(response, "bolt11", t->bolt11);
 }
@@ -582,7 +585,7 @@ send_payment(struct lightningd *ld,
 	     const struct sha256 *rhash,
 	     const struct route_hop *route,
 	     struct amount_msat msat,
-	     const char *description TAKES,
+	     const char *label TAKES,
 	     const char *b11str TAKES)
 {
 	const u8 *onion;
@@ -719,10 +722,10 @@ send_payment(struct lightningd *ld,
 	payment->path_secrets = tal_steal(payment, path_secrets);
 	payment->route_nodes = tal_steal(payment, ids);
 	payment->route_channels = tal_steal(payment, channels);
-	if (description != NULL)
-		payment->description = tal_strdup(payment, description);
+	if (label != NULL)
+		payment->label = tal_strdup(payment, label);
 	else
-		payment->description = NULL;
+		payment->label = NULL;
 	if (b11str != NULL)
 		payment->bolt11 = tal_strdup(payment, b11str);
 	else
@@ -750,17 +753,45 @@ static struct command_result *json_sendpay(struct command *cmd,
 	struct sha256 *rhash;
 	struct route_hop *route;
 	struct amount_msat *msat;
-	const char *description, *b11str;
+	const char *b11str, *label;
 	struct command_result *res;
 
-	if (!param(cmd, buffer, params,
-		   p_req("route", param_array, &routetok),
-		   p_req("payment_hash", param_sha256, &rhash),
-		   p_opt("description", param_escaped_string, &description),
-		   p_opt("msatoshi", param_msat, &msat),
-		   p_opt("bolt11", param_string, &b11str),
-		   NULL))
-		return command_param_failed();
+	/* If by array, or 'check' command, use 'label' as param name */
+	if (!params || params->type == JSMN_ARRAY) {
+		if (!param(cmd, buffer, params,
+			   p_req("route", param_array, &routetok),
+			   p_req("payment_hash", param_sha256, &rhash),
+			   p_opt("label", param_escaped_string, &label),
+			   p_opt("msatoshi", param_msat, &msat),
+			   p_opt("bolt11", param_string, &b11str),
+			   NULL))
+			return command_param_failed();
+	} else {
+		const char *description_deprecated;
+
+		/* If by keyword, treat description and label as
+		 * separate parameters. */
+		if (!param(cmd, buffer, params,
+			   p_req("route", param_array, &routetok),
+			   p_req("payment_hash", param_sha256, &rhash),
+			   p_opt("label", param_escaped_string, &label),
+			   p_opt("description", param_escaped_string,
+				 &description_deprecated),
+			   p_opt("msatoshi", param_msat, &msat),
+			   p_opt("bolt11", param_string, &b11str),
+			   NULL))
+			return command_param_failed();
+
+		if (description_deprecated) {
+			if (!deprecated_apis)
+				return command_fail(cmd, JSONRPC2_INVALID_PARAMS,
+						    "Deprecated parameter description, use label");
+			if (label)
+				return command_fail(cmd, JSONRPC2_INVALID_PARAMS,
+						    "Cannot specify both description and label");
+			label = description_deprecated;
+		}
+	}
 
 	if (routetok->size == 0)
 		return command_fail(cmd, JSONRPC2_INVALID_PARAMS, "Empty route");
@@ -844,7 +875,7 @@ static struct command_result *json_sendpay(struct command *cmd,
 
 	res = send_payment(cmd->ld, cmd, rhash, route,
 			   msat ? *msat : route[routetok->size-1].amount,
-			   description, b11str);
+			   label, b11str);
 	if (res)
 		return res;
 	return command_still_pending(cmd);
diff --git a/wallet/db.c b/wallet/db.c
index 45332c3ec..b9addde3e 100644
--- a/wallet/db.c
+++ b/wallet/db.c
@@ -334,6 +334,7 @@ char *dbmigrations[] = {
     "DELETE FROM blocks WHERE height IS NULL;",
     /* -- End of  PR #1398 -- */
     "ALTER TABLE invoices ADD description TEXT;",
+    /* FIXME: payments table 'description' is really a 'label' */
     "ALTER TABLE payments ADD description TEXT;",
     /* future_per_commitment_point if other side proves we're out of date -- */
     "ALTER TABLE channels ADD future_per_commitment_point BLOB;",
diff --git a/wallet/wallet.c b/wallet/wallet.c
index b25652236..0e357ecd7 100644
--- a/wallet/wallet.c
+++ b/wallet/wallet.c
@@ -1739,9 +1739,9 @@ void wallet_payment_store(struct wallet *wallet,
 					    payment->route_channels);
 	sqlite3_bind_amount_msat(stmt, 9, payment->msatoshi_sent);
 
-	if (payment->description != NULL)
-		sqlite3_bind_text(stmt, 10, payment->description,
-				  strlen(payment->description),
+	if (payment->label != NULL)
+		sqlite3_bind_text(stmt, 10, payment->label,
+				  strlen(payment->label),
 				  SQLITE_TRANSIENT);
 	else
 		sqlite3_bind_null(stmt, 10);
@@ -1807,10 +1807,10 @@ static struct wallet_payment *wallet_stmt2payment(const tal_t *ctx,
 	payment->msatoshi_sent = sqlite3_column_amount_msat(stmt, 10);
 
 	if (sqlite3_column_type(stmt, 11) != SQLITE_NULL)
-		payment->description = tal_strdup(
+		payment->label = tal_strdup(
 		    payment, (const char *)sqlite3_column_text(stmt, 11));
 	else
-		payment->description = NULL;
+		payment->label = NULL;
 
 	if (sqlite3_column_type(stmt, 12) != SQLITE_NULL)
 		payment->bolt11 = tal_strdup(payment,
diff --git a/wallet/wallet.h b/wallet/wallet.h
index 30f45df7b..671a185f2 100644
--- a/wallet/wallet.h
+++ b/wallet/wallet.h
@@ -227,8 +227,8 @@ struct wallet_payment {
 	/* bolt11 string; NULL for old payments. */
 	const char *bolt11;
 
-	/* The description of the payment. Must support `tal_len` */
-	const char *description;
+	/* The label of the payment. Must support `tal_len` */
+	const char *label;
 };
 
 struct outpoint {