diff --git a/routing/payment_lifecycle.go b/routing/payment_lifecycle.go
index c386c49f0..40089479f 100644
--- a/routing/payment_lifecycle.go
+++ b/routing/payment_lifecycle.go
@@ -13,20 +13,6 @@ import (
 	"github.com/lightningnetwork/lnd/routing/route"
 )
 
-// errNoRoute is returned when all routes from the payment session have been
-// attempted.
-type errNoRoute struct {
-	// lastError is the error encountered during the last payment attempt,
-	// if at least one attempt has been made.
-	lastError error
-}
-
-// Error returns a string representation of the error.
-func (e errNoRoute) Error() string {
-	return fmt.Sprintf("unable to route payment to destination: %v",
-		e.lastError)
-}
-
 // paymentLifecycle holds all information about the current state of a payment
 // needed to resume if from any point.
 type paymentLifecycle struct {
@@ -146,14 +132,6 @@ func (p *paymentLifecycle) resumePayment() ([32]byte, *route.Route, error) {
 					return [32]byte{}, nil, saveErr
 				}
 
-				// If there was an error already recorded for this
-				// payment, we'll return that.
-				if shardHandler.lastError != nil {
-					return [32]byte{}, nil, errNoRoute{
-						lastError: shardHandler.lastError,
-					}
-				}
-
 				// Terminal state, return.
 				return [32]byte{}, nil, err
 			}
@@ -232,8 +210,6 @@ func (p *paymentLifecycle) resumePayment() ([32]byte, *route.Route, error) {
 type shardHandler struct {
 	paymentHash lntypes.Hash
 	router      *ChannelRouter
-
-	lastError error
 }
 
 // launchOutcome is a type returned from launchShard that indicates whether the
@@ -542,9 +518,6 @@ func (p *shardHandler) handleSendError(attempt *channeldb.HTLCAttemptInfo,
 		attempt.AttemptID, &attempt.Route, sendErr,
 	)
 	if reason == nil {
-		// Save the forwarding error so it can be returned if
-		// this turns out to be the last attempt.
-		p.lastError = sendErr
 		return nil
 	}
 
diff --git a/routing/router_test.go b/routing/router_test.go
index d8550ac73..d3c866ae9 100644
--- a/routing/router_test.go
+++ b/routing/router_test.go
@@ -792,10 +792,33 @@ func TestSendPaymentErrorPathPruning(t *testing.T) {
 
 	// The final error returned should also indicate that the peer wasn't
 	// online (the last error we returned).
-	if !strings.Contains(err.Error(), "UnknownNextPeer") {
+	// TODO: proper err code
+	if !strings.Contains(err.Error(), "unable to find") {
 		t.Fatalf("expected UnknownNextPeer instead got: %v", err)
 	}
 
+	// Inspect the two attempts that were made before the payment failed.
+	p, err := ctx.router.cfg.Control.FetchPayment(payHash)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+
+	if len(p.HTLCs) != 2 {
+		t.Fatalf("expected two attempts got %v", len(p.HTLCs))
+	}
+
+	// We expect the first attempt to have failed with a
+	// TemporaryChannelFailure, the second with UnknownNextPeer.
+	msg := p.HTLCs[0].Failure.Message
+	if _, ok := msg.(*lnwire.FailTemporaryChannelFailure); !ok {
+		t.Fatalf("unexpected fail message: %T", msg)
+	}
+
+	msg = p.HTLCs[1].Failure.Message
+	if _, ok := msg.(*lnwire.FailUnknownNextPeer); !ok {
+		t.Fatalf("unexpected fail message: %T", msg)
+	}
+
 	ctx.router.cfg.MissionControl.(*MissionControl).ResetHistory()
 
 	// Next, we'll modify the SendToSwitch method to indicate that the