diff --git a/rpc/args.go b/rpc/args.go
index b43c465c05..df57e69c4c 100644
--- a/rpc/args.go
+++ b/rpc/args.go
@@ -198,7 +198,7 @@ func (args *NewTxArgs) UnmarshalJSON(b []byte) (err error) {
 
 	var num int64
 	if ext.Value == nil {
-		return NewValidationError("value", "is required")
+		num = 0
 	} else {
 		if err := numString(ext.Value, &num); err != nil {
 			return err
diff --git a/rpc/args_test.go b/rpc/args_test.go
index f00899b790..8c1e8c4780 100644
--- a/rpc/args_test.go
+++ b/rpc/args_test.go
@@ -500,12 +500,18 @@ func TestNewTxArgsValueMissing(t *testing.T) {
   "gasPrice": "0x9184e72a000",
   "data": "0xd46e8dd67c5d32be8d46e8dd67c5d32be8058bb8eb970870f072445675058bb8eb970870f072445675"
 	}]`
+	expected := new(NewTxArgs)
+	expected.Value = big.NewInt(0)
 
 	args := new(NewTxArgs)
-	str := ExpectValidationError(json.Unmarshal([]byte(input), &args))
-	if len(str) > 0 {
-		t.Error(str)
+	if err := json.Unmarshal([]byte(input), &args); err != nil {
+		t.Error(err)
 	}
+
+	if bytes.Compare(expected.Value.Bytes(), args.Value.Bytes()) != 0 {
+		t.Errorf("Value shoud be %v but is %v", expected.Value, args.Value)
+	}
+
 }
 
 func TestNewTxArgsEmpty(t *testing.T) {