diff --git a/daemon/call_interfaces.c b/daemon/call_interfaces.c
index 2f343c622..89dd7b6e9 100644
--- a/daemon/call_interfaces.c
+++ b/daemon/call_interfaces.c
@@ -2292,7 +2292,7 @@ static void call_delete_flags(ng_parser_ctx_t *ctx, str *key, helper_arg arg) {
 }
 const char *call_delete_ng(ng_parser_ctx_t *ctx) {
 	str fromtag, totag, viabranch, callid;
-	bencode_item_t *flags;
+	parser_arg flags;
 	bool fatal_discard[2] = {0};
 	int delete_delay;
 	parser_arg input = ctx->req;
@@ -2305,7 +2305,7 @@ const char *call_delete_ng(ng_parser_ctx_t *ctx) {
 	ctx->parser->dict_get_str(input, "via-branch", &viabranch);
 
 	flags = ctx->parser->dict_get_expect(input, "flags", BENCODE_LIST);
-	if (flags)
+	if (flags.gen)
 		ctx->parser->list_iter(ctx, flags, call_delete_flags, NULL, fatal_discard);
 	delete_delay = ctx->parser->dict_get_int_str(input, "delete-delay", -1);
 	if (delete_delay == -1)
@@ -2873,8 +2873,8 @@ static void stop_recording_fn(ng_parser_ctx_t *ctx, call_t *call) {
 		}
 	}
 	// ... or `flags=[pause]`
-	bencode_item_t *item = ctx->parser->dict_get_expect(input, "flags", BENCODE_LIST);
-	if (item)
+	parser_arg item = ctx->parser->dict_get_expect(input, "flags", BENCODE_LIST);
+	if (item.gen)
 		ctx->parser->list_iter(ctx, item, stop_recording_iter, NULL, call);
 
 	recording_stop(call);
diff --git a/daemon/control_ng.c b/daemon/control_ng.c
index c2e4040d9..e41ae47f9 100644
--- a/daemon/control_ng.c
+++ b/daemon/control_ng.c
@@ -139,6 +139,10 @@ static parser_arg __bencode_list(ng_parser_ctx_t *ctx) {
 
 static void bencode_pretty_print(bencode_item_t *el, GString *s);
 
+static parser_arg __bencode_dictionary_get_expect(bencode_item_t *arg, const char *ele, bencode_type_t type) {
+	return (parser_arg) bencode_dictionary_get_expect(arg, ele, type);
+}
+
 const ng_parser_t ng_parser_native = {
 	.collapse = bencode_collapse_str,
 	.dict_iter = bencode_dict_iter,
@@ -153,7 +157,7 @@ const ng_parser_t ng_parser_native = {
 	.dict = __bencode_dict,
 	.dict_get_str = bencode_dictionary_get_str,
 	.dict_get_int_str = bencode_dictionary_get_int_str,
-	.dict_get_expect = bencode_dictionary_get_expect,
+	.dict_get_expect = __bencode_dictionary_get_expect,
 	.dict_add = bencode_dictionary_add,
 	.dict_add_string = bencode_dictionary_add_string,
 	.dict_add_str = bencode_dictionary_add_str,
@@ -181,7 +185,7 @@ const ng_parser_t ng_parser_json = {
 	.dict = __bencode_dict,
 	.dict_get_str = bencode_dictionary_get_str,
 	.dict_get_int_str = bencode_dictionary_get_int_str,
-	.dict_get_expect = bencode_dictionary_get_expect,
+	.dict_get_expect = __bencode_dictionary_get_expect,
 	.dict_add = bencode_dictionary_add,
 	.dict_add_string = bencode_dictionary_add_string,
 	.dict_add_str = bencode_dictionary_add_str,
diff --git a/include/control_ng.h b/include/control_ng.h
index db5ce132f..6aafdf3be 100644
--- a/include/control_ng.h
+++ b/include/control_ng.h
@@ -119,20 +119,20 @@ struct ng_parser {
 		void (*callback)(ng_parser_ctx_t *, str *, parser_arg, helper_arg),
 		helper_arg);
 	bool (*is_list)(parser_arg);
-	void (*list_iter)(ng_parser_ctx_t *, bencode_item_t *input,
+	void (*list_iter)(ng_parser_ctx_t *, parser_arg input,
 			void (*str_callback)(ng_parser_ctx_t *, str *key, helper_arg),
-			void (*item_callback)(ng_parser_ctx_t *, bencode_item_t *, helper_arg),
+			void (*item_callback)(ng_parser_ctx_t *, parser_arg, helper_arg),
 			helper_arg);
-	str *(*get_str)(bencode_item_t *, str *s);
-	int (*strcmp)(bencode_item_t *, const char *);
-	long long (*get_int_str)(bencode_item_t *, long long def);
-	bool (*is_int)(bencode_item_t *);
-	long long (*get_int)(bencode_item_t *);
+	str *(*get_str)(parser_arg, str *s);
+	int (*strcmp)(parser_arg, const char *);
+	long long (*get_int_str)(parser_arg, long long def);
+	bool (*is_int)(parser_arg);
+	long long (*get_int)(parser_arg);
 	bool (*is_dict)(parser_arg);
 	parser_arg (*dict)(ng_parser_ctx_t *);
 	char *(*dict_get_str)(parser_arg, const char *, str *);
 	long long (*dict_get_int_str)(parser_arg, const char *, long long def);
-	bencode_item_t *(*dict_get_expect)(parser_arg, const char *, bencode_type_t);
+	parser_arg (*dict_get_expect)(parser_arg, const char *, bencode_type_t);
 	bencode_item_t *(*dict_add)(parser_arg, const char *, parser_arg);
 	void (*dict_add_string)(parser_arg, const char *, const char *);
 	void (*dict_add_str)(parser_arg, const char *, const str *);