diff --git a/rpcserver.go b/rpcserver.go
index 82d3e799b..88a2814a4 100644
--- a/rpcserver.go
+++ b/rpcserver.go
@@ -196,18 +196,17 @@ func (r *rpcServer) OpenChannel(in *lnrpc.OpenChannelRequest,
 
 	localFundingAmt := btcutil.Amount(in.LocalFundingAmount)
 	remoteFundingAmt := btcutil.Amount(in.RemoteFundingAmount)
-	target := in.TargetPeerId
-	numConfs := in.NumConfs
-	updateChan, errChan := r.server.OpenChannel(target, localFundingAmt,
-		remoteFundingAmt, numConfs)
+	updateChan, errChan := r.server.OpenChannel(in.TargetPeerId,
+		in.TargetNode, localFundingAmt, remoteFundingAmt, in.NumConfs)
 
 	var outpoint wire.OutPoint
 out:
 	for {
 		select {
 		case err := <-errChan:
-			rpcsLog.Errorf("unable to open channel to peerid(%v): %v",
-				target, err)
+			rpcsLog.Errorf("unable to open channel to "+
+				"lightningID(%v) nor peerID(%v): %v",
+				in.TargetNode, in.TargetPeerId, err)
 			return err
 		case fundingUpdate := <-updateChan:
 			rpcsLog.Tracef("[openchannel] sending update: %v",
diff --git a/server.go b/server.go
index 98835f9f1..19391b388 100644
--- a/server.go
+++ b/server.go
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 package main
 
 import (
+	"bytes"
 	"encoding/hex"
 	"fmt"
 	"net"
@@ -248,11 +249,11 @@ type listPeersMsg struct {
 }
 
 // openChanReq is a message sent to the server in order to request the
-// initiation of a channel funding workflow to the peer with the specified
-// node ID.
+// initiation of a channel funding workflow to the peer with either the specified
+// relative peer ID, or a global lightning  ID.
 type openChanReq struct {
-	targetNodeID int32
-	targetNode   *lndc.LNAdr
+	targetPeerID int32
+	targetNodeID [32]byte
 
 	// TODO(roasbeef): make enums in lnwire
 	channelType uint8
@@ -409,18 +410,19 @@ func (s *server) handleConnectPeer(msg *connectPeerMsg) {
 func (s *server) handleOpenChanReq(req *openChanReq) {
 	// First attempt to locate the target peer to open a channel with, if
 	// we're unable to locate the peer then this request will fail.
-	target := req.targetNodeID
 	var targetPeer *peer
 	for _, peer := range s.peers { // TODO(roasbeef): threadsafe api
 		// We found the the target
-		if target == peer.id {
+		if req.targetPeerID == peer.id ||
+			bytes.Equal(req.targetNodeID[:], peer.lightningID[:]) {
 			targetPeer = peer
 			break
 		}
 	}
 
 	if targetPeer == nil {
-		req.err <- fmt.Errorf("unable to find peer %v", target)
+		req.err <- fmt.Errorf("unable to find peer lightningID(%v), "+
+			"peerID(%v)", req.targetNodeID, req.targetPeerID)
 		return
 	}
 
@@ -446,21 +448,23 @@ func (s *server) ConnectToPeer(addr *lndc.LNAdr) (int32, error) {
 
 // OpenChannel sends a request to the server to open a channel to the specified
 // peer identified by ID with the passed channel funding paramters.
-func (s *server) OpenChannel(nodeID int32, localAmt, remoteAmt btcutil.Amount,
+func (s *server) OpenChannel(peerID int32, nodeID []byte, localAmt, remoteAmt btcutil.Amount,
 	numConfs uint32) (chan *lnrpc.OpenStatusUpdate, chan error) {
 
 	errChan := make(chan error, 1)
 	updateChan := make(chan *lnrpc.OpenStatusUpdate, 1)
 
-	s.queries <- &openChanReq{
-		targetNodeID:     nodeID,
+	req := &openChanReq{
+		targetPeerID:     peerID,
 		localFundingAmt:  localAmt,
 		remoteFundingAmt: remoteAmt,
 		numConfs:         numConfs,
-
-		updates: updateChan,
-		err:     errChan,
+		updates:          updateChan,
+		err:              errChan,
 	}
+	copy(req.targetNodeID[:], nodeID)
+
+	s.queries <- req
 
 	return updateChan, errChan
 }