diff --git a/core/src/main/kotlin/com/r3corda/core/protocols/ProtocolLogicRef.kt b/core/src/main/kotlin/com/r3corda/core/protocols/ProtocolLogicRef.kt
index 248627a3fb..5ac7fc525f 100644
--- a/core/src/main/kotlin/com/r3corda/core/protocols/ProtocolLogicRef.kt
+++ b/core/src/main/kotlin/com/r3corda/core/protocols/ProtocolLogicRef.kt
@@ -49,6 +49,22 @@ class ProtocolLogicRefFactory(private val protocolWhitelist: Map<String, Set<Str
         require(protocolWhitelist[className]!!.contains(argClassName)) { "Args to ${className} must have types on the args whitelist: $argClassName" }
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Create a [ProtocolLogicRef] for the Kotlin primary constructor of a named [ProtocolLogic]
+     */
+    fun createKotlin(protocolLogicClassName: String, args: Map<String,Any?>, attachments: List<SecureHash> = emptyList()): ProtocolLogicRef {
+        val context = AppContext(attachments)
+        validateProtocolClassName(protocolLogicClassName, context)
+        for(arg in args.values.filterNotNull()) {
+            validateArgClassName(protocolLogicClassName, arg.javaClass.name, context)
+        }
+        val clazz = Class.forName(protocolLogicClassName)
+        require(ProtocolLogic::class.java.isAssignableFrom(clazz)) { "$protocolLogicClassName is not a ProtocolLogic" }
+        @Suppress("UNCHECKED_CAST")
+        val logic = clazz as Class<ProtocolLogic<ProtocolLogic<*>>>
+        return createKotlin(logic, args)
+    }
+
     /**
      * Create a [ProtocolLogicRef] for the Kotlin primary constructor or Java constructor and the given args.
      */
diff --git a/node/src/main/kotlin/com/r3corda/node/internal/APIServerImpl.kt b/node/src/main/kotlin/com/r3corda/node/internal/APIServerImpl.kt
index 578673d2c1..ebd134a56a 100644
--- a/node/src/main/kotlin/com/r3corda/node/internal/APIServerImpl.kt
+++ b/node/src/main/kotlin/com/r3corda/node/internal/APIServerImpl.kt
@@ -5,7 +5,6 @@ import com.r3corda.core.contracts.*
 import com.r3corda.core.crypto.DigitalSignature
 import com.r3corda.core.crypto.SecureHash
 import com.r3corda.core.node.services.linearHeadsOfType
-import com.r3corda.core.protocols.ProtocolLogic
 import com.r3corda.core.serialization.SerializedBytes
 import com.r3corda.node.api.*
 import java.time.LocalDateTime
@@ -67,15 +66,9 @@ class APIServerImpl(val node: AbstractNode) : APIServer {
 
     private fun invokeProtocolAsync(type: ProtocolRef, args: Map<String, Any?>): ListenableFuture<out Any?> {
         if (type is ProtocolClassRef) {
-            val clazz = Class.forName(type.className)
-            if (ProtocolLogic::class.java.isAssignableFrom(clazz)) {
-                @Suppress("UNCHECKED_CAST")
-                val logic = clazz as Class<ProtocolLogic<ProtocolLogic<*>>>
-                val protocolLogicRef = node.services.protocolLogicRefFactory.createKotlin(logic, args)
-                val protocolInstance = node.services.protocolLogicRefFactory.toProtocolLogic(protocolLogicRef)
-                return node.services.startProtocol(clazz.name, protocolInstance)
-            }
-            throw UnsupportedOperationException("Could not find matching protocol and constructor for: $type $args")
+            val protocolLogicRef = node.services.protocolLogicRefFactory.createKotlin(type.className, args)
+            val protocolInstance = node.services.protocolLogicRefFactory.toProtocolLogic(protocolLogicRef)
+            return node.services.startProtocol(type.className, protocolInstance)
         } else {
             throw UnsupportedOperationException("Unsupported ProtocolRef type: $type")
         }