diff --git a/libpathod/pathod_cmdline.py b/libpathod/pathod_cmdline.py
index 68828aca9..f1bb6982a 100644
--- a/libpathod/pathod_cmdline.py
+++ b/libpathod/pathod_cmdline.py
@@ -208,17 +208,11 @@ def args_pathod(argv, stdout=sys.stdout, stderr=sys.stderr):
         if os.path.isfile(spec):
             data = open(spec).read()
             spec = data
-        try:
-            req = language.parse_pathod(spec)
-        except language.ParseException as v:
-            print >> stderr, "Error parsing anchor spec: %s" % v.msg
-            print >> stderr, v.marked()
-            sys.exit(1)
         try:
             arex = re.compile(patt)
         except re.error:
             return parser.error("Invalid regex in anchor: %s" % patt)
-        anchors.append((arex, req))
+        anchors.append((arex, spec))
     args.anchors = anchors
     return args
 
diff --git a/test/test_pathoc.py b/test/test_pathoc.py
index 28514378b..e1e1fe97b 100644
--- a/test/test_pathoc.py
+++ b/test/test_pathoc.py
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ class _TestDaemon:
             ssloptions = self.ssloptions,
             staticdir = tutils.test_data.path("data"),
             anchors = [
-                (re.compile("/anchor/.*"), language.parse_pathod("202"))
+                (re.compile("/anchor/.*"), "202")
             ]
         )
 
diff --git a/test/test_pathod_cmdline.py b/test/test_pathod_cmdline.py
index 590bb56bc..829c4b32e 100644
--- a/test/test_pathod_cmdline.py
+++ b/test/test_pathod_cmdline.py
@@ -65,15 +65,6 @@ def test_pathod(perror):
     assert perror.called
     perror.reset_mock()
 
-    s = cStringIO.StringIO()
-    tutils.raises(
-        SystemExit,
-        cmdline.args_pathod,
-        ["pathod", "-a", "foo=."],
-        s,
-        s
-    )
-
     a = cmdline.args_pathod(
         [
             "pathod",
@@ -92,13 +83,3 @@ def test_pathod(perror):
     )
     assert perror.called
     perror.reset_mock()
-
-    a = cmdline.args_pathod(
-        [
-            "pathod",
-            "-c",
-            "?"
-        ]
-    )
-    assert perror.called
-    perror.reset_mock()
diff --git a/test/tutils.py b/test/tutils.py
index c56c60d43..60c0765a5 100644
--- a/test/tutils.py
+++ b/test/tutils.py
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ class DaemonTests(object):
         klass.d = test.Daemon(
             staticdir=test_data.path("data"),
             anchors=[
-                (re.compile("/anchor/.*"), language.parse_pathod("202:da"))
+                (re.compile("/anchor/.*"), "202:da")
             ],
             ssl = klass.ssl,
             ssloptions = so,