diff --git a/src/consensus/validation.h b/src/consensus/validation.h
index a97d983a31..719e090a42 100644
--- a/src/consensus/validation.h
+++ b/src/consensus/validation.h
@@ -28,12 +28,12 @@ private:
     } mode;
     int nDoS;
     std::string strRejectReason;
-    unsigned char chRejectCode;
+    unsigned int chRejectCode;
     bool corruptionPossible;
 public:
     CValidationState() : mode(MODE_VALID), nDoS(0), chRejectCode(0), corruptionPossible(false) {}
     bool DoS(int level, bool ret = false,
-             unsigned char chRejectCodeIn=0, std::string strRejectReasonIn="",
+             unsigned int chRejectCodeIn=0, std::string strRejectReasonIn="",
              bool corruptionIn=false) {
         chRejectCode = chRejectCodeIn;
         strRejectReason = strRejectReasonIn;
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@ public:
         return ret;
     }
     bool Invalid(bool ret = false,
-                 unsigned char _chRejectCode=0, std::string _strRejectReason="") {
+                 unsigned int _chRejectCode=0, std::string _strRejectReason="") {
         return DoS(0, ret, _chRejectCode, _strRejectReason);
     }
     bool Error(const std::string& strRejectReasonIn) {
@@ -73,7 +73,7 @@ public:
     bool CorruptionPossible() const {
         return corruptionPossible;
     }
-    unsigned char GetRejectCode() const { return chRejectCode; }
+    unsigned int GetRejectCode() const { return chRejectCode; }
     std::string GetRejectReason() const { return strRejectReason; }
 };
 
diff --git a/src/main.cpp b/src/main.cpp
index 6c4cfe75aa..f67f1fd0d7 100644
--- a/src/main.cpp
+++ b/src/main.cpp
@@ -1031,9 +1031,10 @@ bool AcceptToMemoryPool(CTxMemPool& pool, CValidationState &state, const CTransa
         }
 
         if (fRejectAbsurdFee && nFees > ::minRelayTxFee.GetFee(nSize) * 10000)
-            return error("AcceptToMemoryPool: absurdly high fees %s, %d > %d",
-                         hash.ToString(),
-                         nFees, ::minRelayTxFee.GetFee(nSize) * 10000);
+            return state.Invalid(error("AcceptToMemoryPool: absurdly high fees %s, %d > %d",
+                                       hash.ToString(),
+                                       nFees, ::minRelayTxFee.GetFee(nSize) * 10000),
+                                 REJECT_HIGHFEE, "absurdly-high-fee");
 
         // Check against previous transactions
         // This is done last to help prevent CPU exhaustion denial-of-service attacks.
diff --git a/src/main.h b/src/main.h
index 4e2efaada0..e11d5c857d 100644
--- a/src/main.h
+++ b/src/main.h
@@ -497,4 +497,7 @@ extern CBlockTreeDB *pblocktree;
  */
 int GetSpendHeight(const CCoinsViewCache& inputs);
 
+/** local "reject" message codes for RPC which can not be triggered by p2p trasactions */
+static const unsigned int REJECT_HIGHFEE = 0x100;
+
 #endif // BITCOIN_MAIN_H