diff --git a/middleware/distance.js b/middleware/distance.js
index 389b724b..eb1d7c21 100644
--- a/middleware/distance.js
+++ b/middleware/distance.js
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 var geolib = require('geolib');
+var check = require('check-types');
 
 
 function setup() {
@@ -13,14 +14,20 @@ function computeDistances(req, res, next) {
     return next();
   }
 
-  if ( !(req.clean.hasOwnProperty('lat') && req.clean.hasOwnProperty('lon')) ) {
+  if (!(check.number(req.clean['point.lat']) &&
+        check.number(req.clean['point.lon']))) {
     return next();
   }
 
+  var point = {
+    latitude: req.clean['point.lat'],
+    longitude: req.clean['point.lon']
+  };
+
   res.data.forEach(function (place) {
     // the result of getDistance is in meters, so convert to kilometers
     place.distance = geolib.getDistance(
-      { latitude: req.clean.lat, longitude: req.clean.lon },
+      point,
       { latitude: place.center_point.lat, longitude: place.center_point.lon }
     ) / 1000;
   });
diff --git a/test/unit/middleware/distance.js b/test/unit/middleware/distance.js
index 81cf6871..da868e45 100644
--- a/test/unit/middleware/distance.js
+++ b/test/unit/middleware/distance.js
@@ -6,8 +6,8 @@ module.exports.tests.computeDistance = function(test, common) {
   test('valid lat/lon and results', function(t) {
     var req = {
       clean: {
-        lat: 45,
-        lon: -77
+        'point.lat': 45,
+        'point.lon': -77
       }
     };
     var res = {