diff --git a/cmd/soroban-rpc/internal/methods/get_events.go b/cmd/soroban-rpc/internal/methods/get_events.go
index dda0fa06..8b4a9439 100644
--- a/cmd/soroban-rpc/internal/methods/get_events.go
+++ b/cmd/soroban-rpc/internal/methods/get_events.go
@@ -8,7 +8,6 @@ import (
 	"time"
 
 	"github.com/creachadair/jrpc2"
-	"github.com/creachadair/jrpc2/handler"
 
 	"github.com/stellar/go/strkey"
 	"github.com/stellar/go/support/errors"
@@ -429,7 +428,7 @@ func NewGetEventsHandler(eventsStore *events.MemoryStore, maxLimit, defaultLimit
 		maxLimit:     maxLimit,
 		defaultLimit: defaultLimit,
 	}
-	return handler.New(func(ctx context.Context, request GetEventsRequest) (GetEventsResponse, error) {
+	return NewHandler(func(ctx context.Context, request GetEventsRequest) (GetEventsResponse, error) {
 		return eventsHandler.getEvents(request)
 	})
 }
diff --git a/cmd/soroban-rpc/internal/methods/get_latest_ledger.go b/cmd/soroban-rpc/internal/methods/get_latest_ledger.go
index 2f933304..3617e70d 100644
--- a/cmd/soroban-rpc/internal/methods/get_latest_ledger.go
+++ b/cmd/soroban-rpc/internal/methods/get_latest_ledger.go
@@ -4,7 +4,6 @@ import (
 	"context"
 
 	"github.com/creachadair/jrpc2"
-	"github.com/creachadair/jrpc2/handler"
 
 	"github.com/stellar/soroban-rpc/cmd/soroban-rpc/internal/db"
 )
@@ -20,7 +19,7 @@ type GetLatestLedgerResponse struct {
 
 // NewGetLatestLedgerHandler returns a JSON RPC handler to retrieve the latest ledger entry from Stellar core.
 func NewGetLatestLedgerHandler(ledgerEntryReader db.LedgerEntryReader, ledgerReader db.LedgerReader) jrpc2.Handler {
-	return handler.New(func(ctx context.Context) (GetLatestLedgerResponse, error) {
+	return NewHandler(func(ctx context.Context) (GetLatestLedgerResponse, error) {
 		tx, err := ledgerEntryReader.NewTx(ctx)
 		if err != nil {
 			return GetLatestLedgerResponse{}, &jrpc2.Error{
diff --git a/cmd/soroban-rpc/internal/methods/get_ledger_entries.go b/cmd/soroban-rpc/internal/methods/get_ledger_entries.go
index e9e58868..c3f2b617 100644
--- a/cmd/soroban-rpc/internal/methods/get_ledger_entries.go
+++ b/cmd/soroban-rpc/internal/methods/get_ledger_entries.go
@@ -5,7 +5,6 @@ import (
 	"fmt"
 
 	"github.com/creachadair/jrpc2"
-	"github.com/creachadair/jrpc2/handler"
 	"github.com/stellar/go/support/log"
 	"github.com/stellar/go/xdr"
 
@@ -40,7 +39,7 @@ const getLedgerEntriesMaxKeys = 200
 
 // NewGetLedgerEntriesHandler returns a JSON RPC handler to retrieve the specified ledger entries from Stellar Core.
 func NewGetLedgerEntriesHandler(logger *log.Entry, ledgerEntryReader db.LedgerEntryReader) jrpc2.Handler {
-	return handler.New(func(ctx context.Context, request GetLedgerEntriesRequest) (GetLedgerEntriesResponse, error) {
+	return NewHandler(func(ctx context.Context, request GetLedgerEntriesRequest) (GetLedgerEntriesResponse, error) {
 		if len(request.Keys) > getLedgerEntriesMaxKeys {
 			return GetLedgerEntriesResponse{}, &jrpc2.Error{
 				Code:    jrpc2.InvalidParams,
diff --git a/cmd/soroban-rpc/internal/methods/get_ledger_entry.go b/cmd/soroban-rpc/internal/methods/get_ledger_entry.go
index e457a3b1..910d2155 100644
--- a/cmd/soroban-rpc/internal/methods/get_ledger_entry.go
+++ b/cmd/soroban-rpc/internal/methods/get_ledger_entry.go
@@ -5,8 +5,6 @@ import (
 	"fmt"
 
 	"github.com/creachadair/jrpc2"
-	"github.com/creachadair/jrpc2/handler"
-
 	"github.com/stellar/go/support/log"
 	"github.com/stellar/go/xdr"
 
@@ -33,7 +31,7 @@ type GetLedgerEntryResponse struct {
 // Deprecated. use NewGetLedgerEntriesHandler instead.
 // TODO(https://github.com/stellar/soroban-tools/issues/374) remove after getLedgerEntries is deployed.
 func NewGetLedgerEntryHandler(logger *log.Entry, ledgerEntryReader db.LedgerEntryReader) jrpc2.Handler {
-	return handler.New(func(ctx context.Context, request GetLedgerEntryRequest) (GetLedgerEntryResponse, error) {
+	return NewHandler(func(ctx context.Context, request GetLedgerEntryRequest) (GetLedgerEntryResponse, error) {
 		var key xdr.LedgerKey
 		if err := xdr.SafeUnmarshalBase64(request.Key, &key); err != nil {
 			logger.WithError(err).WithField("request", request).
diff --git a/cmd/soroban-rpc/internal/methods/get_network.go b/cmd/soroban-rpc/internal/methods/get_network.go
index 5c990c41..f706e7c6 100644
--- a/cmd/soroban-rpc/internal/methods/get_network.go
+++ b/cmd/soroban-rpc/internal/methods/get_network.go
@@ -4,7 +4,6 @@ import (
 	"context"
 
 	"github.com/creachadair/jrpc2"
-	"github.com/creachadair/jrpc2/handler"
 
 	"github.com/stellar/soroban-rpc/cmd/soroban-rpc/internal/daemon/interfaces"
 )
@@ -20,7 +19,7 @@ type GetNetworkResponse struct {
 // NewGetNetworkHandler returns a json rpc handler to for the getNetwork method
 func NewGetNetworkHandler(daemon interfaces.Daemon, networkPassphrase, friendbotURL string) jrpc2.Handler {
 	coreClient := daemon.CoreClient()
-	return handler.New(func(ctx context.Context, request GetNetworkRequest) (GetNetworkResponse, error) {
+	return NewHandler(func(ctx context.Context, request GetNetworkRequest) (GetNetworkResponse, error) {
 		info, err := coreClient.Info(ctx)
 		if err != nil {
 			return GetNetworkResponse{}, (&jrpc2.Error{
diff --git a/cmd/soroban-rpc/internal/methods/get_transaction.go b/cmd/soroban-rpc/internal/methods/get_transaction.go
index 8b1846f8..12bc2d10 100644
--- a/cmd/soroban-rpc/internal/methods/get_transaction.go
+++ b/cmd/soroban-rpc/internal/methods/get_transaction.go
@@ -7,7 +7,6 @@ import (
 	"fmt"
 
 	"github.com/creachadair/jrpc2"
-	"github.com/creachadair/jrpc2/handler"
 	"github.com/stellar/go/xdr"
 
 	"github.com/stellar/soroban-rpc/cmd/soroban-rpc/internal/transactions"
@@ -120,7 +119,7 @@ func GetTransaction(getter transactionGetter, request GetTransactionRequest) (Ge
 
 // NewGetTransactionHandler returns a get transaction json rpc handler
 func NewGetTransactionHandler(getter transactionGetter) jrpc2.Handler {
-	return handler.New(func(ctx context.Context, request GetTransactionRequest) (GetTransactionResponse, error) {
+	return NewHandler(func(ctx context.Context, request GetTransactionRequest) (GetTransactionResponse, error) {
 		return GetTransaction(getter, request)
 	})
 }
diff --git a/cmd/soroban-rpc/internal/methods/handler.go b/cmd/soroban-rpc/internal/methods/handler.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..2dc4d99b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cmd/soroban-rpc/internal/methods/handler.go
@@ -0,0 +1,17 @@
+package methods
+
+import (
+	"github.com/creachadair/jrpc2"
+	"github.com/creachadair/jrpc2/handler"
+)
+
+func NewHandler(fn any) jrpc2.Handler {
+	fi, err := handler.Check(fn)
+	if err != nil {
+		panic(err)
+	}
+	// explicitly disable array arguments since otherwise we cannot add
+	// new method arguments without breaking backwards compatibility with clients
+	fi.AllowArray(false)
+	return fi.Wrap()
+}
diff --git a/cmd/soroban-rpc/internal/methods/handler_test.go b/cmd/soroban-rpc/internal/methods/handler_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..564f7f51
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cmd/soroban-rpc/internal/methods/handler_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,60 @@
+package methods
+
+import (
+	"context"
+	"testing"
+
+	"github.com/creachadair/jrpc2"
+	"github.com/creachadair/jrpc2/handler"
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
+)
+
+type Request struct {
+	Parameter string `json:"parameter"`
+}
+
+func TestNewHandlerNoArrayParameters(t *testing.T) {
+	callCount := 0
+	f := func(ctx context.Context, request Request) error {
+		callCount++
+		assert.Equal(t, "bar", request.Parameter)
+		return nil
+	}
+	objectRequest := `{
+"jsonrpc": "2.0",
+"id": 1,
+"method": "foo",
+"params": { "parameter": "bar" }
+}`
+	requests, err := jrpc2.ParseRequests([]byte(objectRequest))
+	assert.NoError(t, err)
+	assert.Len(t, requests, 1)
+	finalObjectRequest := requests[0].ToRequest()
+
+	// object parameters should work with our handlers
+	customHandler := NewHandler(f)
+	_, err = customHandler(context.Background(), finalObjectRequest)
+	assert.NoError(t, err)
+	assert.Equal(t, 1, callCount)
+
+	arrayRequest := `{
+"jsonrpc": "2.0",
+"id": 1,
+"method": "foo",
+"params": ["bar"]
+}`
+	requests, err = jrpc2.ParseRequests([]byte(arrayRequest))
+	assert.NoError(t, err)
+	assert.Len(t, requests, 1)
+	finalArrayRequest := requests[0].ToRequest()
+
+	// Array requests should work with the normal handler, but not with our handlers
+	stdHandler := handler.New(f)
+	_, err = stdHandler(context.Background(), finalArrayRequest)
+	assert.NoError(t, err)
+	assert.Equal(t, 2, callCount)
+
+	_, err = customHandler(context.Background(), finalArrayRequest)
+	assert.Error(t, err)
+	assert.Contains(t, err.Error(), "invalid parameters")
+}
diff --git a/cmd/soroban-rpc/internal/methods/health.go b/cmd/soroban-rpc/internal/methods/health.go
index ab46d62a..32732fb6 100644
--- a/cmd/soroban-rpc/internal/methods/health.go
+++ b/cmd/soroban-rpc/internal/methods/health.go
@@ -6,7 +6,6 @@ import (
 	"time"
 
 	"github.com/creachadair/jrpc2"
-	"github.com/creachadair/jrpc2/handler"
 
 	"github.com/stellar/soroban-rpc/cmd/soroban-rpc/internal/transactions"
 )
@@ -17,7 +16,7 @@ type HealthCheckResult struct {
 
 // NewHealthCheck returns a health check json rpc handler
 func NewHealthCheck(txStore *transactions.MemoryStore, maxHealthyLedgerLatency time.Duration) jrpc2.Handler {
-	return handler.New(func(ctx context.Context) (HealthCheckResult, error) {
+	return NewHandler(func(ctx context.Context) (HealthCheckResult, error) {
 		ledgerInfo := txStore.GetLatestLedger()
 		if ledgerInfo.Sequence < 1 {
 			return HealthCheckResult{}, jrpc2.Error{
diff --git a/cmd/soroban-rpc/internal/methods/send_transaction.go b/cmd/soroban-rpc/internal/methods/send_transaction.go
index c8404c69..ea033d95 100644
--- a/cmd/soroban-rpc/internal/methods/send_transaction.go
+++ b/cmd/soroban-rpc/internal/methods/send_transaction.go
@@ -5,7 +5,6 @@ import (
 	"encoding/hex"
 
 	"github.com/creachadair/jrpc2"
-	"github.com/creachadair/jrpc2/handler"
 	"github.com/stellar/go/network"
 	proto "github.com/stellar/go/protocols/stellarcore"
 	"github.com/stellar/go/support/log"
@@ -54,7 +53,7 @@ type LatestLedgerStore interface {
 // NewSendTransactionHandler returns a submit transaction json rpc handler
 func NewSendTransactionHandler(daemon interfaces.Daemon, logger *log.Entry, store LatestLedgerStore, passphrase string) jrpc2.Handler {
 	submitter := daemon.CoreClient()
-	return handler.New(func(ctx context.Context, request SendTransactionRequest) (SendTransactionResponse, error) {
+	return NewHandler(func(ctx context.Context, request SendTransactionRequest) (SendTransactionResponse, error) {
 		var envelope xdr.TransactionEnvelope
 		err := xdr.SafeUnmarshalBase64(request.Transaction, &envelope)
 		if err != nil {
diff --git a/cmd/soroban-rpc/internal/methods/simulate_transaction.go b/cmd/soroban-rpc/internal/methods/simulate_transaction.go
index 580a5d2f..c0393603 100644
--- a/cmd/soroban-rpc/internal/methods/simulate_transaction.go
+++ b/cmd/soroban-rpc/internal/methods/simulate_transaction.go
@@ -6,7 +6,6 @@ import (
 	"fmt"
 
 	"github.com/creachadair/jrpc2"
-	"github.com/creachadair/jrpc2/handler"
 	"github.com/stellar/go/support/log"
 	"github.com/stellar/go/xdr"
 
@@ -53,7 +52,7 @@ type PreflightGetter interface {
 // NewSimulateTransactionHandler returns a json rpc handler to run preflight simulations
 func NewSimulateTransactionHandler(logger *log.Entry, ledgerEntryReader db.LedgerEntryReader, ledgerReader db.LedgerReader, getter PreflightGetter) jrpc2.Handler {
 
-	return handler.New(func(ctx context.Context, request SimulateTransactionRequest) SimulateTransactionResponse {
+	return NewHandler(func(ctx context.Context, request SimulateTransactionRequest) SimulateTransactionResponse {
 		var txEnvelope xdr.TransactionEnvelope
 		if err := xdr.SafeUnmarshalBase64(request.Transaction, &txEnvelope); err != nil {
 			logger.WithError(err).WithField("request", request).
diff --git a/go.mod b/go.mod
index b81f67ed..793453c6 100644
--- a/go.mod
+++ b/go.mod
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ toolchain go1.22.1
 require (
 	github.com/Masterminds/squirrel v1.5.4
 	github.com/cenkalti/backoff/v4 v4.2.1
-	github.com/creachadair/jrpc2 v1.1.2
+	github.com/creachadair/jrpc2 v1.2.0
 	github.com/go-chi/chi v4.1.2+incompatible
 	github.com/go-git/go-git/v5 v5.9.0
 	github.com/mattn/go-sqlite3 v1.14.17
@@ -74,7 +74,7 @@ require (
 	github.com/aws/aws-sdk-go v1.45.27 // indirect
 	github.com/beorn7/perks v1.0.1 // indirect
 	github.com/cespare/xxhash/v2 v2.2.0 // indirect
-	github.com/creachadair/mds v0.3.0 // indirect
+	github.com/creachadair/mds v0.13.4 // indirect
 	github.com/davecgh/go-spew v1.1.2-0.20180830191138-d8f796af33cc // indirect
 	github.com/emirpasic/gods v1.18.1 // indirect
 	github.com/fsnotify/fsnotify v1.6.0 // indirect
@@ -109,7 +109,7 @@ require (
 	golang.org/x/crypto v0.16.0 // indirect
 	golang.org/x/exp v0.0.0-20231006140011-7918f672742d // indirect
 	golang.org/x/net v0.19.0 // indirect
-	golang.org/x/sync v0.5.0 // indirect
+	golang.org/x/sync v0.6.0 // indirect
 	golang.org/x/sys v0.16.0 // indirect
 	golang.org/x/text v0.14.0 // indirect
 	google.golang.org/protobuf v1.32.0 // indirect
diff --git a/go.sum b/go.sum
index 4cd67af2..a5083ee2 100644
--- a/go.sum
+++ b/go.sum
@@ -92,10 +92,10 @@ github.com/cncf/udpa/go v0.0.0-20191209042840-269d4d468f6f/go.mod h1:M8M6+tZqaGX
 github.com/cncf/udpa/go v0.0.0-20200629203442-efcf912fb354/go.mod h1:WmhPx2Nbnhtbo57+VJT5O0JRkEi1Wbu0z5j0R8u5Hbk=
 github.com/cncf/udpa/go v0.0.0-20201120205902-5459f2c99403/go.mod h1:WmhPx2Nbnhtbo57+VJT5O0JRkEi1Wbu0z5j0R8u5Hbk=
 github.com/cpuguy83/go-md2man/v2 v2.0.2/go.mod h1:tgQtvFlXSQOSOSIRvRPT7W67SCa46tRHOmNcaadrF8o=
-github.com/creachadair/jrpc2 v1.1.2 h1:UOYMipEFYlwd5qmcvs9GZBurn3oXt1UDIX5JLjWWFzo=
-github.com/creachadair/jrpc2 v1.1.2/go.mod h1:JcCe2Eny3lIvVwZLm92WXyU+tNUgTBWFCLMsfNkjEGk=
-github.com/creachadair/mds v0.3.0 h1:uKbCKVtd3iOKVv3uviOm13fFNfe9qoCXJh1Vo7y3Kr0=
-github.com/creachadair/mds v0.3.0/go.mod h1:4vrFYUzTXMJpMBU+OA292I6IUxKWCCfZkgXg+/kBZMo=
+github.com/creachadair/jrpc2 v1.2.0 h1:SXr0OgnwM0X18P+HccJP0uT3KGSDk/BCSRlJBvE2bMY=
+github.com/creachadair/jrpc2 v1.2.0/go.mod h1:66uKSdr6tR5ZeNvkIjDSbbVUtOv0UhjS/vcd8ECP7Iw=
+github.com/creachadair/mds v0.13.4 h1:RgU0MhiVqkzp6/xtNWhK6Pw7tDeaVuGFtA0UA2RBYvY=
+github.com/creachadair/mds v0.13.4/go.mod h1:4vrFYUzTXMJpMBU+OA292I6IUxKWCCfZkgXg+/kBZMo=
 github.com/cyphar/filepath-securejoin v0.2.4 h1:Ugdm7cg7i6ZK6x3xDF1oEu1nfkyfH53EtKeQYTC3kyg=
 github.com/cyphar/filepath-securejoin v0.2.4/go.mod h1:aPGpWjXOXUn2NCNjFvBE6aRxGGx79pTxQpKOJNYHHl4=
 github.com/davecgh/go-spew v1.1.0/go.mod h1:J7Y8YcW2NihsgmVo/mv3lAwl/skON4iLHjSsI+c5H38=
@@ -543,8 +543,8 @@ golang.org/x/sync v0.0.0-20201020160332-67f06af15bc9/go.mod h1:RxMgew5VJxzue5/jJ
 golang.org/x/sync v0.0.0-20201207232520-09787c993a3a/go.mod h1:RxMgew5VJxzue5/jJTE5uejpjVlOe/izrB70Jof72aM=
 golang.org/x/sync v0.0.0-20220722155255-886fb9371eb4/go.mod h1:RxMgew5VJxzue5/jJTE5uejpjVlOe/izrB70Jof72aM=
 golang.org/x/sync v0.1.0/go.mod h1:RxMgew5VJxzue5/jJTE5uejpjVlOe/izrB70Jof72aM=
-golang.org/x/sync v0.5.0 h1:60k92dhOjHxJkrqnwsfl8KuaHbn/5dl0lUPUklKo3qE=
-golang.org/x/sync v0.5.0/go.mod h1:Czt+wKu1gCyEFDUtn0jG5QVvpJ6rzVqr5aXyt9drQfk=
+golang.org/x/sync v0.6.0 h1:5BMeUDZ7vkXGfEr1x9B4bRcTH4lpkTkpdh0T/J+qjbQ=
+golang.org/x/sync v0.6.0/go.mod h1:Czt+wKu1gCyEFDUtn0jG5QVvpJ6rzVqr5aXyt9drQfk=
 golang.org/x/sys v0.0.0-20180830151530-49385e6e1522/go.mod h1:STP8DvDyc/dI5b8T5hshtkjS+E42TnysNCUPdjciGhY=
 golang.org/x/sys v0.0.0-20190215142949-d0b11bdaac8a/go.mod h1:STP8DvDyc/dI5b8T5hshtkjS+E42TnysNCUPdjciGhY=
 golang.org/x/sys v0.0.0-20190312061237-fead79001313/go.mod h1:h1NjWce9XRLGQEsW7wpKNCjG9DtNlClVuFLEZdDNbEs=