diff --git a/sanitizer/_categories.js b/sanitizer/_categories.js
index 7bff93f50..b7fe14180 100644
--- a/sanitizer/_categories.js
+++ b/sanitizer/_categories.js
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ const WARNINGS = {
 };
 
 // validate inputs, convert types and apply defaults
-function _sanitize (raw, clean, validator) {
+function _sanitize (raw, clean, req, validator) {
   validator = validator || allValidValidator;
 
   // error & warning messages
diff --git a/sanitizer/_geonames_deprecation.js b/sanitizer/_geonames_deprecation.js
index 2cdef1d1e..e1e5d59c8 100644
--- a/sanitizer/_geonames_deprecation.js
+++ b/sanitizer/_geonames_deprecation.js
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ const _ = require('lodash');
 
 const coarse_reverse_message ='coarse /reverse does not support geonames. See https://github.com/pelias/pelias/issues/675 for more info';
 
-function _sanitize( raw, clean, opts ) {
+function _sanitize( raw, clean ) {
   // error & warning messages
   const messages = { errors: [], warnings: [] };
 
diff --git a/test/unit/sanitizer/_categories.js b/test/unit/sanitizer/_categories.js
index 8593dd8ee..69533e746 100644
--- a/test/unit/sanitizer/_categories.js
+++ b/test/unit/sanitizer/_categories.js
@@ -89,7 +89,7 @@ module.exports.tests.valid_categories = function(test, common) {
       clean: { }
     };
 
-    var messages = sanitizer.sanitize(req.query, req.clean, validCategories);
+    var messages = sanitizer.sanitize(req.query, req.clean, req, validCategories);
 
     t.deepEqual(req.clean.categories, ['food'], 'categories should contain food');
     t.deepEqual(messages.errors, [], 'no error returned');
@@ -110,7 +110,7 @@ module.exports.tests.valid_categories = function(test, common) {
     };
     var expectedCategories = ['food', 'health'];
 
-    var messages = sanitizer.sanitize(req.query, req.clean, validCategories);
+    var messages = sanitizer.sanitize(req.query, req.clean, req, validCategories);
 
     t.deepEqual(req.clean.categories, expectedCategories,
                 'clean.categories should be an array with proper values');
@@ -145,7 +145,7 @@ module.exports.tests.invalid_categories = function(test, common) {
       ]
     };
 
-    var messages = sanitizer.sanitize(req.query, req.clean, validCategories);
+    var messages = sanitizer.sanitize(req.query, req.clean, req, validCategories);
 
     t.deepEqual(messages, expected_messages, 'error with message returned');
     t.deepEqual(req.clean.categories, [], 'empty categories array should be defined');
@@ -166,7 +166,7 @@ module.exports.tests.invalid_categories = function(test, common) {
       ]
     };
 
-    var messages = sanitizer.sanitize(req.query, req.clean, validCategories);
+    var messages = sanitizer.sanitize(req.query, req.clean, req, validCategories);
 
     t.deepEqual(messages, expected_messages, 'error with message returned');
     t.deepEqual(req.clean.categories, [], 'empty categories array should be defined');