diff --git a/lib/app/utils.js b/lib/app/utils.js
index db83060cb0..ddaebb244f 100644
--- a/lib/app/utils.js
+++ b/lib/app/utils.js
@@ -61,7 +61,7 @@ export function getContext (context, app) {
     app: app,
     <%= (store ? 'store: context.store,' : '') %>
     route: (context.to ? context.to : context.route),
-    routePayload : context.routePayload,
+    generatePayload : context.generatePayload,
     error: context.error,
     base: '<%= router.base %>',
     env: <%= JSON.stringify(env) %>
diff --git a/lib/generate.js b/lib/generate.js
index 99aa717aee..aab432a869 100644
--- a/lib/generate.js
+++ b/lib/generate.js
@@ -81,11 +81,13 @@ export default async function () {
   }
   function decorateWithPayloads (routes) {
     let routeMap = _(routes).map((route) => {
-      return [route, {route, routePayload: {}}]
+      return [route, {route, payload: {}}]
     }).fromPairs().value()
-    generateRoutes.forEach(({route, routePayload}) => {
+    generateRoutes.forEach((route) => {
+      // route argument is either a string or like {route : "/my_route/1"}
+      route = _.isString(route) ? route : route.route
       if (!routeMap[route]) {
-        routeMap[route] = {route, routePayload}
+        routeMap[route] = {route, payload: route.payload}
       }
     })
     return _.values(routeMap)
@@ -97,11 +99,11 @@ export default async function () {
 
   while (routes.length) {
     let n = 0
-    await Promise.all(routes.splice(0, 500).map(async ({route, routePayload}) => {
+    await Promise.all(routes.splice(0, 500).map(async ({route, payload}) => {
       await waitFor(n++ * this.options.generate.interval)
       let html
       try {
-        const res = await this.renderRoute(route, { _generate: true, routePayload })
+        const res = await this.renderRoute(route, { _generate: true, generatePayload: payload })
         html = res.html
         if (res.error) {
           errors.push({ type: 'handled', route, error: res.error })
diff --git a/test/fixtures/basic/nuxt.config.js b/test/fixtures/basic/nuxt.config.js
index 1ba6f25737..d6ba223b68 100644
--- a/test/fixtures/basic/nuxt.config.js
+++ b/test/fixtures/basic/nuxt.config.js
@@ -1,9 +1,9 @@
 module.exports = {
   generate: {
     routes: [
-      {route: '/users/1'},
-      {route: '/users/2'},
-      {route: '/users/3'}
+      '/users/1',
+      '/users/2',
+      '/users/3'
     ],
     interval: 200
   }