diff --git a/src/gridcoin/contract/contract.cpp b/src/gridcoin/contract/contract.cpp
index 262f656c67..fd5a3a07c7 100644
--- a/src/gridcoin/contract/contract.cpp
+++ b/src/gridcoin/contract/contract.cpp
@@ -677,7 +677,7 @@ Contract Contract::Parse(const std::string& message)
 
     return Contract(
         1, // Legacy XML-like string contracts always parse to a v1 contract.
-        Contract::Type::Parse(ExtractXML(message, "<MT>", "</MT>")),
+        Contract::Type::ParseLegacy(ExtractXML(message, "<MT>", "</MT>")),
         Contract::Action::Parse(ExtractXML(message, "<MA>", "</MA>")),
         Contract::Body(ContractPayload::Make<LegacyPayload>(
             ExtractXML(message, "<MK>", "</MK>"),
@@ -744,6 +744,22 @@ Contract::Type::Type(ContractType type) : EnumByte(type)
 {
 }
 
+Contract::Type Contract::Type::ParseLegacy(std::string input)
+{
+    // For parsing historical contracts. Do not add new contract types
+    // to this function. Add to Contract::Type::Parse instead.
+
+    // Ordered by frequency:
+    if (input == "beacon")         return ContractType::BEACON;
+    if (input == "vote")           return ContractType::VOTE;
+    if (input == "poll")           return ContractType::POLL;
+    if (input == "project")        return ContractType::PROJECT;
+    if (input == "scraper")        return ContractType::SCRAPER;
+    if (input == "protocol")       return ContractType::PROTOCOL;
+
+    return ContractType::UNKNOWN;
+}
+
 Contract::Type Contract::Type::Parse(std::string input)
 {
     // Ordered by frequency:
diff --git a/src/gridcoin/contract/contract.h b/src/gridcoin/contract/contract.h
index d75c704ec9..bc89e4efd6 100644
--- a/src/gridcoin/contract/contract.h
+++ b/src/gridcoin/contract/contract.h
@@ -67,6 +67,17 @@ class Contract
 
         //!
         //! \brief Parse a \c ContractType value from its legacy string
+        //! representation. Use the Parse method instead for new code.
+        //!
+        //! \param input String representation of a contract type.
+        //!
+        //! \return A value enumerated on \c ContractType. Returns the value of
+        //! \c ContractType::UNKNOWN for an unrecognized contract type.
+        //!
+        static Type ParseLegacy(std::string input);
+
+        //!
+        //! \brief Parse a \c ContractType value from its string
         //! representation.
         //!
         //! \param input String representation of a contract type.
diff --git a/src/test/gridcoin/contract_tests.cpp b/src/test/gridcoin/contract_tests.cpp
index 358c6955f1..8a712fcb1d 100644
--- a/src/test/gridcoin/contract_tests.cpp
+++ b/src/test/gridcoin/contract_tests.cpp
@@ -219,15 +219,32 @@ BOOST_AUTO_TEST_CASE(it_initializes_to_a_provided_type)
 BOOST_AUTO_TEST_CASE(it_parses_a_contract_type_from_a_string)
 {
     GRC::Contract::Type type = GRC::Contract::Type::Parse("beacon");
+    GRC::Contract::Type type2 = GRC::Contract::Type::ParseLegacy("beacon");
 
     BOOST_CHECK(type == GRC::ContractType::BEACON);
+    BOOST_CHECK(type2 == GRC::ContractType::BEACON);
 }
 
 BOOST_AUTO_TEST_CASE(it_parses_unknown_contract_types_to_unknown)
 {
     GRC::Contract::Type type = GRC::Contract::Type::Parse("something");
+    GRC::Contract::Type type2 = GRC::Contract::Type::ParseLegacy("something");
 
     BOOST_CHECK(type == GRC::ContractType::UNKNOWN);
+    BOOST_CHECK(type2 == GRC::ContractType::UNKNOWN);
+}
+
+BOOST_AUTO_TEST_CASE(it_doesnt_parse_unintended_contract_types)
+{
+    GRC::Contract::Type unk = GRC::Contract::Type::ParseLegacy("claim");
+    GRC::Contract::Type unk2 = GRC::Contract::Type::ParseLegacy("message");
+    GRC::Contract::Type type = GRC::Contract::Type::Parse("claim");
+    GRC::Contract::Type type2 = GRC::Contract::Type::Parse("message");
+ 
+    BOOST_CHECK(unk == GRC::ContractType::UNKNOWN);
+    BOOST_CHECK(unk2 == GRC::ContractType::UNKNOWN);
+    BOOST_CHECK(type == GRC::ContractType::CLAIM);
+    BOOST_CHECK(type2 == GRC::ContractType::MESSAGE);
 }
 
 BOOST_AUTO_TEST_CASE(it_provides_the_wrapped_contract_type_enum_value)