 In this issue of EMBO molecular medicine, Puvanagai et-bac-sars-zero-ol report on a chemical means to convert molecular junk into gold. They identify a chemical inhibitor of a quality control pathway that is best known for its ability to clear cells of rubbish, but that in certain cases can be detrimental because it eliminates useful garbage. The chemical inhibitor identified by Puvanagai et-bac-sars-zero-ol perturbs nonsense mediated RNA-TK, NMD, a RNA surveillance pathway that targets mRNAs harboring premature termination codons, PTCs, for degradation, Kerviston and Jacobson. This article was authored by Ada Schau and Miles F. Wilkinson.