An improved procedure for the aminocarbonylation of benzyl chloride derivatives using carbon monoxide and either primary or secondary amines has been developed. Studying the competing background alkylation reaction allowed the solvent and base to be selected for a simple catalyst screen, which, in turn, enabled the discovery of a method for the preparation of 2-arylacetamides under mild conditions, with minimal side-products using an inexpensive phosphine ligand. This non-traditional optimisation strategy allowed us to overcome the background alkylation, which has been cited as justification for the development of more complex and less atom-economical approaches.