diff --git a/doc/release-notes.md b/doc/release-notes.md
--- a/doc/release-notes.md
+++ b/doc/release-notes.md
@@ -20,6 +20,13 @@
   - Insufficient funds
   - Transaction has too long of a mempool chain
 
+- Exposed transaction version numbers are now treated as unsigned 32-bit integers
+  instead of signed 32-bit integers. This matches their treatment in consensus
+  logic. Versions greater than 2 continue to be non-standard (matching previous
+  behavior of smaller than 1 or greater than 2 being non-standard). Note that
+  this includes the joinpsbt command, which combines partially-signed
+  transactions by selecting the highest version number.
+
 ## Notification changes
 
 `-walletnotify` notifications are now sent for wallet transactions that are
diff --git a/src/core_write.cpp b/src/core_write.cpp
--- a/src/core_write.cpp
+++ b/src/core_write.cpp
@@ -216,7 +216,10 @@
               bool include_hex, int serialize_flags) {
     entry.pushKV("txid", tx.GetId().GetHex());
     entry.pushKV("hash", tx.GetHash().GetHex());
-    entry.pushKV("version", tx.nVersion);
+    // Transaction version is actually unsigned in consensus checks, just
+    // signed in memory, so cast to unsigned before giving it to the user.
+    entry.pushKV("version",
+                 static_cast<int64_t>(static_cast<uint32_t>(tx.nVersion)));
     entry.pushKV("size", (int)::GetSerializeSize(tx, PROTOCOL_VERSION));
     entry.pushKV("locktime", (int64_t)tx.nLockTime);
 
diff --git a/src/rpc/rawtransaction.cpp b/src/rpc/rawtransaction.cpp
--- a/src/rpc/rawtransaction.cpp
+++ b/src/rpc/rawtransaction.cpp
@@ -1934,7 +1934,7 @@
                            "At least two PSBTs are required to join PSBTs.");
     }
 
-    int32_t best_version = 1;
+    uint32_t best_version = 1;
     uint32_t best_locktime = 0xffffffff;
     for (size_t i = 0; i < txs.size(); ++i) {
         PartiallySignedTransaction psbtx;
@@ -1945,8 +1945,8 @@
         }
         psbtxs.push_back(psbtx);
         // Choose the highest version number
-        if (psbtx.tx->nVersion > best_version) {
-            best_version = psbtx.tx->nVersion;
+        if (static_cast<uint32_t>(psbtx.tx->nVersion) > best_version) {
+            best_version = static_cast<uint32_t>(psbtx.tx->nVersion);
         }
         // Choose the lowest lock time
         if (psbtx.tx->nLockTime < best_locktime) {
@@ -1957,7 +1957,7 @@
     // Create a blank psbt where everything will be added
     PartiallySignedTransaction merged_psbt;
     merged_psbt.tx = CMutableTransaction();
-    merged_psbt.tx->nVersion = best_version;
+    merged_psbt.tx->nVersion = static_cast<int32_t>(best_version);
     merged_psbt.tx->nLockTime = best_locktime;
 
     // Merge
diff --git a/test/functional/rpc_rawtransaction.py b/test/functional/rpc_rawtransaction.py
--- a/test/functional/rpc_rawtransaction.py
+++ b/test/functional/rpc_rawtransaction.py
@@ -582,11 +582,13 @@
 
         # Test the minimum transaction version number that fits in a signed
         # 32-bit integer.
+        # As transaction version is unsigned, this should convert to its
+        # unsigned equivalent.
         tx = CTransaction()
         tx.nVersion = -0x80000000
         rawtx = ToHex(tx)
         decrawtx = self.nodes[0].decoderawtransaction(rawtx)
-        assert_equal(decrawtx['version'], -0x80000000)
+        assert_equal(decrawtx['version'], 0x80000000)
 
         # Test the maximum transaction version number that fits in a signed
         # 32-bit integer.