diff --git a/src/wallet/bdb.h b/src/wallet/bdb.h
--- a/src/wallet/bdb.h
+++ b/src/wallet/bdb.h
@@ -95,8 +95,7 @@
  */
 class BerkeleyDatabase : public WalletDatabase {
 public:
-    /** Create dummy DB handle */
-    BerkeleyDatabase() : WalletDatabase(), env(nullptr) {}
+    BerkeleyDatabase() = delete;
 
     /** Create DB handle to real database */
     BerkeleyDatabase(std::shared_ptr<BerkeleyEnvironment> envIn,
@@ -183,14 +182,6 @@
     /** Make a BerkeleyBatch connected to this database */
     std::unique_ptr<DatabaseBatch>
     MakeBatch(const char *mode = "r+", bool flush_on_close = true) override;
-
-private:
-    /**
-     * Return whether this database handle is a dummy for testing.
-     * Only to be used at a low level, application should ideally not care
-     * about this.
-     */
-    bool IsDummy() const { return env == nullptr; }
 };
 
 /** RAII class that provides access to a Berkeley database */
diff --git a/src/wallet/bdb.cpp b/src/wallet/bdb.cpp
--- a/src/wallet/bdb.cpp
+++ b/src/wallet/bdb.cpp
@@ -362,10 +362,6 @@
 }
 
 void BerkeleyDatabase::Open(const char *pszMode) {
-    if (IsDummy()) {
-        return;
-    }
-
     bool fCreate = strchr(pszMode, 'c') != nullptr;
     unsigned int nFlags = DB_THREAD;
     if (fCreate) {
@@ -512,9 +508,6 @@
 }
 
 bool BerkeleyDatabase::Rewrite(const char *pszSkip) {
-    if (IsDummy()) {
-        return true;
-    }
     while (true) {
         {
             LOCK(cs_db);
@@ -673,11 +666,6 @@
 }
 
 bool BerkeleyDatabase::PeriodicFlush() {
-    // There's nothing to do for dummy databases. Return true.
-    if (IsDummy()) {
-        return true;
-    }
-
     // Don't flush if we can't acquire the lock.
     TRY_LOCK(cs_db, lockDb);
     if (!lockDb) {
@@ -711,9 +699,6 @@
 }
 
 bool BerkeleyDatabase::Backup(const std::string &strDest) const {
-    if (IsDummy()) {
-        return false;
-    }
     while (true) {
         {
             LOCK(cs_db);
@@ -753,21 +738,15 @@
 }
 
 void BerkeleyDatabase::Flush() {
-    if (!IsDummy()) {
-        env->Flush(false);
-    }
+    env->Flush(false);
 }
 
 void BerkeleyDatabase::Close() {
-    if (!IsDummy()) {
-        env->Flush(true);
-    }
+    env->Flush(true);
 }
 
 void BerkeleyDatabase::ReloadDbEnv() {
-    if (!IsDummy()) {
-        env->ReloadDbEnv();
-    }
+    env->ReloadDbEnv();
 }
 
 bool BerkeleyBatch::StartCursor() {