diff --git a/src/rpc/mining.cpp b/src/rpc/mining.cpp
--- a/src/rpc/mining.cpp
+++ b/src/rpc/mining.cpp
@@ -281,6 +281,18 @@
                           num_blocks, max_tries);
 }
 
+static UniValue generate(const Config &config, const JSONRPCRequest &request) {
+    const std::string help_str{
+        "generate ( nblocks maxtries ) has been replaced by the -generate cli "
+        "option. Refer to -help for more information."};
+
+    if (request.fHelp) {
+        throw std::runtime_error(help_str);
+    } else {
+        throw JSONRPCError(RPC_METHOD_NOT_FOUND, help_str);
+    }
+}
+
 static UniValue generatetoaddress(const Config &config,
                                   const JSONRPCRequest &request) {
     RPCHelpMan{
@@ -1165,6 +1177,8 @@
         {"generating", "generateblock",         generateblock,         {"output","transactions"}},
 
         {"util",       "estimatefee",           estimatefee,           {}},
+
+        {"hidden",     "generate",              generate,              {}},
     };
     // clang-format on
     for (const auto &c : commands) {
diff --git a/test/functional/rpc_generate.py b/test/functional/rpc_generate.py
new file mode 100755
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/functional/rpc_generate.py
@@ -0,0 +1,38 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env python3
+# Copyright (c) 2020 The Bitcoin Core developers
+# Distributed under the MIT software license, see the accompanying
+# file COPYING or http://www.opensource.org/licenses/mit-license.php.
+"""Test generate RPC."""
+
+from test_framework.test_framework import BitcoinTestFramework
+from test_framework.util import (
+    assert_equal,
+    assert_raises_rpc_error,
+)
+
+
+class RPCGenerateTest(BitcoinTestFramework):
+    def set_test_params(self):
+        self.num_nodes = 1
+
+    def run_test(self):
+        message = (
+            "generate ( nblocks maxtries ) has been replaced by the -generate "
+            "cli option. Refer to -help for more information."
+        )
+
+        self.log.info(
+            "Test rpc generate raises with message to use cli option")
+        assert_raises_rpc_error(-32601, message, self.nodes[0].rpc.generate)
+
+        self.log.info(
+            "Test rpc generate help prints message to use cli option")
+        assert_equal(message, self.nodes[0].help("generate"))
+
+        self.log.info(
+            "Test rpc generate is a hidden command not discoverable in general help")
+        assert message not in self.nodes[0].help()
+
+
+if __name__ == "__main__":
+    RPCGenerateTest().main()
diff --git a/test/functional/test_runner.py b/test/functional/test_runner.py
--- a/test/functional/test_runner.py
+++ b/test/functional/test_runner.py
@@ -771,14 +771,16 @@
         Return a set of currently untested RPC commands.
 
         """
-        # This is shared from `test/functional/test-framework/coverage.py`
+        # This is shared from `test/functional/test_framework/coverage.py`
         reference_filename = 'rpc_interface.txt'
         coverage_file_prefix = 'coverage.'
 
         coverage_ref_filename = os.path.join(self.dir, reference_filename)
         coverage_filenames = set()
         all_cmds = set()
-        covered_cmds = set()
+        # Consider RPC generate covered, because it is overloaded in
+        # test_framework/test_node.py and not seen by the coverage check.
+        covered_cmds = set({'generate'})
 
         if not os.path.isfile(coverage_ref_filename):
             raise RuntimeError("No coverage reference found")