diff --git a/src/wallet/bdb.h b/src/wallet/bdb.h
--- a/src/wallet/bdb.h
+++ b/src/wallet/bdb.h
@@ -87,6 +87,9 @@
 /** Return whether a BDB wallet database is currently loaded. */
 bool IsBDBWalletLoaded(const fs::path &wallet_path);
 
+/** Check format of database file */
+bool IsBerkeleyBtree(const fs::path &path);
+
 class BerkeleyBatch;
 
 /**
@@ -245,4 +248,12 @@
 
 std::string BerkeleyDatabaseVersion();
 
+//! Check if Berkeley database exists at specified path.
+bool ExistsBerkeleyDatabase(const fs::path &path);
+
+//! Return object giving access to Berkeley database at specified path.
+std::unique_ptr<BerkeleyDatabase>
+MakeBerkeleyDatabase(const fs::path &path, const DatabaseOptions &options,
+                     DatabaseStatus &status, bilingual_str &error);
+
 #endif // BITCOIN_WALLET_BDB_H
diff --git a/src/wallet/bdb.cpp b/src/wallet/bdb.cpp
--- a/src/wallet/bdb.cpp
+++ b/src/wallet/bdb.cpp
@@ -909,3 +909,40 @@
 BerkeleyDatabase::MakeBatch(const char *mode, bool flush_on_close) {
     return std::make_unique<BerkeleyBatch>(*this, mode, flush_on_close);
 }
+
+bool ExistsBerkeleyDatabase(const fs::path &path) {
+    fs::path env_directory;
+    std::string data_filename;
+    SplitWalletPath(path, env_directory, data_filename);
+    return IsBerkeleyBtree(env_directory / data_filename);
+}
+
+std::unique_ptr<BerkeleyDatabase>
+MakeBerkeleyDatabase(const fs::path &path, const DatabaseOptions &options,
+                     DatabaseStatus &status, bilingual_str &error) {
+    std::unique_ptr<BerkeleyDatabase> db;
+    {
+        // Lock env.m_databases until insert in BerkeleyDatabase constructor
+        LOCK(cs_db);
+        std::string data_filename;
+        std::shared_ptr<BerkeleyEnvironment> env =
+            GetWalletEnv(path, data_filename);
+        if (env->m_databases.count(data_filename)) {
+            error = Untranslated(strprintf(
+                "Refusing to load database. Data file '%s' is already loaded.",
+                (env->Directory() / data_filename).string()));
+            status = DatabaseStatus::FAILED_ALREADY_LOADED;
+            return nullptr;
+        }
+        db = std::make_unique<BerkeleyDatabase>(std::move(env),
+                                                std::move(data_filename));
+    }
+
+    if (options.verify && !db->Verify(error)) {
+        status = DatabaseStatus::FAILED_VERIFY;
+        return nullptr;
+    }
+
+    status = DatabaseStatus::SUCCESS;
+    return db;
+}
diff --git a/src/wallet/db.h b/src/wallet/db.h
--- a/src/wallet/db.h
+++ b/src/wallet/db.h
@@ -220,4 +220,29 @@
     }
 };
 
+enum class DatabaseFormat {
+    BERKELEY,
+};
+
+struct DatabaseOptions {
+    bool require_existing = false;
+    bool require_create = false;
+    bool verify = true;
+};
+
+enum class DatabaseStatus {
+    SUCCESS,
+    FAILED_BAD_PATH,
+    FAILED_BAD_FORMAT,
+    FAILED_ALREADY_LOADED,
+    FAILED_ALREADY_EXISTS,
+    FAILED_NOT_FOUND,
+    FAILED_VERIFY,
+};
+
+std::unique_ptr<WalletDatabase> MakeDatabase(const fs::path &path,
+                                             const DatabaseOptions &options,
+                                             DatabaseStatus &status,
+                                             bilingual_str &error);
+
 #endif // BITCOIN_WALLET_DB_H
diff --git a/src/wallet/walletdb.cpp b/src/wallet/walletdb.cpp
--- a/src/wallet/walletdb.cpp
+++ b/src/wallet/walletdb.cpp
@@ -15,6 +15,8 @@
 #include <util/bip32.h>
 #include <util/system.h>
 #include <util/time.h>
+#include <util/translation.h>
+#include <wallet/bdb.h>
 #include <wallet/wallet.h>
 
 #include <atomic>
@@ -1109,6 +1111,53 @@
     return m_batch->TxnAbort();
 }
 
+std::unique_ptr<WalletDatabase> MakeDatabase(const fs::path &path,
+                                             const DatabaseOptions &options,
+                                             DatabaseStatus &status,
+                                             bilingual_str &error) {
+    bool exists;
+    try {
+        exists = fs::symlink_status(path).type() != fs::file_not_found;
+    } catch (const fs::filesystem_error &e) {
+        error = Untranslated(
+            strprintf("Failed to access database path '%s': %s", path.string(),
+                      fsbridge::get_filesystem_error_message(e)));
+        status = DatabaseStatus::FAILED_BAD_PATH;
+        return nullptr;
+    }
+
+    std::optional<DatabaseFormat> format;
+    if (exists) {
+        if (ExistsBerkeleyDatabase(path)) {
+            format = DatabaseFormat::BERKELEY;
+        }
+    } else if (options.require_existing) {
+        error = Untranslated(
+            strprintf("Failed to load database path '%s'. Path does not exist.",
+                      path.string()));
+        status = DatabaseStatus::FAILED_NOT_FOUND;
+        return nullptr;
+    }
+
+    if (!format && options.require_existing) {
+        error = Untranslated(strprintf("Failed to load database path '%s'. "
+                                       "Data is not in recognized format.",
+                                       path.string()));
+        status = DatabaseStatus::FAILED_BAD_FORMAT;
+        return nullptr;
+    }
+
+    if (format && options.require_create) {
+        error = Untranslated(strprintf(
+            "Failed to create database path '%s'. Database already exists.",
+            path.string()));
+        status = DatabaseStatus::FAILED_ALREADY_EXISTS;
+        return nullptr;
+    }
+
+    return MakeBerkeleyDatabase(path, options, status, error);
+}
+
 bool IsWalletLoaded(const fs::path &wallet_path) {
     return IsBDBWalletLoaded(wallet_path);
 }
diff --git a/src/wallet/walletutil.cpp b/src/wallet/walletutil.cpp
--- a/src/wallet/walletutil.cpp
+++ b/src/wallet/walletutil.cpp
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@
     return path;
 }
 
-static bool IsBerkeleyBtree(const fs::path &path) {
+bool IsBerkeleyBtree(const fs::path &path) {
     if (!fs::exists(path)) {
         return false;
     }