diff --git a/src/wallet/bdb.h b/src/wallet/bdb.h
--- a/src/wallet/bdb.h
+++ b/src/wallet/bdb.h
@@ -106,12 +106,8 @@
 
     ~BerkeleyDatabase() override;
 
-    /**
-     * Open the database if it is not already opened.
-     * Dummy function, doesn't do anything right now, but is needed for class
-     * abstraction
-     */
-    void Open(const char *mode) override;
+    /** Open the database if it is not already opened. */
+    void Open() override;
 
     /**
      * Rewrite the entire database on disk, with the exception of key pszSkip if
@@ -183,7 +179,7 @@
 
     /** Make a BerkeleyBatch connected to this database */
     std::unique_ptr<DatabaseBatch>
-    MakeBatch(const char *mode = "r+", bool flush_on_close = true) override;
+    MakeBatch(bool flush_on_close = true) override;
 };
 
 /** RAII class that provides access to a Berkeley database */
@@ -225,8 +221,7 @@
     BerkeleyDatabase &m_database;
 
 public:
-    explicit BerkeleyBatch(BerkeleyDatabase &database,
-                           const char *pszMode = "r+",
+    explicit BerkeleyBatch(BerkeleyDatabase &database, const bool fReadOnly,
                            bool fFlushOnCloseIn = true);
     ~BerkeleyBatch() override;
 
diff --git a/src/wallet/bdb.cpp b/src/wallet/bdb.cpp
--- a/src/wallet/bdb.cpp
+++ b/src/wallet/bdb.cpp
@@ -325,19 +325,18 @@
     }
 }
 
-BerkeleyBatch::BerkeleyBatch(BerkeleyDatabase &database, const char *pszMode,
+BerkeleyBatch::BerkeleyBatch(BerkeleyDatabase &database, const bool read_only,
                              bool fFlushOnCloseIn)
     : pdb(nullptr), activeTxn(nullptr), m_cursor(nullptr),
       m_database(database) {
     database.AddRef();
-    database.Open(pszMode);
-    fReadOnly = (!strchr(pszMode, '+') && !strchr(pszMode, 'w'));
+    database.Open();
+    fReadOnly = read_only;
     fFlushOnClose = fFlushOnCloseIn;
     env = database.env.get();
     pdb = database.m_db.get();
     strFile = database.strFile;
-    bool fCreate = strchr(pszMode, 'c') != nullptr;
-    if (fCreate && !Exists(std::string("version"))) {
+    if (!Exists(std::string("version"))) {
         bool fTmp = fReadOnly;
         fReadOnly = false;
         Write(std::string("version"), CLIENT_VERSION);
@@ -345,12 +344,8 @@
     }
 }
 
-void BerkeleyDatabase::Open(const char *pszMode) {
-    bool fCreate = strchr(pszMode, 'c') != nullptr;
-    unsigned int nFlags = DB_THREAD;
-    if (fCreate) {
-        nFlags |= DB_CREATE;
-    }
+void BerkeleyDatabase::Open() {
+    unsigned int nFlags = DB_THREAD | DB_CREATE;
 
     {
         LOCK(cs_db);
@@ -504,7 +499,7 @@
                 LogPrintf("BerkeleyBatch::Rewrite: Rewriting %s...\n", strFile);
                 std::string strFileRes = strFile + ".rewrite";
                 { // surround usage of db with extra {}
-                    BerkeleyBatch db(*this, "r");
+                    BerkeleyBatch db(*this, true);
                     std::unique_ptr<Db> pdbCopy =
                         std::make_unique<Db>(env->dbenv.get(), 0);
 
@@ -890,8 +885,8 @@
 }
 
 std::unique_ptr<DatabaseBatch>
-BerkeleyDatabase::MakeBatch(const char *mode, bool flush_on_close) {
-    return std::make_unique<BerkeleyBatch>(*this, mode, flush_on_close);
+BerkeleyDatabase::MakeBatch(bool flush_on_close) {
+    return std::make_unique<BerkeleyBatch>(*this, false, flush_on_close);
 }
 
 bool ExistsBerkeleyDatabase(const fs::path &path) {
diff --git a/src/wallet/db.h b/src/wallet/db.h
--- a/src/wallet/db.h
+++ b/src/wallet/db.h
@@ -106,7 +106,7 @@
     virtual ~WalletDatabase(){};
 
     /** Open the database if it is not already opened. */
-    virtual void Open(const char *mode) = 0;
+    virtual void Open() = 0;
 
     //! Counts the number of active database users to be sure that the database
     //! is not closed while someone is using it
@@ -160,7 +160,7 @@
 
     /** Make a DatabaseBatch connected to this database */
     virtual std::unique_ptr<DatabaseBatch>
-    MakeBatch(const char *mode = "r+", bool flush_on_close = true) = 0;
+    MakeBatch(bool flush_on_close = true) = 0;
 };
 
 /** RAII class that provides access to a DummyDatabase. Never fails. */
@@ -197,7 +197,7 @@
  */
 class DummyDatabase : public WalletDatabase {
 public:
-    void Open(const char *mode) override{};
+    void Open() override{};
     void AddRef() override {}
     void RemoveRef() override {}
     bool Rewrite(const char *pszSkip = nullptr) override { return true; }
@@ -209,7 +209,7 @@
     void ReloadDbEnv() override {}
     std::string Filename() override { return "dummy"; }
     std::unique_ptr<DatabaseBatch>
-    MakeBatch(const char *mode = "r+", bool flush_on_close = true) override {
+    MakeBatch(bool flush_on_close = true) override {
         return std::make_unique<DummyBatch>();
     }
 };
diff --git a/src/wallet/test/walletdb_tests.cpp b/src/wallet/test/walletdb_tests.cpp
--- a/src/wallet/test/walletdb_tests.cpp
+++ b/src/wallet/test/walletdb_tests.cpp
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@
 BOOST_FIXTURE_TEST_SUITE(walletdb_tests, WalletTestingSetup)
 
 BOOST_AUTO_TEST_CASE(write_erase_name) {
-    WalletBatch batch(m_wallet.GetDBHandle(), "cr+");
+    WalletBatch batch(m_wallet.GetDBHandle());
 
     CTxDestination dst1 = PKHash(uint160S("c0ffee"));
     CTxDestination dst2 = PKHash(uint160S("f00d"));
@@ -57,7 +57,7 @@
 }
 
 BOOST_AUTO_TEST_CASE(write_erase_purpose) {
-    WalletBatch batch(m_wallet.GetDBHandle(), "cr+");
+    WalletBatch batch(m_wallet.GetDBHandle());
 
     CTxDestination dst1 = PKHash(uint160S("c0ffee"));
     CTxDestination dst2 = PKHash(uint160S("f00d"));
@@ -83,7 +83,7 @@
 }
 
 BOOST_AUTO_TEST_CASE(write_erase_destdata) {
-    WalletBatch batch(m_wallet.GetDBHandle(), "cr+");
+    WalletBatch batch(m_wallet.GetDBHandle());
 
     CTxDestination dst1 = PKHash(uint160S("c0ffee"));
     CTxDestination dst2 = PKHash(uint160S("f00d"));
diff --git a/src/wallet/wallet.cpp b/src/wallet/wallet.cpp
--- a/src/wallet/wallet.cpp
+++ b/src/wallet/wallet.cpp
@@ -956,7 +956,7 @@
                                 bool fFlushOnClose) {
     LOCK(cs_wallet);
 
-    WalletBatch batch(*database, "r+", fFlushOnClose);
+    WalletBatch batch(*database, fFlushOnClose);
 
     const TxId &txid = tx->GetId();
 
@@ -1167,7 +1167,7 @@
 bool CWallet::AbandonTransaction(const TxId &txid) {
     LOCK(cs_wallet);
 
-    WalletBatch batch(*database, "r+");
+    WalletBatch batch(*database);
 
     std::set<TxId> todo;
     std::set<TxId> done;
@@ -1238,7 +1238,7 @@
     }
 
     // Do not flush the wallet here for performance reasons.
-    WalletBatch batch(*database, "r+", false);
+    WalletBatch batch(*database, false);
 
     std::set<TxId> todo;
     std::set<TxId> done;
@@ -3577,7 +3577,7 @@
     LOCK(cs_wallet);
 
     fFirstRunRet = false;
-    DBErrors nLoadWalletRet = WalletBatch(*database, "cr+").LoadWallet(this);
+    DBErrors nLoadWalletRet = WalletBatch(*database).LoadWallet(this);
     if (nLoadWalletRet == DBErrors::NEED_REWRITE) {
         if (database->Rewrite("\x04pool")) {
             for (const auto &spk_man_pair : m_spk_managers) {
@@ -3607,7 +3607,7 @@
                               std::vector<TxId> &txIdsOut) {
     AssertLockHeld(cs_wallet);
     DBErrors nZapSelectTxRet =
-        WalletBatch(*database, "cr+").ZapSelectTx(txIdsIn, txIdsOut);
+        WalletBatch(*database).ZapSelectTx(txIdsIn, txIdsOut);
     for (const TxId &txid : txIdsOut) {
         const auto &it = mapWallet.find(txid);
         wtxOrdered.erase(it->second.m_it_wtxOrdered);
diff --git a/src/wallet/walletdb.h b/src/wallet/walletdb.h
--- a/src/wallet/walletdb.h
+++ b/src/wallet/walletdb.h
@@ -199,10 +199,8 @@
     }
 
 public:
-    explicit WalletBatch(WalletDatabase &database, const char *pszMode = "r+",
-                         bool _fFlushOnClose = true)
-        : m_batch(database.MakeBatch(pszMode, _fFlushOnClose)),
-          m_database(database) {}
+    explicit WalletBatch(WalletDatabase &database, bool _fFlushOnClose = true)
+        : m_batch(database.MakeBatch(_fFlushOnClose)), m_database(database) {}
     WalletBatch(const WalletBatch &) = delete;
     WalletBatch &operator=(const WalletBatch &) = delete;