diff --git a/src/wallet/wallet.h b/src/wallet/wallet.h
--- a/src/wallet/wallet.h
+++ b/src/wallet/wallet.h
@@ -69,7 +69,7 @@
            std::vector<bilingual_str> &warnings);
 std::shared_ptr<CWallet>
 CreateWallet(interfaces::Chain &chain, const std::string &name,
-             std::optional<bool> load_on_start, const DatabaseOptions &options,
+             std::optional<bool> load_on_start, DatabaseOptions &options,
              DatabaseStatus &status, bilingual_str &error,
              std::vector<bilingual_str> &warnings);
 std::unique_ptr<interfaces::Handler> HandleLoadWallet(LoadWalletFn load_wallet);
diff --git a/src/wallet/wallet.cpp b/src/wallet/wallet.cpp
--- a/src/wallet/wallet.cpp
+++ b/src/wallet/wallet.cpp
@@ -279,12 +279,16 @@
 
 std::shared_ptr<CWallet>
 CreateWallet(interfaces::Chain &chain, const std::string &name,
-             std::optional<bool> load_on_start, const DatabaseOptions &options,
+             std::optional<bool> load_on_start, DatabaseOptions &options,
              DatabaseStatus &status, bilingual_str &error,
              std::vector<bilingual_str> &warnings) {
     uint64_t wallet_creation_flags = options.create_flags;
     const SecureString &passphrase = options.create_passphrase;
 
+    if (wallet_creation_flags & WALLET_FLAG_DESCRIPTORS) {
+        options.require_format = DatabaseFormat::SQLITE;
+    }
+
     // Indicate that the wallet is actually supposed to be blank and not just
     // blank to make it encrypted
     bool create_blank = (wallet_creation_flags & WALLET_FLAG_BLANK_WALLET);
diff --git a/src/wallet/walletutil.cpp b/src/wallet/walletutil.cpp
--- a/src/wallet/walletutil.cpp
+++ b/src/wallet/walletutil.cpp
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@
 #include <util/system.h>
 
 bool ExistsBerkeleyDatabase(const fs::path &path);
+bool ExistsSQLiteDatabase(const fs::path &path);
 
 fs::path GetWalletDir() {
     fs::path path;
@@ -51,7 +52,8 @@
         const fs::path path = it->path().string().substr(offset);
 
         if (it->status().type() == fs::directory_file &&
-            ExistsBerkeleyDatabase(it->path())) {
+            (ExistsBerkeleyDatabase(it->path()) ||
+             ExistsSQLiteDatabase(it->path()))) {
             // Found a directory which contains wallet.dat btree file, add it as
             // a wallet.
             paths.emplace_back(path);
diff --git a/test/functional/tool_wallet.py b/test/functional/tool_wallet.py
--- a/test/functional/tool_wallet.py
+++ b/test/functional/tool_wallet.py
@@ -86,8 +86,14 @@
             'Error parsing command line arguments: Invalid parameter -foo', '-foo')
         locked_dir = os.path.join(self.options.tmpdir, "node0", "regtest",
                                   "wallets")
+        error = f'Error initializing wallet database environment "{locked_dir}"!'
+        if self.options.descriptors:
+            error = (
+                "SQLiteDatabase: Unable to obtain an exclusive lock on the "
+                "database, is it being used by another bitcoind?"
+            )
         self.assert_raises_tool_error(
-            f'Error initializing wallet database environment "{locked_dir}"!',
+            error,
             '-wallet=' + self.default_wallet_name,
             'info',
         )
diff --git a/test/functional/wallet_descriptor.py b/test/functional/wallet_descriptor.py
--- a/test/functional/wallet_descriptor.py
+++ b/test/functional/wallet_descriptor.py
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@
         # A descriptor wallet should have 100 addresses = 100 keys
         self.log.info("Checking wallet info")
         wallet_info = self.nodes[0].getwalletinfo()
-        assert_equal(wallet_info['format'], 'bdb')
+        assert_equal(wallet_info['format'], 'sqlite')
         assert_equal(wallet_info['keypoolsize'], 100)
         assert_equal(wallet_info['keypoolsize_hd_internal'], 100)
         assert 'keypoololdest' not in wallet_info