diff --git a/src/init.cpp b/src/init.cpp
--- a/src/init.cpp
+++ b/src/init.cpp
@@ -655,6 +655,9 @@
             "-disablesafemode", strprintf("Disable safemode, override a real "
                                           "safe mode event (default: %d)",
                                           DEFAULT_DISABLE_SAFEMODE));
+        strUsage +=
+            HelpMessageOpt("-deprecatedrpc=<method>",
+                           "Allows deprecated RPC method(s) to be used");
         strUsage += HelpMessageOpt(
             "-testsafemode",
             strprintf("Force safe mode (default: %d)", DEFAULT_TESTSAFEMODE));
diff --git a/src/rpc/mining.cpp b/src/rpc/mining.cpp
--- a/src/rpc/mining.cpp
+++ b/src/rpc/mining.cpp
@@ -798,6 +798,16 @@
             HelpExampleCli("estimatefee", "6"));
     }
 
+    if (!IsDeprecatedRPCEnabled("estimatefee")) {
+        throw JSONRPCError(
+            RPC_METHOD_DEPRECATED,
+            "estimatefee is deprecated and will be fully removed in v0.17. "
+            "To use estimatefee in v0.16, restart bitcoind with "
+            "-deprecatedrpc=estimatefee.\n"
+            "Projects should transition to using estimatesmartfee before "
+            "upgrading to v0.17");
+    }
+
     RPCTypeCheck(request.params, {UniValue::VNUM});
 
     int nBlocks = request.params[0].get_int();
diff --git a/src/rpc/protocol.h b/src/rpc/protocol.h
--- a/src/rpc/protocol.h
+++ b/src/rpc/protocol.h
@@ -67,6 +67,8 @@
     RPC_VERIFY_ALREADY_IN_CHAIN = -27,
     //!< Client still warming up
     RPC_IN_WARMUP = -28,
+    //!< RPC method is deprecated
+    RPC_METHOD_DEPRECATED = -32,
 
     //! Aliases for backward compatibility
     RPC_TRANSACTION_ERROR = RPC_VERIFY_ERROR,
diff --git a/src/rpc/server.h b/src/rpc/server.h
--- a/src/rpc/server.h
+++ b/src/rpc/server.h
@@ -243,6 +243,8 @@
                        const ContextFreeRPCCommand *pcmd);
 };
 
+bool IsDeprecatedRPCEnabled(const std::string &method);
+
 extern CRPCTable tableRPC;
 
 /**
diff --git a/src/rpc/server.cpp b/src/rpc/server.cpp
--- a/src/rpc/server.cpp
+++ b/src/rpc/server.cpp
@@ -405,6 +405,14 @@
     return fRPCInWarmup;
 }
 
+bool IsDeprecatedRPCEnabled(const std::string &method) {
+    const std::vector<std::string> enabled_methods =
+        gArgs.GetArgs("-deprecatedrpc");
+
+    return find(enabled_methods.begin(), enabled_methods.end(), method) !=
+           enabled_methods.end();
+}
+
 static UniValue JSONRPCExecOne(Config &config, RPCServer &rpcServer,
                                JSONRPCRequest jreq, const UniValue &req) {
     UniValue rpc_result(UniValue::VOBJ);
diff --git a/test/functional/deprecated_rpc.py b/test/functional/deprecated_rpc.py
new file mode 100755
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/functional/deprecated_rpc.py
@@ -0,0 +1,26 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env python3
+# Copyright (c) 2017 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 deprecation of RPC calls."""
+from test_framework.test_framework import BitcoinTestFramework
+from test_framework.util import assert_raises_rpc_error
+
+
+class DeprecatedRpcTest(BitcoinTestFramework):
+    def set_test_params(self):
+        self.num_nodes = 2
+        self.setup_clean_chain = True
+        self.extra_args = [[], ["-deprecatedrpc=estimatefee"]]
+
+    def run_test(self):
+        self.log.info("estimatefee: Shows deprecated message")
+        assert_raises_rpc_error(-32, 'estimatefee is deprecated',
+                                self.nodes[0].estimatefee, 1)
+
+        self.log.info("Using -deprecatedrpc=estimatefee bypasses the error")
+        self.nodes[1].estimatefee(1)
+
+
+if __name__ == '__main__':
+    DeprecatedRpcTest().main()
diff --git a/test/functional/timing.json b/test/functional/timing.json
--- a/test/functional/timing.json
+++ b/test/functional/timing.json
@@ -1,23 +1,23 @@
 [
  {
   "name": "abandonconflict.py",
-  "time": 17
+  "time": 14
  },
  {
   "name": "abc-checkdatasig-activation.py",
-  "time": 16
+  "time": 5
  },
  {
   "name": "abc-cmdline.py",
-  "time": 8
+  "time": 9
  },
  {
   "name": "abc-high_priority_transaction.py",
-  "time": 22
+  "time": 11
  },
  {
   "name": "abc-magnetic-anomaly-activation.py",
-  "time": 10
+  "time": 8
  },
  {
   "name": "abc-mempool-accept-txn.py",
@@ -25,59 +25,63 @@
  },
  {
   "name": "abc-p2p-compactblocks.py",
-  "time": 184
+  "time": 165
  },
  {
   "name": "abc-p2p-fullblocktest.py",
-  "time": 65
+  "time": 52
  },
  {
   "name": "abc-replay-protection.py",
-  "time": 5
+  "time": 13
  },
  {
   "name": "abc-rpc.py",
-  "time": 15
+  "time": 4
  },
  {
   "name": "abc-transaction-ordering.py",
-  "time": 9
+  "time": 8
  },
  {
   "name": "assumevalid.py",
-  "time": 13
+  "time": 29
  },
  {
   "name": "bip65-cltv-p2p.py",
-  "time": 5
+  "time": 16
  },
  {
   "name": "bip68-112-113-p2p.py",
-  "time": 21
+  "time": 26
  },
  {
   "name": "bip68-sequence.py",
-  "time": 37
+  "time": 29
  },
  {
   "name": "bipdersig-p2p.py",
-  "time": 5
+  "time": 15
  },
  {
   "name": "bitcoin_cli.py",
-  "time": 14
+  "time": 3
  },
  {
   "name": "blockchain.py",
-  "time": 9
+  "time": 8
  },
  {
   "name": "dbcrash.py",
-  "time": 1161
+  "time": 1320
  },
  {
   "name": "decodescript.py",
-  "time": 15
+  "time": 3
+ },
+ {
+  "name": "deprecated_rpc.py",
+  "time": 3
  },
  {
   "name": "disablewallet.py",
@@ -85,47 +89,47 @@
  },
  {
   "name": "disconnect_ban.py",
-  "time": 10
+  "time": 20
  },
  {
   "name": "example_test.py",
-  "time": 14
+  "time": 4
  },
  {
   "name": "forknotify.py",
-  "time": 20
+  "time": 17
  },
  {
   "name": "fundrawtransaction.py",
-  "time": 50
+  "time": 43
  },
  {
   "name": "getblocktemplate_longpoll.py",
-  "time": 68
+  "time": 73
  },
  {
   "name": "getchaintips.py",
-  "time": 22
+  "time": 6
  },
  {
   "name": "httpbasics.py",
-  "time": 19
+  "time": 16
  },
  {
   "name": "import-rescan.py",
-  "time": 44
+  "time": 18
  },
  {
   "name": "importmulti.py",
-  "time": 24
+  "time": 14
  },
  {
   "name": "importprunedfunds.py",
-  "time": 3
+  "time": 4
  },
  {
   "name": "invalidateblock.py",
-  "time": 8
+  "time": 13
  },
  {
   "name": "invalidblockrequest.py",
@@ -133,71 +137,71 @@
  },
  {
   "name": "invalidtxrequest.py",
-  "time": 3
+  "time": 4
  },
  {
   "name": "keypool-topup.py",
-  "time": 45
+  "time": 31
  },
  {
   "name": "keypool.py",
-  "time": 9
+  "time": 20
  },
  {
   "name": "listsinceblock.py",
-  "time": 4
+  "time": 5
  },
  {
   "name": "listtransactions.py",
-  "time": 8
+  "time": 26
  },
  {
   "name": "maxuploadtarget.py",
-  "time": 49
+  "time": 55
  },
  {
   "name": "mempool_limit.py",
-  "time": 35
+  "time": 22
  },
  {
   "name": "mempool_packages.py",
-  "time": 62
+  "time": 29
  },
  {
   "name": "mempool_persist.py",
-  "time": 26
+  "time": 20
  },
  {
   "name": "mempool_reorg.py",
-  "time": 5
+  "time": 8
  },
  {
   "name": "mempool_resurrect_test.py",
-  "time": 4
+  "time": 30
  },
  {
   "name": "mempool_spendcoinbase.py",
-  "time": 3
+  "time": 16
  },
  {
   "name": "merkle_blocks.py",
-  "time": 4
+  "time": 5
  },
  {
   "name": "minchainwork.py",
-  "time": 16
+  "time": 7
  },
  {
   "name": "mining.py",
-  "time": 4
+  "time": 17
  },
  {
   "name": "multi_rpc.py",
-  "time": 6
+  "time": 5
  },
  {
   "name": "multiwallet.py",
-  "time": 21
+  "time": 8
  },
  {
   "name": "net.py",
@@ -209,23 +213,23 @@
  },
  {
   "name": "p2p-acceptblock.py",
-  "time": 7
+  "time": 15
  },
  {
   "name": "p2p-compactblocks.py",
-  "time": 31
+  "time": 29
  },
  {
   "name": "p2p-feefilter.py",
-  "time": 24
+  "time": 41
  },
  {
   "name": "p2p-fullblocktest.py",
-  "time": 175
+  "time": 182
  },
  {
   "name": "p2p-leaktests.py",
-  "time": 9
+  "time": 8
  },
  {
   "name": "p2p-mempool.py",
@@ -233,47 +237,47 @@
  },
  {
   "name": "p2p-timeouts.py",
-  "time": 66
+  "time": 65
  },
  {
   "name": "preciousblock.py",
-  "time": 5
+  "time": 6
  },
  {
   "name": "prioritise_transaction.py",
-  "time": 9
+  "time": 40
  },
  {
   "name": "proxy_test.py",
-  "time": 4
+  "time": 5
  },
  {
   "name": "pruning.py",
-  "time": 1590
+  "time": 1515
  },
  {
   "name": "rawtransactions.py",
-  "time": 26
+  "time": 14
  },
  {
   "name": "receivedby.py",
-  "time": 24
+  "time": 16
  },
  {
   "name": "reindex.py",
-  "time": 25
+  "time": 14
  },
  {
   "name": "resendwallettransactions.py",
-  "time": 7
+  "time": 5
  },
  {
   "name": "rest.py",
-  "time": 19
+  "time": 22
  },
  {
   "name": "rpcbind_test.py",
-  "time": 27
+  "time": 25
  },
  {
   "name": "rpcnamedargs.py",
@@ -281,11 +285,11 @@
  },
  {
   "name": "sendheaders.py",
-  "time": 30
+  "time": 27
  },
  {
   "name": "signmessages.py",
-  "time": 3
+  "time": 2
  },
  {
   "name": "signrawtransactions.py",
@@ -297,7 +301,7 @@
  },
  {
   "name": "txn_clone.py --mineblock",
-  "time": 17
+  "time": 7
  },
  {
   "name": "txn_doublespend.py",
@@ -309,38 +313,38 @@
  },
  {
   "name": "uptime.py",
-  "time": 2
+  "time": 3
  },
  {
   "name": "wallet-accounts.py",
-  "time": 22
+  "time": 11
  },
  {
   "name": "wallet-dump.py",
-  "time": 7
+  "time": 37
  },
  {
   "name": "wallet-encryption.py",
-  "time": 9
+  "time": 15
  },
  {
   "name": "wallet-hd.py",
-  "time": 85
+  "time": 132
  },
  {
   "name": "wallet.py",
-  "time": 47
+  "time": 57
  },
  {
   "name": "walletbackup.py",
-  "time": 116
+  "time": 154
  },
  {
   "name": "zapwallettxes.py",
-  "time": 34
+  "time": 12
  },
  {
   "name": "zmq_test.py",
-  "time": 5
+  "time": 6
  }
 ]
\ No newline at end of file