diff --git a/src/wallet/rpcwallet.cpp b/src/wallet/rpcwallet.cpp
--- a/src/wallet/rpcwallet.cpp
+++ b/src/wallet/rpcwallet.cpp
@@ -3385,6 +3385,15 @@
     if (fs::symlink_status(wallet_path).type() == fs::file_not_found) {
         throw JSONRPCError(RPC_WALLET_NOT_FOUND,
                            "Wallet " + wallet_file + " not found.");
+    } else if (fs::is_directory(wallet_path)) {
+        // The given filename is a directory. Check that there's a wallet.dat
+        // file.
+        fs::path wallet_dat_file = wallet_path / "wallet.dat";
+        if (fs::symlink_status(wallet_dat_file).type() == fs::file_not_found) {
+            throw JSONRPCError(RPC_WALLET_NOT_FOUND,
+                               "Directory " + wallet_file +
+                                   " does not contain a wallet.dat file.");
+        }
     }
 
     std::string warning;
diff --git a/test/functional/wallet_multiwallet.py b/test/functional/wallet_multiwallet.py
--- a/test/functional/wallet_multiwallet.py
+++ b/test/functional/wallet_multiwallet.py
@@ -222,6 +222,11 @@
         assert_raises_rpc_error(-4, "Wallet file verification failed: Invalid -wallet path 'w8_symlink'",
                                 self.nodes[0].loadwallet, 'w8_symlink')
 
+        # Fail to load if a directory is specified that doesn't contain a wallet
+        os.mkdir(wallet_dir('empty_wallet_dir'))
+        assert_raises_rpc_error(-18, "Directory empty_wallet_dir does not contain a wallet.dat file",
+                                self.nodes[0].loadwallet, 'empty_wallet_dir')
+
         self.log.info("Test dynamic wallet creation.")
 
         # Fail to create a wallet if it already exists.