diff --git a/src/wallet/wallet.h b/src/wallet/wallet.h
--- a/src/wallet/wallet.h
+++ b/src/wallet/wallet.h
@@ -370,12 +370,12 @@
     int vout;
 };
 
-/** A transaction with a merkle branch linking it to the block chain. */
+/** Legacy class used for deserializing vtxPrev for backwards compatibility.
+ * vtxPrev was removed in commit 93a18a3650292afbb441a47d1fa1b94aeb0164e3,
+ * but old wallet.dat files may still contain vtxPrev vectors of CMerkleTxs.
+ * These need to get deserialized for field alignment when deserializing
+ * a CWalletTx, but the deserialized values are discarded.**/
 class CMerkleTx {
-private:
-    /** Constant used in hashBlock to indicate tx has been abandoned */
-    static const BlockHash ABANDON_HASH;
-
 public:
     CTransactionRef tx;
     BlockHash hashBlock;
@@ -416,35 +416,6 @@
         READWRITE(vMerkleBranch);
         READWRITE(nIndex);
     }
-
-    void SetMerkleBranch(const BlockHash &block_hash, int posInBlock);
-
-    /**
-     * Return depth of transaction in blockchain:
-     * <0  : conflicts with a transaction this deep in the blockchain
-     *  0  : in memory pool, waiting to be included in a block
-     * >=1 : this many blocks deep in the main chain
-     */
-    int GetDepthInMainChain(interfaces::Chain::Lock &locked_chain) const;
-    bool IsInMainChain(interfaces::Chain::Lock &locked_chain) const {
-        return GetDepthInMainChain(locked_chain) > 0;
-    }
-
-    /**
-     * @return number of blocks to maturity for this transaction:
-     *  0 : is not a coinbase transaction, or is a mature coinbase transaction
-     * >0 : is a coinbase transaction which matures in this many blocks
-     */
-    int GetBlocksToMaturity(interfaces::Chain::Lock &locked_chain) const;
-    bool hashUnset() const {
-        return (hashBlock.IsNull() || hashBlock == ABANDON_HASH);
-    }
-    bool isAbandoned() const { return (hashBlock == ABANDON_HASH); }
-    void setAbandoned() { hashBlock = ABANDON_HASH; }
-
-    TxId GetId() const { return tx->GetId(); }
-    bool IsCoinBase() const { return tx->IsCoinBase(); }
-    bool IsImmatureCoinBase(interfaces::Chain::Lock &locked_chain) const;
 };
 
 // Get the marginal bytes of spending the specified output
@@ -460,6 +431,9 @@
 private:
     const CWallet *pwallet;
 
+    /** Constant used in hashBlock to indicate tx has been abandoned */
+    static const BlockHash ABANDON_HASH;
+
 public:
     /**
      * Key/value map with information about the transaction.
@@ -650,6 +624,35 @@
     // that we still have the runtime check "AssertLockHeld(pwallet->cs_wallet)"
     // in place.
     std::set<TxId> GetConflicts() const NO_THREAD_SAFETY_ANALYSIS;
+
+    void SetMerkleBranch(const BlockHash &block_hash, int posInBlock);
+
+    /**
+     * Return depth of transaction in blockchain:
+     * <0  : conflicts with a transaction this deep in the blockchain
+     *  0  : in memory pool, waiting to be included in a block
+     * >=1 : this many blocks deep in the main chain
+     */
+    int GetDepthInMainChain(interfaces::Chain::Lock &locked_chain) const;
+    bool IsInMainChain(interfaces::Chain::Lock &locked_chain) const {
+        return GetDepthInMainChain(locked_chain) > 0;
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * @return number of blocks to maturity for this transaction:
+     *  0 : is not a coinbase transaction, or is a mature coinbase transaction
+     * >0 : is a coinbase transaction which matures in this many blocks
+     */
+    int GetBlocksToMaturity(interfaces::Chain::Lock &locked_chain) const;
+    bool hashUnset() const {
+        return (hashBlock.IsNull() || hashBlock == ABANDON_HASH);
+    }
+    bool isAbandoned() const { return (hashBlock == ABANDON_HASH); }
+    void setAbandoned() { hashBlock = ABANDON_HASH; }
+
+    TxId GetId() const { return tx->GetId(); }
+    bool IsCoinBase() const { return tx->IsCoinBase(); }
+    bool IsImmatureCoinBase(interfaces::Chain::Lock &locked_chain) const;
 };
 
 class COutput {
diff --git a/src/wallet/wallet.cpp b/src/wallet/wallet.cpp
--- a/src/wallet/wallet.cpp
+++ b/src/wallet/wallet.cpp
@@ -240,7 +240,7 @@
 
 const uint32_t BIP32_HARDENED_KEY_LIMIT = 0x80000000;
 
-const BlockHash CMerkleTx::ABANDON_HASH(uint256S(
+const BlockHash CWalletTx::ABANDON_HASH(uint256S(
     "0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000001"));
 
 /** @defgroup mapWallet
@@ -5128,7 +5128,7 @@
     m_pre_split = false;
 }
 
-void CMerkleTx::SetMerkleBranch(const BlockHash &block_hash, int posInBlock) {
+void CWalletTx::SetMerkleBranch(const BlockHash &block_hash, int posInBlock) {
     // Update the tx's hashBlock
     hashBlock = block_hash;
 
@@ -5136,7 +5136,7 @@
     nIndex = posInBlock;
 }
 
-int CMerkleTx::GetDepthInMainChain(
+int CWalletTx::GetDepthInMainChain(
     interfaces::Chain::Lock &locked_chain) const {
     if (hashUnset()) {
         return 0;
@@ -5145,7 +5145,7 @@
     return locked_chain.getBlockDepth(hashBlock) * (nIndex == -1 ? -1 : 1);
 }
 
-int CMerkleTx::GetBlocksToMaturity(
+int CWalletTx::GetBlocksToMaturity(
     interfaces::Chain::Lock &locked_chain) const {
     if (!IsCoinBase()) {
         return 0;
@@ -5157,7 +5157,7 @@
     return std::max(0, (COINBASE_MATURITY + 1) - chain_depth);
 }
 
-bool CMerkleTx::IsImmatureCoinBase(
+bool CWalletTx::IsImmatureCoinBase(
     interfaces::Chain::Lock &locked_chain) const {
     // note GetBlocksToMaturity is 0 for non-coinbase tx
     return GetBlocksToMaturity(locked_chain) > 0;