diff --git a/src/init.cpp b/src/init.cpp
index 883f8fcb89a..7ca9c7b570e 100644
--- a/src/init.cpp
+++ b/src/init.cpp
@@ -1259,7 +1259,7 @@ static ChainstateLoadResult InitAndLoadChainstate(
             return f();
         } catch (const std::exception& e) {
             LogError("%s\n", e.what());
-            return std::make_tuple(node::ChainstateLoadStatus::FAILURE, _("Error opening block database"));
+            return std::make_tuple(node::ChainstateLoadStatus::FAILURE, _("Error loading databases"));
         }
     };
     auto [status, error] = catch_exceptions([&] { return LoadChainstate(chainman, cache_sizes, options); });
@@ -1639,7 +1639,7 @@ bool AppInitMain(NodeContext& node, interfaces::BlockAndHeaderTipInfo* tip_info)
     if (status == ChainstateLoadStatus::FAILURE && !do_reindex && !ShutdownRequested(node)) {
         // suggest a reindex
         bool do_retry = uiInterface.ThreadSafeQuestion(
-            error + Untranslated(".\n\n") + _("Do you want to rebuild the block database now?"),
+            error + Untranslated(".\n\n") + _("Do you want to rebuild the databases now?"),
             error.original + ".\nPlease restart with -reindex or -reindex-chainstate to recover.",
             "", CClientUIInterface::MSG_ERROR | CClientUIInterface::BTN_ABORT);
         if (!do_retry) {
diff --git a/src/node/chainstate.cpp b/src/node/chainstate.cpp
index d7e6176be1e..b3b215929a6 100644
--- a/src/node/chainstate.cpp
+++ b/src/node/chainstate.cpp
@@ -41,12 +41,17 @@ static ChainstateLoadResult CompleteChainstateInitialization(
     // new BlockTreeDB tries to delete the existing file, which
     // fails if it's still open from the previous loop. Close it first:
     pblocktree.reset();
-    pblocktree = std::make_unique<BlockTreeDB>(DBParams{
-        .path = chainman.m_options.datadir / "blocks" / "index",
-        .cache_bytes = static_cast<size_t>(cache_sizes.block_tree_db),
-        .memory_only = options.block_tree_db_in_memory,
-        .wipe_data = options.wipe_block_tree_db,
-        .options = chainman.m_options.block_tree_db});
+    try {
+        pblocktree = std::make_unique<BlockTreeDB>(DBParams{
+            .path = chainman.m_options.datadir / "blocks" / "index",
+            .cache_bytes = static_cast<size_t>(cache_sizes.block_tree_db),
+            .memory_only = options.block_tree_db_in_memory,
+            .wipe_data = options.wipe_block_tree_db,
+            .options = chainman.m_options.block_tree_db});
+    } catch (dbwrapper_error& err) {
+        LogError("%s\n", err.what());
+        return {ChainstateLoadStatus::FAILURE, _("Error opening block database")};
+    }
 
     if (options.wipe_block_tree_db) {
         pblocktree->WriteReindexing(true);
@@ -107,10 +112,15 @@ static ChainstateLoadResult CompleteChainstateInitialization(
     for (Chainstate* chainstate : chainman.GetAll()) {
         LogPrintf("Initializing chainstate %s\n", chainstate->ToString());
 
-        chainstate->InitCoinsDB(
-            /*cache_size_bytes=*/chainman.m_total_coinsdb_cache * init_cache_fraction,
-            /*in_memory=*/options.coins_db_in_memory,
-            /*should_wipe=*/options.wipe_chainstate_db);
+        try {
+            chainstate->InitCoinsDB(
+                /*cache_size_bytes=*/chainman.m_total_coinsdb_cache * init_cache_fraction,
+                /*in_memory=*/options.coins_db_in_memory,
+                /*should_wipe=*/options.wipe_chainstate_db);
+        } catch (dbwrapper_error& err) {
+            LogError("%s\n", err.what());
+            return {ChainstateLoadStatus::FAILURE, _("Error opening coins database")};
+        }
 
         if (options.coins_error_cb) {
             chainstate->CoinsErrorCatcher().AddReadErrCallback(options.coins_error_cb);
diff --git a/test/functional/feature_init.py b/test/functional/feature_init.py
index 659d33684e5..a841052efb2 100755
--- a/test/functional/feature_init.py
+++ b/test/functional/feature_init.py
@@ -97,13 +97,13 @@ class InitStressTest(BitcoinTestFramework):
 
         files_to_delete = {
             'blocks/index/*.ldb': 'Error opening block database.',
-            'chainstate/*.ldb': 'Error opening block database.',
+            'chainstate/*.ldb': 'Error opening coins database.',
             'blocks/blk*.dat': 'Error loading block database.',
         }
 
         files_to_perturb = {
             'blocks/index/*.ldb': 'Error loading block database.',
-            'chainstate/*.ldb': 'Error opening block database.',
+            'chainstate/*.ldb': 'Error opening coins database.',
             'blocks/blk*.dat': 'Corrupted block database detected.',
         }