diff --git a/src/wallet/wallet.cpp b/src/wallet/wallet.cpp
index 597d108aef2..61d06862289 100644
--- a/src/wallet/wallet.cpp
+++ b/src/wallet/wallet.cpp
@@ -719,6 +719,11 @@ bool CWallet::EncryptWallet(const SecureString& strWalletPassphrase)
         // bits of the unencrypted private key in slack space in the database file.
         database->Rewrite();
 
+        // BDB seems to have a bad habit of writing old data into
+        // slack space in .dat files; that is bad if the old data is
+        // unencrypted private keys. So:
+        database->ReloadDbEnv();
+
     }
     NotifyStatusChanged(this);