diff --git a/doc/developer-notes.md b/doc/developer-notes.md
index f4a5e2d330..ae7f01cd24 100644
--- a/doc/developer-notes.md
+++ b/doc/developer-notes.md
@@ -385,7 +385,7 @@ Threads
 
 - ThreadScriptCheck : Verifies block scripts.
 
-- ThreadImport : Loads blocks from blk*.dat files or bootstrap.dat.
+- ThreadImport : Loads blocks from `blk*.dat` files or `-loadblock=<file>`.
 
 - StartNode : Starts other threads.
 
diff --git a/doc/release-notes-15954.md b/doc/release-notes-15954.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..f4d2c5688c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/doc/release-notes-15954.md
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+Configuration option changes
+-----------------------------
+
+Importing blocks upon startup via the `bootstrap.dat` file no longer occurs by default. The file must now be specified with `-loadblock=<file>`.
diff --git a/src/init.cpp b/src/init.cpp
index 8c0d599435..7b57247038 100644
--- a/src/init.cpp
+++ b/src/init.cpp
@@ -374,7 +374,7 @@ void SetupServerArgs()
     gArgs.AddArg("-debuglogfile=<file>", strprintf("Specify location of debug log file. Relative paths will be prefixed by a net-specific datadir location. (-nodebuglogfile to disable; default: %s)", DEFAULT_DEBUGLOGFILE), ArgsManager::ALLOW_ANY, OptionsCategory::OPTIONS);
     gArgs.AddArg("-feefilter", strprintf("Tell other nodes to filter invs to us by our mempool min fee (default: %u)", DEFAULT_FEEFILTER), ArgsManager::ALLOW_ANY | ArgsManager::DEBUG_ONLY, OptionsCategory::OPTIONS);
     gArgs.AddArg("-includeconf=<file>", "Specify additional configuration file, relative to the -datadir path (only useable from configuration file, not command line)", ArgsManager::ALLOW_ANY, OptionsCategory::OPTIONS);
-    gArgs.AddArg("-loadblock=<file>", "Imports blocks from external blk000??.dat file on startup", ArgsManager::ALLOW_ANY, OptionsCategory::OPTIONS);
+    gArgs.AddArg("-loadblock=<file>", "Imports blocks from external file on startup", ArgsManager::ALLOW_ANY, OptionsCategory::OPTIONS);
     gArgs.AddArg("-maxmempool=<n>", strprintf("Keep the transaction memory pool below <n> megabytes (default: %u)", DEFAULT_MAX_MEMPOOL_SIZE), ArgsManager::ALLOW_ANY, OptionsCategory::OPTIONS);
     gArgs.AddArg("-maxorphantx=<n>", strprintf("Keep at most <n> unconnectable transactions in memory (default: %u)", DEFAULT_MAX_ORPHAN_TRANSACTIONS), ArgsManager::ALLOW_ANY, OptionsCategory::OPTIONS);
     gArgs.AddArg("-mempoolexpiry=<n>", strprintf("Do not keep transactions in the mempool longer than <n> hours (default: %u)", DEFAULT_MEMPOOL_EXPIRY), ArgsManager::ALLOW_ANY, OptionsCategory::OPTIONS);
@@ -687,20 +687,6 @@ static void ThreadImport(std::vector<fs::path> vImportFiles)
         LoadGenesisBlock(chainparams);
     }
 
-    // hardcoded $DATADIR/bootstrap.dat
-    fs::path pathBootstrap = GetDataDir() / "bootstrap.dat";
-    if (fs::exists(pathBootstrap)) {
-        FILE *file = fsbridge::fopen(pathBootstrap, "rb");
-        if (file) {
-            fs::path pathBootstrapOld = GetDataDir() / "bootstrap.dat.old";
-            LogPrintf("Importing bootstrap.dat...\n");
-            LoadExternalBlockFile(chainparams, file);
-            RenameOver(pathBootstrap, pathBootstrapOld);
-        } else {
-            LogPrintf("Warning: Could not open bootstrap file %s\n", pathBootstrap.string());
-        }
-    }
-
     // -loadblock=
     for (const fs::path& path : vImportFiles) {
         FILE *file = fsbridge::fopen(path, "rb");