diff --git a/src/wallet/scriptpubkeyman.cpp b/src/wallet/scriptpubkeyman.cpp
index 7218ed11dc..53f7b773b4 100644
--- a/src/wallet/scriptpubkeyman.cpp
+++ b/src/wallet/scriptpubkeyman.cpp
@@ -469,6 +469,12 @@ bool LegacyScriptPubKeyMan::CanGetAddresses(bool internal) const
 bool LegacyScriptPubKeyMan::Upgrade(int prev_version, int new_version, bilingual_str& error)
 {
     LOCK(cs_KeyStore);
+
+    if (m_storage.IsWalletFlagSet(WALLET_FLAG_DISABLE_PRIVATE_KEYS)) {
+        // Nothing to do here if private keys are not enabled
+        return true;
+    }
+
     bool hd_upgrade = false;
     bool split_upgrade = false;
     if (IsFeatureSupported(new_version, FEATURE_HD) && !IsHDEnabled()) {
diff --git a/test/functional/wallet_upgradewallet.py b/test/functional/wallet_upgradewallet.py
index 36e72f2dd9..c452e1eafd 100755
--- a/test/functional/wallet_upgradewallet.py
+++ b/test/functional/wallet_upgradewallet.py
@@ -345,5 +345,16 @@ class UpgradeWalletTest(BitcoinTestFramework):
             desc_wallet = self.nodes[0].get_wallet_rpc("desc_upgrade")
             self.test_upgradewallet(desc_wallet, previous_version=169900, expected_version=169900)
 
+            self.log.info("Checking that descriptor wallets without privkeys do nothing, successfully")
+            self.nodes[0].createwallet(wallet_name="desc_upgrade_nopriv", descriptors=True, disable_private_keys=True)
+            desc_wallet = self.nodes[0].get_wallet_rpc("desc_upgrade_nopriv")
+            self.test_upgradewallet(desc_wallet, previous_version=169900, expected_version=169900)
+
+        if self.is_bdb_compiled():
+            self.log.info("Upgrading a wallet with private keys disabled")
+            self.nodes[0].createwallet(wallet_name="privkeys_disabled_upgrade", disable_private_keys=True, descriptors=False)
+            disabled_wallet = self.nodes[0].get_wallet_rpc("privkeys_disabled_upgrade")
+            self.test_upgradewallet(disabled_wallet, previous_version=169900, expected_version=169900)
+
 if __name__ == '__main__':
     UpgradeWalletTest().main()