diff --git a/src/wallet/rpcwallet.cpp b/src/wallet/rpcwallet.cpp
index 8f0f3343754a..63f388f5746f 100644
--- a/src/wallet/rpcwallet.cpp
+++ b/src/wallet/rpcwallet.cpp
@@ -2916,6 +2916,12 @@ UniValue loadwallet(const JSONRPCRequest& request)
     fs::path wallet_path = fs::absolute(wallet_file, GetWalletDir());
     if (fs::symlink_status(wallet_path).type() == fs::file_not_found) {
         throw JSONRPCError(RPC_WALLET_NOT_FOUND, "Wallet " + wallet_file + " not found.");
+    } else if (fs::is_directory(wallet_path)) {
+        // The given filename is a directory. Check that there's a wallet.dat file.
+        fs::path wallet_dat_file = wallet_path / "wallet.dat";
+        if (fs::symlink_status(wallet_dat_file).type() == fs::file_not_found) {
+            throw JSONRPCError(RPC_WALLET_NOT_FOUND, "Directory " + wallet_file + " does not contain a wallet.dat file.");
+        }
     }
 
     std::string warning;
diff --git a/test/functional/multiwallet.py b/test/functional/multiwallet.py
index 9d79e0249140..e4d7bde6bc52 100755
--- a/test/functional/multiwallet.py
+++ b/test/functional/multiwallet.py
@@ -184,5 +184,9 @@ def run_test(self):
         # Fail to load if wallet file is a symlink
         assert_raises_rpc_error(-4, "Wallet file verification failed: Invalid -wallet path 'w8_symlink'", self.nodes[0].loadwallet, 'w8_symlink')
 
+        # Fail to load if a directory is specified that doesn't contain a wallet
+        os.mkdir(wallet_dir('empty_wallet_dir'))
+        assert_raises_rpc_error(-18, "Directory empty_wallet_dir does not contain a wallet.dat file", self.nodes[0].loadwallet, 'empty_wallet_dir')
+
 if __name__ == '__main__':
     MultiWalletTest().main()