diff --git a/dex/testing/btc/README.md b/dex/testing/btc/README.md
index 380647d4cb..24272c5510 100644
--- a/dex/testing/btc/README.md
+++ b/dex/testing/btc/README.md
@@ -1,7 +1,4 @@
 # BTC Simnet Test Harness
-
-You must have `bitcoind` and `bitcoin-cli` in `PATH` to use the harness.
-
 The harness script will create three connected regnet nodes and wallets, and
 then mine some blocks and send some BTC around. The result is a set of wallets
 named **alpha**, **beta**, and **gamma**, each with slightly different
@@ -19,6 +16,13 @@ unlocking for sensitive operations. Gamma has no coinbase-spending outputs,
 but has a number of UTXOs of varying size and confirmation count.
 **The gamma wallet password is "abc"**.
 
+## Dependencies
+
+You must have [bitcoind and bitcoin-cli](https://github.com/bitcoin/bitcoin/releases)
+in `PATH` to use the harness. bitcoin v26.0.0+ is recommended.
+
+It also requires tmux.
+
 ## Harness control scripts
 
 The `./harness.sh` script will drop you into a tmux window in a directory
diff --git a/dex/testing/btc/base-harness.sh b/dex/testing/btc/base-harness.sh
index dfd4aaef19..f5f26adb03 100755
--- a/dex/testing/btc/base-harness.sh
+++ b/dex/testing/btc/base-harness.sh
@@ -33,6 +33,16 @@ WAIT="wait-for ${SYMBOL}"
 
 SESSION="${SYMBOL}-harness"
 
+deprecateddbd () {
+        if [ $1 = false ] && [ "$VERSION_26_TEMP_DEPRICATED_DBD" ]; then
+                descs="-deprecatedrpc=create_bdb"
+        else
+                descs=""
+        fi
+
+        echo "$descs"
+}
+
 export SHELL=$(which bash)
 
 ################################################################################
@@ -101,7 +111,7 @@ tmux send-keys -t $SESSION:0 "set +o history" C-m
 tmux send-keys -t $SESSION:0 "cd ${ALPHA_DIR}" C-m
 echo "Starting simnet alpha node"
 tmux send-keys -t $SESSION:0 "${DAEMON} -rpcuser=user -rpcpassword=pass \
-  -rpcport=${ALPHA_RPC_PORT} -datadir=${ALPHA_DIR} \
+  -rpcport=${ALPHA_RPC_PORT} -datadir=${ALPHA_DIR} $(deprecateddbd $ALPHA_DESCRIPTOR_WALLET) \
   -debug=rpc -debug=net -debug=mempool -debug=walletdb -debug=addrman -debug=mempoolrej \
   -whitelist=127.0.0.0/8 -whitelist=::1 \
   -txindex=1 -regtest=1 -port=${ALPHA_LISTEN_PORT} -fallbackfee=0.00001 \
@@ -117,7 +127,7 @@ tmux send-keys -t $SESSION:1 "set +o history" C-m
 tmux send-keys -t $SESSION:1 "cd ${BETA_DIR}" C-m
 
 echo "Starting simnet beta node"
-tmux send-keys -t $SESSION:1 "${DAEMON} -rpcuser=user -rpcpassword=pass \
+tmux send-keys -t $SESSION:1 "${DAEMON} -rpcuser=user -rpcpassword=pass $(deprecateddbd $BETA_DESCRIPTOR_WALLET)\
   -rpcport=${BETA_RPC_PORT} -datadir=${BETA_DIR} -txindex=1 -regtest=1 \
   -debug=rpc -debug=net -debug=mempool -debug=walletdb -debug=addrman -debug=mempoolrej \
   -whitelist=127.0.0.0/8 -whitelist=::1 \
diff --git a/dex/testing/btc/harness.sh b/dex/testing/btc/harness.sh
index 289076797f..757acb5f8d 100755
--- a/dex/testing/btc/harness.sh
+++ b/dex/testing/btc/harness.sh
@@ -21,6 +21,8 @@ export DELTA_WALLET_SEED="cURsyTZ8icuTHwWxSfTC2Geu2F6dMRtnzt1gvSaxHdc9Zf6eviJN"
 export DELTA_ADDRESS="bcrt1q4clywna5re22qh9mexqty8u8mqvhjh8cwhp5ms"
 export EXTRA_ARGS="--blockfilterindex --peerblockfilters --rpcbind=0.0.0.0 --rpcallowip=0.0.0.0/0"
 export CREATE_DEFAULT_WALLET="1"
+export VERSION_26_TEMP_DEPRICATED_DBD="1"
+
 
 # The new-wallet script creates a new wallet with keys (not blank), and no
 # passphrase. $1 is the node to create the wallet on, $2 is the wallet