diff --git a/src/wallet/rpc/backup.cpp b/src/wallet/rpc/backup.cpp
index 5cb40304a7..ebc678aac0 100644
--- a/src/wallet/rpc/backup.cpp
+++ b/src/wallet/rpc/backup.cpp
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@
 #include <sync.h>
 #include <uint256.h>
 #include <util/bip32.h>
+#include <util/check.h>
 #include <util/fs.h>
 #include <util/time.h>
 #include <util/translation.h>
@@ -493,6 +494,9 @@ RPCHelpMan listdescriptors()
     if (!wallet) return UniValue::VNULL;
 
     const bool priv = !request.params[0].isNull() && request.params[0].get_bool();
+    if (wallet->IsWalletFlagSet(WALLET_FLAG_DISABLE_PRIVATE_KEYS) && priv) {
+        throw JSONRPCError(RPC_WALLET_ERROR, "Can't get private descriptor string for watch-only wallets");
+    }
     if (priv) {
         EnsureWalletIsUnlocked(*wallet);
     }
@@ -519,9 +523,7 @@ RPCHelpMan listdescriptors()
         LOCK(desc_spk_man->cs_desc_man);
         const auto& wallet_descriptor = desc_spk_man->GetWalletDescriptor();
         std::string descriptor;
-        if (!desc_spk_man->GetDescriptorString(descriptor, priv)) {
-            throw JSONRPCError(RPC_WALLET_ERROR, "Can't get descriptor string.");
-        }
+        CHECK_NONFATAL(desc_spk_man->GetDescriptorString(descriptor, priv));
         const bool is_range = wallet_descriptor.descriptor->IsRange();
         wallet_descriptors.push_back({
             descriptor,
diff --git a/test/functional/wallet_listdescriptors.py b/test/functional/wallet_listdescriptors.py
index aaa5daac8b..da73d5ee92 100755
--- a/test/functional/wallet_listdescriptors.py
+++ b/test/functional/wallet_listdescriptors.py
@@ -107,7 +107,7 @@ class ListDescriptorsTest(BitcoinTestFramework):
             'desc': descsum_create('wpkh(' + xpub_acc + ')'),
             'timestamp': TIME_GENESIS_BLOCK,
         }])
-        assert_raises_rpc_error(-4, 'Can\'t get descriptor string', watch_only_wallet.listdescriptors, True)
+        assert_raises_rpc_error(-4, 'Can\'t get private descriptor string for watch-only wallets', watch_only_wallet.listdescriptors, True)
 
         self.log.info('Test non-active non-range combo descriptor')
         node.createwallet(wallet_name='w4', blank=True)
@@ -122,7 +122,7 @@ class ListDescriptorsTest(BitcoinTestFramework):
                 {'active': False,
                  'desc': 'combo(0227d85ba011276cf25b51df6a188b75e604b38770a462b2d0e9fb2fc839ef5d3f)#np574htj',
                  'timestamp': TIME_GENESIS_BLOCK},
-            ]
+            ],
         }
         assert_equal(expected, wallet.listdescriptors())