diff --git a/src/wallet/gtest/test_wallet.cpp b/src/wallet/gtest/test_wallet.cpp
index e72b8a2f6..2ea2c1d5b 100644
--- a/src/wallet/gtest/test_wallet.cpp
+++ b/src/wallet/gtest/test_wallet.cpp
@@ -11,11 +11,26 @@
 #include "zcash/Note.hpp"
 #include "zcash/NoteEncryption.hpp"
 
-using ::testing::_;
 using ::testing::Return;
 
 ZCJoinSplit* params = ZCJoinSplit::Unopened();
 
+ACTION(ThrowLogicError) {
+    throw std::logic_error("Boom");
+}
+
+class MockWalletDB {
+public:
+    MOCK_METHOD0(TxnBegin, bool());
+    MOCK_METHOD0(TxnCommit, bool());
+    MOCK_METHOD0(TxnAbort, bool());
+
+    MOCK_METHOD2(WriteTx, bool(uint256 hash, const CWalletTx& wtx));
+    MOCK_METHOD1(WriteWitnessCacheSize, bool(int64_t nWitnessCacheSize));
+};
+
+template void CWallet::WriteWitnessCache<MockWalletDB>(MockWalletDB& walletdb);
+
 class TestWallet : public CWallet {
 public:
     TestWallet() : CWallet() { }
@@ -28,6 +43,9 @@ public:
     void DecrementNoteWitnesses() {
         CWallet::DecrementNoteWitnesses();
     }
+    void WriteWitnessCache(MockWalletDB& walletdb) {
+        CWallet::WriteWitnessCache(walletdb);
+    }
     bool UpdatedNoteData(const CWalletTx& wtxIn, CWalletTx& wtx) {
         return CWallet::UpdatedNoteData(wtxIn, wtx);
     }
@@ -679,6 +697,50 @@ TEST(wallet_tests, ClearNoteWitnessCache) {
     EXPECT_FALSE((bool) witnesses[1]);
 }
 
+TEST(wallet_tests, WriteWitnessCache) {
+    TestWallet wallet;
+    MockWalletDB walletdb;
+
+    auto sk = libzcash::SpendingKey::random();
+    wallet.AddSpendingKey(sk);
+
+    auto wtx = GetValidReceive(sk, 10, true);
+    wallet.AddToWallet(wtx, true, NULL);
+
+    EXPECT_CALL(walletdb, TxnBegin())
+        .WillOnce(Return(false))
+        .WillRepeatedly(Return(true));
+    EXPECT_CALL(walletdb, TxnCommit())
+        .WillOnce(Return(false))
+        .WillRepeatedly(Return(true));
+    EXPECT_CALL(walletdb, TxnAbort())
+        .Times(4);
+
+    EXPECT_CALL(walletdb, WriteTx(wtx.GetHash(), wtx))
+        .WillOnce(Return(false))
+        .WillOnce(ThrowLogicError())
+        .WillRepeatedly(Return(true));
+    EXPECT_CALL(walletdb, WriteWitnessCacheSize(0))
+        .WillOnce(Return(false))
+        .WillOnce(ThrowLogicError())
+        .WillRepeatedly(Return(true));
+
+    // TxnBegin fails
+    wallet.WriteWitnessCache(walletdb);
+    // WriteTx fails
+    wallet.WriteWitnessCache(walletdb);
+    // WriteTx throws
+    wallet.WriteWitnessCache(walletdb);
+    // WriteWitnessCacheSize fails
+    wallet.WriteWitnessCache(walletdb);
+    // WriteWitnessCacheSize throws
+    wallet.WriteWitnessCache(walletdb);
+    // TxCommit fails
+    wallet.WriteWitnessCache(walletdb);
+    // Everything succeeds
+    wallet.WriteWitnessCache(walletdb);
+}
+
 TEST(wallet_tests, UpdatedNoteData) {
     TestWallet wallet;
 
diff --git a/src/wallet/wallet.cpp b/src/wallet/wallet.cpp
index fea1c048c..caf5d5818 100644
--- a/src/wallet/wallet.cpp
+++ b/src/wallet/wallet.cpp
@@ -15,7 +15,6 @@
 #include "script/script.h"
 #include "script/sign.h"
 #include "timedata.h"
-#include "util.h"
 #include "utilmoneystr.h"
 #include "zcash/Note.hpp"
 #include "crypter.h"
@@ -697,7 +696,8 @@ void CWallet::IncrementNoteWitnesses(const CBlockIndex* pindex,
             nWitnessCacheSize += 1;
         }
         if (fFileBacked) {
-            WriteWitnessCache();
+            CWalletDB walletdb(strWalletFile);
+            WriteWitnessCache(walletdb);
         }
     }
 }
@@ -718,45 +718,12 @@ void CWallet::DecrementNoteWitnesses()
         // TODO: If nWitnessCache is zero, we need to regenerate the caches (#1302)
         assert(nWitnessCacheSize > 0);
         if (fFileBacked) {
-            WriteWitnessCache();
+            CWalletDB walletdb(strWalletFile);
+            WriteWitnessCache(walletdb);
         }
     }
 }
 
-void CWallet::WriteWitnessCache() {
-    CWalletDB walletdb(strWalletFile);
-    if (!walletdb.TxnBegin()) {
-        // This needs to be done atomically, so don't do it at all
-        LogPrintf("WriteWitnessCache(): Couldn't start atomic write\n");
-        return;
-    }
-    try {
-        for (std::pair<const uint256, CWalletTx>& wtxItem : mapWallet) {
-            if (!walletdb.WriteTx(wtxItem.first, wtxItem.second)) {
-                LogPrintf("WriteWitnessCache(): Failed to write CWalletTx, aborting atomic write\n");
-                walletdb.TxnAbort();
-                return;
-            }
-        }
-        if (!walletdb.WriteWitnessCacheSize(nWitnessCacheSize)) {
-            LogPrintf("WriteWitnessCache(): Failed to write nWitnessCacheSize, aborting atomic write\n");
-            walletdb.TxnAbort();
-            return;
-        }
-    } catch (const std::exception &exc) {
-        // Unexpected failure
-        LogPrintf("WriteWitnessCache(): Unexpected error during atomic write:\n");
-        LogPrintf("%s\n", exc.what());
-        walletdb.TxnAbort();
-        return;
-    }
-    if (!walletdb.TxnCommit()) {
-        // Couldn't commit all to db, but in-memory state is fine
-        LogPrintf("WriteWitnessCache(): Couldn't commit atomic write\n");
-        return;
-    }
-}
-
 bool CWallet::EncryptWallet(const SecureString& strWalletPassphrase)
 {
     if (IsCrypted())
diff --git a/src/wallet/wallet.h b/src/wallet/wallet.h
index c3f1fd63f..84706933e 100644
--- a/src/wallet/wallet.h
+++ b/src/wallet/wallet.h
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@
 #include "primitives/transaction.h"
 #include "tinyformat.h"
 #include "ui_interface.h"
+#include "util.h"
 #include "utilstrencodings.h"
 #include "validationinterface.h"
 #include "wallet/crypter.h"
@@ -605,7 +606,40 @@ protected:
                                 const CBlock* pblock,
                                 ZCIncrementalMerkleTree tree);
     void DecrementNoteWitnesses();
-    void WriteWitnessCache();
+
+    template <typename WalletDB>
+    void WriteWitnessCache(WalletDB& walletdb) {
+        if (!walletdb.TxnBegin()) {
+            // This needs to be done atomically, so don't do it at all
+            LogPrintf("WriteWitnessCache(): Couldn't start atomic write\n");
+            return;
+        }
+        try {
+            for (std::pair<const uint256, CWalletTx>& wtxItem : mapWallet) {
+                if (!walletdb.WriteTx(wtxItem.first, wtxItem.second)) {
+                    LogPrintf("WriteWitnessCache(): Failed to write CWalletTx, aborting atomic write\n");
+                    walletdb.TxnAbort();
+                    return;
+                }
+            }
+            if (!walletdb.WriteWitnessCacheSize(nWitnessCacheSize)) {
+                LogPrintf("WriteWitnessCache(): Failed to write nWitnessCacheSize, aborting atomic write\n");
+                walletdb.TxnAbort();
+                return;
+            }
+        } catch (const std::exception &exc) {
+            // Unexpected failure
+            LogPrintf("WriteWitnessCache(): Unexpected error during atomic write:\n");
+            LogPrintf("%s\n", exc.what());
+            walletdb.TxnAbort();
+            return;
+        }
+        if (!walletdb.TxnCommit()) {
+            // Couldn't commit all to db, but in-memory state is fine
+            LogPrintf("WriteWitnessCache(): Couldn't commit atomic write\n");
+            return;
+        }
+    }
 
 private:
     template <class T>