diff --git a/doc/release-notes.md b/doc/release-notes.md
index a876b70ba7..d4acbb9c88 100644
--- a/doc/release-notes.md
+++ b/doc/release-notes.md
@@ -85,9 +85,14 @@ Low-level Changes section below.
 Low-level changes
 =================
 
-Example item
+Configuration
 ------------
 
+* An error is issued where previously a warning was issued when a setting in
+  the config file was specified in the default section, but not overridden for
+  the selected network. This change takes only effect if the selected network
+  is not mainnet.
+
 Credits
 =======
 
diff --git a/src/init.cpp b/src/init.cpp
index d35ce2b429..6c33d34cf8 100644
--- a/src/init.cpp
+++ b/src/init.cpp
@@ -876,14 +876,6 @@ void InitParameterInteraction()
         if (gArgs.SoftSetBoolArg("-whitelistrelay", true))
             LogPrintf("%s: parameter interaction: -whitelistforcerelay=1 -> setting -whitelistrelay=1\n", __func__);
     }
-
-    // Warn if network-specific options (-addnode, -connect, etc) are
-    // specified in default section of config file, but not overridden
-    // on the command line or in this network's section of the config file.
-    std::string network = gArgs.GetChainName();
-    for (const auto& arg : gArgs.GetUnsuitableSectionOnlyArgs()) {
-        InitWarning(strprintf(_("Config setting for %s only applied on %s network when in [%s] section."), arg, network, network));
-    }
 }
 
 static std::string ResolveErrMsg(const char * const optname, const std::string& strBind)
@@ -993,6 +985,14 @@ bool AppInitParameterInteraction()
 
     // also see: InitParameterInteraction()
 
+    // Warn if network-specific options (-addnode, -connect, etc) are
+    // specified in default section of config file, but not overridden
+    // on the command line or in this network's section of the config file.
+    std::string network = gArgs.GetChainName();
+    for (const auto& arg : gArgs.GetUnsuitableSectionOnlyArgs()) {
+        return InitError(strprintf(_("Config setting for %s only applied on %s network when in [%s] section."), arg, network, network));
+    }
+
     if (!fs::is_directory(GetBlocksDir())) {
         return InitError(strprintf(_("Specified blocks directory \"%s\" does not exist."), gArgs.GetArg("-blocksdir", "").c_str()));
     }
diff --git a/test/functional/feature_config_args.py b/test/functional/feature_config_args.py
index 454ee1f752..2f72a211a2 100755
--- a/test/functional/feature_config_args.py
+++ b/test/functional/feature_config_args.py
@@ -25,6 +25,10 @@ class ConfArgsTest(BitcoinTestFramework):
             conf.write('-dash=1\n')
         self.nodes[0].assert_start_raises_init_error(expected_msg='Error reading configuration file: parse error on line 1: -dash=1, options in configuration file must be specified without leading -')
 
+        with open(inc_conf_file_path, 'w', encoding='utf8') as conf:
+            conf.write("wallet=foo\n")
+        self.nodes[0].assert_start_raises_init_error(expected_msg='Error: Config setting for -wallet only applied on elementsregtest network when in [elementsregtest] section.')
+
         with open(inc_conf_file_path, 'w', encoding='utf-8') as conf:
             conf.write('nono\n')
         self.nodes[0].assert_start_raises_init_error(expected_msg='Error reading configuration file: parse error on line 1: nono, if you intended to specify a negated option, use nono=1 instead')