diff --git a/nano/node/make_store.cpp b/nano/node/make_store.cpp
index 845fdfcb9..863431a65 100644
--- a/nano/node/make_store.cpp
+++ b/nano/node/make_store.cpp
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@
 #include <nano/store/lmdb/lmdb.hpp>
 #include <nano/store/rocksdb/rocksdb.hpp>
 
-std::unique_ptr<nano::store::component> nano::make_store (nano::logger & logger, std::filesystem::path const & path, nano::ledger_constants & constants, bool read_only, bool add_db_postfix, nano::node_config const & node_config)
+std::unique_ptr<nano::store::component> nano::make_store (nano::logger & logger, std::filesystem::path const & path, nano::ledger_constants & constants, bool read_only, bool add_db_postfix, nano::node_config node_config)
 {
 	if (node_config.database_backend == nano::database_backend::rocksdb)
 	{
@@ -13,9 +13,9 @@ std::unique_ptr<nano::store::component> nano::make_store (nano::logger & logger,
 	if (node_config.rocksdb_config.enable && node_config.database_backend == nano::database_backend::lmdb)
 	{
 		// rocksdb.enable is true in config, but database_backend is set to LMDB in config
-		logger.critical (nano::log::type::config, "Legacy RocksDb setting detected in config file.");
-		logger.info (nano::log::type::config, "Edit node_config.toml and use 'database_backend' in the node section to re-enable RocksDb");
-		std::exit (EXIT_FAILURE);
+		logger.warn (nano::log::type::config, "Use of deprecated RocksDb setting detected in config file.\nPlease edit node_config.toml and use the new 'database_backend' to enable RocksDb");
+		node_config.database_backend = nano::database_backend::rocksdb;
+		return std::make_unique<nano::store::rocksdb::component> (logger, add_db_postfix ? path / "rocksdb" : path, constants, node_config.rocksdb_config, read_only);
 	}
 
 	return std::make_unique<nano::store::lmdb::component> (logger, add_db_postfix ? path / "data.ldb" : path, constants, node_config.diagnostics_config.txn_tracking, node_config.block_processor_batch_max_time, node_config.lmdb_config, node_config.backup_before_upgrade);
diff --git a/nano/node/make_store.hpp b/nano/node/make_store.hpp
index 22962b208..c27654a62 100644
--- a/nano/node/make_store.hpp
+++ b/nano/node/make_store.hpp
@@ -23,5 +23,5 @@ class component;
 
 namespace nano
 {
-std::unique_ptr<nano::store::component> make_store (nano::logger &, std::filesystem::path const & path, nano::ledger_constants & constants, bool read_only = false, bool add_db_postfix = true, nano::node_config const & node_config = nano::node_config{});
+std::unique_ptr<nano::store::component> make_store (nano::logger &, std::filesystem::path const & path, nano::ledger_constants & constants, bool read_only = false, bool add_db_postfix = true, nano::node_config node_config = nano::node_config{});
 }