diff --git a/cli/contract_test.go b/cli/contract_test.go
index 1e8bc956e..a45680a1b 100644
--- a/cli/contract_test.go
+++ b/cli/contract_test.go
@@ -447,9 +447,8 @@ func TestContractManifestGroups(t *testing.T) {
 	config.Version = "0.90.0-test"
 	tmpDir := t.TempDir()
 
-	w, err := wallet.NewWalletFromFile(testWalletPath)
+	_, err := wallet.NewWalletFromFile(testWalletPath)
 	require.NoError(t, err)
-	defer w.Close()
 
 	nefName := filepath.Join(tmpDir, "deploy.nef")
 	manifestName := filepath.Join(tmpDir, "deploy.manifest.json")
diff --git a/cli/nep17_test.go b/cli/nep17_test.go
index 32ef5be5f..ea313a527 100644
--- a/cli/nep17_test.go
+++ b/cli/nep17_test.go
@@ -113,7 +113,6 @@ func TestNEP17Balance(t *testing.T) {
 func TestNEP17Transfer(t *testing.T) {
 	w, err := wallet.NewWalletFromFile("testdata/testwallet.json")
 	require.NoError(t, err)
-	defer w.Close()
 
 	e := newExecutor(t, true)
 	args := []string{
diff --git a/cli/query_test.go b/cli/query_test.go
index 32c658939..02a29e36d 100644
--- a/cli/query_test.go
+++ b/cli/query_test.go
@@ -25,7 +25,6 @@ func TestQueryTx(t *testing.T) {
 
 	w, err := wallet.NewWalletFromFile("testdata/testwallet.json")
 	require.NoError(t, err)
-	defer w.Close()
 
 	transferArgs := []string{
 		"neo-go", "wallet", "nep17", "transfer",
diff --git a/cli/wallet/multisig.go b/cli/wallet/multisig.go
index 2c7e021b9..611b95e20 100644
--- a/cli/wallet/multisig.go
+++ b/cli/wallet/multisig.go
@@ -16,7 +16,6 @@ func signStoredTransaction(ctx *cli.Context) error {
 	if err != nil {
 		return cli.NewExitError(err, 1)
 	}
-	defer wall.Close()
 
 	c, err := paramcontext.Read(ctx.String("in"))
 	if err != nil {
diff --git a/cli/wallet/nep11.go b/cli/wallet/nep11.go
index 6ccebf811..1a413dbc6 100644
--- a/cli/wallet/nep11.go
+++ b/cli/wallet/nep11.go
@@ -167,7 +167,6 @@ func getNEP11Balance(ctx *cli.Context) error {
 	if err != nil {
 		return cli.NewExitError(fmt.Errorf("bad wallet: %w", err), 1)
 	}
-	defer wall.Close()
 
 	addrFlag := ctx.Generic("address").(*flags.Address)
 	if addrFlag.IsSet {
diff --git a/cli/wallet/nep17.go b/cli/wallet/nep17.go
index bd45db8f7..7b045b3c0 100644
--- a/cli/wallet/nep17.go
+++ b/cli/wallet/nep17.go
@@ -155,7 +155,6 @@ func getNEP17Balance(ctx *cli.Context) error {
 	if err != nil {
 		return cli.NewExitError(fmt.Errorf("bad wallet: %w", err), 1)
 	}
-	defer wall.Close()
 
 	addrFlag := ctx.Generic("address").(*flags.Address)
 	if addrFlag.IsSet {
@@ -354,7 +353,6 @@ func importNEPToken(ctx *cli.Context, standard string) error {
 	if err != nil {
 		return cli.NewExitError(err, 1)
 	}
-	defer wall.Close()
 
 	tokenHashFlag := ctx.Generic("token").(*flags.Address)
 	if !tokenHashFlag.IsSet {
@@ -417,7 +415,6 @@ func printNEPInfo(ctx *cli.Context, standard string) error {
 	if err != nil {
 		return cli.NewExitError(err, 1)
 	}
-	defer wall.Close()
 
 	if name := ctx.String("token"); name != "" {
 		token, err := getMatchingToken(ctx, wall, name, standard)
@@ -450,7 +447,6 @@ func removeNEPToken(ctx *cli.Context, standard string) error {
 	if err != nil {
 		return cli.NewExitError(err, 1)
 	}
-	defer wall.Close()
 
 	token, err := getMatchingToken(ctx, wall, ctx.String("token"), standard)
 	if err != nil {
@@ -474,7 +470,6 @@ func multiTransferNEP17(ctx *cli.Context) error {
 	if err != nil {
 		return cli.NewExitError(err, 1)
 	}
-	defer wall.Close()
 
 	fromFlag := ctx.Generic("from").(*flags.Address)
 	from, err := getDefaultAddress(fromFlag, wall)
@@ -560,7 +555,6 @@ func transferNEP(ctx *cli.Context, standard string) error {
 	if err != nil {
 		return cli.NewExitError(err, 1)
 	}
-	defer wall.Close()
 
 	fromFlag := ctx.Generic("from").(*flags.Address)
 	from, err := getDefaultAddress(fromFlag, wall)
diff --git a/cli/wallet/validator.go b/cli/wallet/validator.go
index aed1dbda8..dc0511ff4 100644
--- a/cli/wallet/validator.go
+++ b/cli/wallet/validator.go
@@ -90,7 +90,6 @@ func handleCandidate(ctx *cli.Context, method string, sysGas int64) error {
 	if err != nil {
 		return cli.NewExitError(err, 1)
 	}
-	defer wall.Close()
 
 	addrFlag := ctx.Generic("address").(*flags.Address)
 	if !addrFlag.IsSet {
@@ -145,7 +144,6 @@ func handleVote(ctx *cli.Context) error {
 	if err != nil {
 		return cli.NewExitError(err, 1)
 	}
-	defer wall.Close()
 
 	addrFlag := ctx.Generic("address").(*flags.Address)
 	if !addrFlag.IsSet {
diff --git a/cli/wallet/wallet.go b/cli/wallet/wallet.go
index 6cf9aba47..e1a2bb8cd 100644
--- a/cli/wallet/wallet.go
+++ b/cli/wallet/wallet.go
@@ -299,7 +299,6 @@ func claimGas(ctx *cli.Context) error {
 	if err != nil {
 		return cli.NewExitError(err, 1)
 	}
-	defer wall.Close()
 
 	addrFlag := ctx.Generic("address").(*flags.Address)
 	if !addrFlag.IsSet {
@@ -398,7 +397,6 @@ func convertWallet(ctx *cli.Context) error {
 	if err != nil {
 		return cli.NewExitError(err, 1)
 	}
-	defer newWallet.Close()
 	newWallet.Scrypt = wall.Scrypt
 
 	for _, acc := range wall.Accounts {
@@ -428,8 +426,6 @@ func addAccount(ctx *cli.Context) error {
 		return cli.NewExitError(err, 1)
 	}
 
-	defer wall.Close()
-
 	if err := createAccount(wall, pass); err != nil {
 		return cli.NewExitError(err, 1)
 	}
@@ -504,8 +500,6 @@ func importMultisig(ctx *cli.Context) error {
 		return cli.NewExitError(err, 1)
 	}
 
-	defer wall.Close()
-
 	m := ctx.Int("min")
 	if ctx.NArg() < m {
 		return cli.NewExitError(errors.New("insufficient number of public keys"), 1)
@@ -546,8 +540,6 @@ func importDeployed(ctx *cli.Context) error {
 		return cli.NewExitError(err, 1)
 	}
 
-	defer wall.Close()
-
 	rawHash := ctx.Generic("contract").(*flags.Address)
 	if !rawHash.IsSet {
 		return cli.NewExitError("contract hash was not provided", 1)
@@ -600,7 +592,6 @@ func importWallet(ctx *cli.Context) error {
 	if err != nil {
 		return cli.NewExitError(err, 1)
 	}
-	defer wall.Close()
 
 	acc, err := newAccountFromWIF(ctx.App.Writer, ctx.String("wif"), wall.Scrypt)
 	if err != nil {
@@ -630,7 +621,6 @@ func removeAccount(ctx *cli.Context) error {
 	if err != nil {
 		return cli.NewExitError(err, 1)
 	}
-	defer wall.Close()
 
 	addr := ctx.Generic("address").(*flags.Address)
 	if !addr.IsSet {
diff --git a/cli/wallet_test.go b/cli/wallet_test.go
index 5e3d6083b..09519bbb9 100644
--- a/cli/wallet_test.go
+++ b/cli/wallet_test.go
@@ -221,7 +221,6 @@ func TestWalletInit(t *testing.T) {
 		require.Len(t, w.Accounts, 1)
 		require.Equal(t, "букandmore", w.Accounts[0].Label)
 		require.NoError(t, w.Accounts[0].Decrypt("пароль", w.Scrypt))
-		w.Close()
 	})
 
 	t.Run("CreateAccount", func(t *testing.T) {
@@ -244,7 +243,6 @@ func TestWalletInit(t *testing.T) {
 		require.Len(t, w.Accounts, 1)
 		require.Equal(t, w.Accounts[0].Label, "testname")
 		require.NoError(t, w.Accounts[0].Decrypt("testpass", w.Scrypt))
-		w.Close()
 
 		t.Run("RemoveAccount", func(t *testing.T) {
 			sh := w.Accounts[0].Contract.ScriptHash()
@@ -255,7 +253,6 @@ func TestWalletInit(t *testing.T) {
 			w, err := wallet.NewWalletFromFile(walletPath)
 			require.NoError(t, err)
 			require.Nil(t, w.GetAccount(sh))
-			w.Close()
 		})
 	})
 
@@ -274,7 +271,6 @@ func TestWalletInit(t *testing.T) {
 
 			w, err := wallet.NewWalletFromFile(walletPath)
 			require.NoError(t, err)
-			t.Cleanup(w.Close)
 			acc := w.GetAccount(priv.GetScriptHash())
 			require.NotNil(t, acc)
 			require.Equal(t, "test_account", acc.Label)
@@ -302,7 +298,6 @@ func TestWalletInit(t *testing.T) {
 				check := func(t *testing.T, expectedLabel string, pass string) {
 					w, err := wallet.NewWalletFromFile(walletPath)
 					require.NoError(t, err)
-					t.Cleanup(w.Close)
 					acc := w.GetAccount(priv.GetScriptHash())
 					require.NotNil(t, acc)
 					require.Equal(t, expectedLabel, acc.Label)
@@ -355,7 +350,6 @@ func TestWalletInit(t *testing.T) {
 
 			w, err := wallet.NewWalletFromFile(walletPath)
 			require.NoError(t, err)
-			t.Cleanup(w.Close)
 			actual := w.GetAccount(acc.PrivateKey().GetScriptHash())
 			require.NotNil(t, actual)
 			require.NoError(t, actual.Decrypt("somepass", w.Scrypt))
@@ -410,7 +404,6 @@ func TestWalletInit(t *testing.T) {
 
 			w, err := wallet.NewWalletFromFile(walletPath)
 			require.NoError(t, err)
-			t.Cleanup(w.Close)
 			actual := w.GetAccount(hash.Hash160(script))
 			require.NotNil(t, actual)
 			require.NoError(t, actual.Decrypt("multipass", w.Scrypt))
@@ -595,9 +588,6 @@ func TestWalletImportDeployed(t *testing.T) {
 		"--contract", h.StringLE())
 
 	w, err := wallet.NewWalletFromFile(walletPath)
-	t.Cleanup(func() {
-		w.Close()
-	})
 	require.NoError(t, err)
 	require.Equal(t, 1, len(w.Accounts))
 	contractAddr := w.Accounts[0].Address
diff --git a/pkg/consensus/consensus.go b/pkg/consensus/consensus.go
index 816d278f1..c00e07306 100644
--- a/pkg/consensus/consensus.go
+++ b/pkg/consensus/consensus.go
@@ -168,8 +168,6 @@ func NewService(cfg Config) (Service, error) {
 		return nil, errors.New("no account with provided password was found")
 	}
 
-	defer srv.wallet.Close()
-
 	srv.dbft = dbft.New(
 		dbft.WithLogger(srv.log),
 		dbft.WithSecondsPerBlock(cfg.TimePerBlock),
diff --git a/pkg/services/stateroot/service_test.go b/pkg/services/stateroot/service_test.go
index 3d11debaf..047138c76 100644
--- a/pkg/services/stateroot/service_test.go
+++ b/pkg/services/stateroot/service_test.go
@@ -197,7 +197,6 @@ func createAndWriteWallet(t *testing.T, acc *wallet.Account, path, password stri
 	require.NoError(t, acc.Encrypt(password, w.Scrypt))
 	w.AddAccount(acc)
 	require.NoError(t, w.Save())
-	w.Close()
 	return w
 }
 
diff --git a/pkg/wallet/regenerate_test.go b/pkg/wallet/regenerate_test.go
index 7faaba8e3..c8e1b0a66 100644
--- a/pkg/wallet/regenerate_test.go
+++ b/pkg/wallet/regenerate_test.go
@@ -202,7 +202,6 @@ func createWallet(t *testing.T, path string, accs ...*Account) {
 		w.AddAccount(acc)
 	}
 	require.NoError(t, w.SavePretty())
-	w.Close()
 }
 
 func TestRegenerateCLIWallet1_solo(t *testing.T) {
diff --git a/pkg/wallet/wallet.go b/pkg/wallet/wallet.go
index ef8fe5684..f0801ffd0 100644
--- a/pkg/wallet/wallet.go
+++ b/pkg/wallet/wallet.go
@@ -168,9 +168,9 @@ func (w *Wallet) JSON() ([]byte, error) {
 	return json.MarshalIndent(w, " ", "	")
 }
 
-// Close closes the internal rw if its an io.ReadCloser.
-func (w *Wallet) Close() {
-}
+// Deprecated: Close is deprecated.
+// Close performs nothing and is left for backwards compatibility.
+func (w *Wallet) Close() {}
 
 // GetAccount returns an account corresponding to the provided scripthash.
 func (w *Wallet) GetAccount(h util.Uint160) *Account {