<p>As I was testing my new bitcoin core HD wallet through the <code>bitcoin-qt</code> interface (<code>v0.13.0</code>), when using <code>Receive &gt; Request payment</code> I realized that I was presented with the a payment address which had already been used (despite the checkbox <code>Reuse an existing address</code> not being checked). Looking more closely into this, it seems that this happens if you restore your HD wallet from a backup file (specifically delete your <code>wallet.dat</code> file and replace it by the <code>wallet.dat</code> which you had saved just after creating your new wallet and encrypting it). So it seems if you need to restore an HD wallet from an old backup file, it will be reusing prior addresses (unless you are being careful and click on <code>Request payment</code> several times until you obtain a brand new address). Is this a known feature of <code>bitcoin-qt</code>? I am guessing this is not a desirable behavior, but is it avoidable? I am not sure HD wallets can be implemented without it, as we no longer simply randomly generate.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-09-10T19:34:43.377Z
Sounds like you should write a bug report.
UTF-8
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-02-11T06:49:00.933Z
@UTF-8 my apologies I failed to follow your suggestion out of ignorance. I think I know what to do now, and will take care of it.
Sven Williamson
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-02-11T07:47:20.860Z
@UTF-8 I have now written a bug report
Sven Williamson
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-02-12T16:05:36.497Z
@SvenWilliamson: I hope I do understand correctly that both these questions report the same problem? Otherwise, please flag for reopening!
Murch
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-02-13T12:13:36.900Z
@Murch I have the feeling the two reported problems are different: One is address reuse, the other is failure to pick up an incoming transaction. However, it seems that future wallet improvements will solve both problems at the same time, and you may wish to regard two problems with a common solution as identical. And yes, you are correct to say that the answer provided applies to both in my opinion.
Sven Williamson
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-02-13T13:01:52.343Z
Yeah, we usually go by answer, not exact text of the question. :) Thanks for the assessment!
Murch
<bitcoin-core><bip32-hd-wallets>
Bitcoin-core restored HD wallet reusing payment address?
Sven Williamson
# Bitcoin-core restored HD wallet reusing payment address?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2016-09-09)

As I was testing my new bitcoin core HD wallet through the `bitcoin-qt` interface (`v0.13.0`), when using `Receive > Request payment` I realized that I was presented with the a payment address which had already been used (despite the checkbox `Reuse an existing address` not being checked). Looking more closely into this, it seems that this happens if you restore your HD wallet from a backup file (specifically delete your `wallet.dat` file and replace it by the `wallet.dat` which you had saved just after creating your new wallet and encrypting it). So it seems if you need to restore an HD wallet from an old backup file, it will be reusing prior addresses (unless you are being careful and click on `Request payment` several times until you obtain a brand new address). Is this a known feature of `bitcoin-qt`? I am guessing this is not a desirable behavior, but is it avoidable? I am not sure HD wallets can be implemented without it, as we no longer simply randomly generate.

**Tags:** bitcoin-core, bip32-hd-wallets

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: Sounds like you should write a bug report.  
> **username_0**: @username_1 my apologies I failed to follow your suggestion out of ignorance. I think I know what to do now, and will take care of it.  
> **username_0**: @username_1 I have now written a bug report  
> **username_2**: @username_0: I hope I do understand correctly that both these questions report the same problem? Otherwise, please flag for reopening!  
> **username_0**: @username_2 I have the feeling the two reported problems are different: One is address reuse, the other is failure to pick up an incoming transaction. However, it seems that future wallet improvements will solve both problems at the same time, and you may wish to regard two problems with a common solution as identical. And yes, you are correct to say that the answer provided applies to both in my opinion.  
> **username_2**: Yeah, we usually go by answer, not exact text of the question. :) Thanks for the assessment!  

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