diff --git a/libraries/chain/db_management.cpp b/libraries/chain/db_management.cpp
index a8dbd0e118..8e8c1213ab 100644
--- a/libraries/chain/db_management.cpp
+++ b/libraries/chain/db_management.cpp
@@ -125,7 +125,9 @@ void database::reindex( fc::path data_dir )
 void database::wipe(const fc::path& data_dir, bool include_blocks)
 {
    ilog("Wiping database", ("include_blocks", include_blocks));
-   close();
+   if (_opened) {
+     close();
+   }
    object_database::wipe(data_dir);
    if( include_blocks )
       fc::remove_all( data_dir / "database" );
@@ -171,6 +173,7 @@ void database::open(
                     ("last_block->id", last_block)("head_block_id",head_block_num()) );
          reindex( data_dir );
       }
+      _opened = true;
    }
    FC_CAPTURE_LOG_AND_RETHROW( (data_dir) )
 }
@@ -214,6 +217,8 @@ void database::close(bool rewind)
       _block_id_to_block.close();
 
    _fork_db.reset();
+
+   _opened = false;
 }
 
 } }
diff --git a/libraries/chain/include/graphene/chain/database.hpp b/libraries/chain/include/graphene/chain/database.hpp
index d8fb726dad..21ec4c421f 100644
--- a/libraries/chain/include/graphene/chain/database.hpp
+++ b/libraries/chain/include/graphene/chain/database.hpp
@@ -508,6 +508,15 @@ namespace graphene { namespace chain {
          flat_map<uint32_t,block_id_type>  _checkpoints;
 
          node_property_object              _node_property_object;
+
+         /**
+          * Whether database is successfully opened or not.
+          *
+          * The database is considered open when there's no exception
+          * or assertion fail during database::open() method, and
+          * database::close() has not been called, or failed during execution.
+          */
+         bool                              _opened = false;
    };
 
    namespace detail