diff --git a/electrum/gui/qml/components/Wallets.qml b/electrum/gui/qml/components/Wallets.qml
index 6fa0195de..77cd17cb7 100644
--- a/electrum/gui/qml/components/Wallets.qml
+++ b/electrum/gui/qml/components/Wallets.qml
@@ -2,6 +2,8 @@ import QtQuick 2.6
 import QtQuick.Layouts 1.0
 import QtQuick.Controls 2.0
 
+import org.electrum 1.0
+
 Pane {
     id: rootItem
 
@@ -60,7 +62,7 @@ Pane {
             width: parent.width
 //            Layout.fillHeight: true
             height: parent.height
-            clip:true
+            clip: true
             model: Daemon.availableWallets
 
             // header: sadly seems to be buggy
@@ -78,15 +80,14 @@ Pane {
                     }
 
                     Label {
-                        font.pointSize: 12
+                        font.pointSize: 11
                         text: model.name
                         Layout.fillWidth: true
                     }
+
                     Button {
                         text: 'Load'
-                        onClicked: {
-                            Daemon.load_wallet(model.path, null)
-                        }
+                        onClicked: wallet_db.path = model.path
                     }
                 }
 
@@ -102,4 +103,16 @@ Pane {
             }
         }
     }
+
+    WalletDB {
+        id: wallet_db
+        onPathChanged: {
+            if (!ready) {
+                app.stack.push(Qt.resolvedUrl("OpenWallet.qml"), {"path": wallet_db.path})
+            } else {
+                Daemon.load_wallet(wallet_db.path, null)
+                app.stack.pop()
+            }
+        }
+    }
 }
diff --git a/electrum/gui/qml/qewalletdb.py b/electrum/gui/qml/qewalletdb.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..8ece5bb5f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/electrum/gui/qml/qewalletdb.py
@@ -0,0 +1,203 @@
+from PyQt5.QtCore import pyqtProperty, pyqtSignal, pyqtSlot, QObject
+
+from electrum.logging import Logger, get_logger
+from electrum.storage import WalletStorage
+from electrum.wallet_db import WalletDB
+from electrum.util import InvalidPassword
+
+from .qedaemon import QEDaemon
+
+class QEWalletDB(QObject):
+    def __init__(self, parent=None):
+        super().__init__(parent)
+
+        from .qeapp import ElectrumQmlApplication
+        self.daemon = ElectrumQmlApplication._daemon
+
+        self.reset()
+
+    _logger = get_logger(__name__)
+
+    fileNotFound = pyqtSignal()
+    pathChanged = pyqtSignal([bool], arguments=["ready"])
+    needsPasswordChanged = pyqtSignal()
+    needsHWDeviceChanged = pyqtSignal()
+    passwordChanged = pyqtSignal()
+    invalidPasswordChanged = pyqtSignal()
+    requiresSplitChanged = pyqtSignal()
+    requiresUpgradeChanged = pyqtSignal()
+    upgradingChanged = pyqtSignal()
+    splitFinished = pyqtSignal()
+    readyChanged = pyqtSignal()
+
+    def reset(self):
+        self._path = None
+        self._needsPassword = False
+        self._needsHWDevice = False
+        self._password = ''
+        self._requiresSplit = False
+        self._requiresUpgrade = False
+        self._upgrading = False
+        self._invalidPassword = False
+
+        self._storage = None
+        self._db = None
+
+        self._ready = False
+
+    @pyqtProperty('QString', notify=pathChanged)
+    def path(self):
+        return self._path
+
+    @path.setter
+    def path(self, wallet_path):
+        if wallet_path == self._path:
+            return
+
+        self.reset()
+        self._logger.warning('path: ' + wallet_path)
+        self._path = wallet_path
+
+        self.load_storage()
+        if self._storage:
+            self.load_db()
+
+        self.pathChanged.emit(self._ready)
+
+    @pyqtProperty(bool, notify=needsPasswordChanged)
+    def needsPassword(self):
+        return self._needsPassword
+
+    @needsPassword.setter
+    def needsPassword(self, wallet_needs_password):
+        if wallet_needs_password == self._needsPassword:
+            return
+
+        self._needsPassword = wallet_needs_password
+        self.needsPasswordChanged.emit()
+
+    @pyqtProperty(bool, notify=needsHWDeviceChanged)
+    def needsHWDevice(self):
+        return self._needsHWDevice
+
+    @needsHWDevice.setter
+    def needsHWDevice(self, wallet_needs_hw_device):
+        if wallet_needs_hw_device == self._needsHWDevice:
+            return
+
+        self._needsHWDevice = wallet_needs_hw_device
+        self.needsHWDeviceChanged.emit()
+
+    @pyqtProperty('QString', notify=passwordChanged)
+    def password(self):
+        return '' # no read access
+
+    @password.setter
+    def password(self, wallet_password):
+        if wallet_password == self._password:
+            return
+
+        self._password = wallet_password
+        self.passwordChanged.emit()
+
+        self.load_storage()
+
+        if self._storage:
+            self.needsPassword = False
+            self.load_db()
+
+    @pyqtProperty(bool, notify=requiresSplitChanged)
+    def requiresSplit(self):
+        return self._requiresSplit
+
+    @pyqtProperty(bool, notify=requiresUpgradeChanged)
+    def requiresUpgrade(self):
+        return self._requiresUpgrade
+
+    @pyqtProperty(bool, notify=upgradingChanged)
+    def upgrading(self):
+        return self._upgrading
+
+    @pyqtProperty(bool, notify=invalidPasswordChanged)
+    def invalidPassword(self):
+        return self._invalidPassword
+
+    @pyqtProperty(bool, notify=readyChanged)
+    def ready(self):
+        return self._ready
+
+
+    @pyqtSlot()
+    def doSplit(self):
+        self._logger.warning('doSplit')
+        if not self._requiresSplit:
+            return
+
+        self._db.split_accounts(self._path)
+
+        self.splitFinished.emit()
+
+    @pyqtSlot()
+    def doUpgrade(self):
+        self._logger.warning('doUpgrade')
+        if not self._requiresUpgrade:
+            return
+
+        self._logger.warning('upgrading')
+
+        self._upgrading = True
+        self.upgradingChanged.emit()
+
+        self._db.upgrade()
+        self._db.write(self._storage)
+
+        self._upgrading = False
+        self.upgradingChanged.emit()
+
+    def load_storage(self):
+        self._storage = WalletStorage(self._path)
+        if not self._storage.file_exists():
+            self._logger.warning('file does not exist')
+            self.fileNotFound.emit()
+            self._storage = None
+            return
+
+        if self._storage.is_encrypted():
+            self.needsPassword = True
+
+            try:
+                self._storage.decrypt(self._password)
+                self._invalidPassword = False
+            except InvalidPassword as e:
+                self._invalidPassword = True
+            self.invalidPasswordChanged.emit()
+
+        if not self._storage.is_past_initial_decryption():
+            self._storage = None
+
+    def load_db(self):
+        # needs storage accessible
+        self._db = WalletDB(self._storage.read(), manual_upgrades=True)
+        if self._db.requires_split():
+            self._logger.warning('wallet requires split')
+            self._requiresSplit = True
+            self.requiresSplitChanged.emit()
+            return
+        if self._db.requires_upgrade():
+            self._logger.warning('requires upgrade')
+            self._requiresUpgrade = True
+            self.requiresUpgradeChanged.emit()
+            return
+        if self._db.get_action():
+            self._logger.warning('action pending. QML version doesn\'t support continuation of wizard')
+            return
+
+        self._ready = True
+        self.readyChanged.emit()
+
+        self.daemon.load_wallet(self._path, self._password)
+
+        #wallet = Wallet(db, storage, config=self.config)
+        #wallet.start_network(self.network)
+        #self._wallets[path] = wallet
+        #return wallet