diff --git a/backup/backup.py b/backup/backup.py
index 058c47b..1a492f6 100755
--- a/backup/backup.py
+++ b/backup/backup.py
@@ -299,6 +299,23 @@ def on_db_write(writes, data_version, plugin, **kwargs):
         kill("Could not append DB change to the backup. Need to shutdown!")
 
 
+@plugin.init()
+def on_init(options, **kwargs):
+    dest = options.get('backup-destination', 'null')
+    if dest != 'null':
+        plugin.log(
+            "The `--backup-destination` option is deprecated and will be "
+            "removed in future versions of the backup plugin. Please remove "
+            "it from your configuration. The destination is now determined by "
+            "the `backup.lock` file in the lightning directory",
+            level="warn"
+        )
+
+    configs = plugin.rpc.listconfigs()
+    if not configs['wallet'].startswith('sqlite3'):
+        kill("The backup plugin only works with the sqlite3 database.")
+
+
 def kill(message: str):
     plugin.log(message)
     time.sleep(1)
diff --git a/backup/test_backup.py b/backup/test_backup.py
index 9ef54ff..d385153 100644
--- a/backup/test_backup.py
+++ b/backup/test_backup.py
@@ -189,3 +189,21 @@ def test_restore(node_factory, directory):
 
     rdest = os.path.join(bpath, 'lightningd.sqlite.restore')
     subprocess.check_call([cli_path, "restore", bdest, rdest])
+
+
+def test_warning(directory, node_factory):
+    bpath = os.path.join(directory, 'lightning-1', 'regtest')
+    bdest = 'file://' + os.path.join(bpath, 'backup.dbak')
+    os.makedirs(bpath)
+    subprocess.check_call([cli_path, "init", bpath, bdest])
+    opts = {
+        'plugin': plugin_path,
+        'allow-deprecated-apis': deprecated_apis,
+        'backup-destination': 'somewhere/over/the/rainbox',
+    }
+    l1 = node_factory.get_node(options=opts, cleandir=False)
+    l1.stop()
+
+    assert(l1.daemon.is_in_log(
+        r'The `--backup-destination` option is deprecated and will be removed in future versions of the backup plugin.'
+    ))