diff --git a/src/kernel/bitcoinkernel.cpp b/src/kernel/bitcoinkernel.cpp
index a5c163502c..da6f33fed0 100644
--- a/src/kernel/bitcoinkernel.cpp
+++ b/src/kernel/bitcoinkernel.cpp
@@ -1032,12 +1032,19 @@ void btck_chainstate_manager_options_set_worker_threads_num(btck_ChainstateManag
     btck_ChainstateManagerOptions::get(opts).m_chainman_options.worker_threads_num = worker_threads;
 }
 
-void btck_chainstate_manager_options_set_database_cache_bytes(btck_ChainstateManagerOptions* chainman_opts, size_t database_cache_bytes)
+int btck_chainstate_manager_options_set_database_cache_bytes(btck_ChainstateManagerOptions* chainman_opts, size_t database_cache_bytes)
 {
+    const kernel::CacheSizes cache_sizes{database_cache_bytes};
+    if (cache_sizes.coins_db == 0 || cache_sizes.coins == 0) {
+        LogError("Failed to set database cache: size must be at least 2 bytes.");
+        return -1;
+    }
+
     auto& opts{btck_ChainstateManagerOptions::get(chainman_opts)};
     LOCK(opts.m_mutex);
     opts.m_db_cache_bytes = database_cache_bytes;
-    opts.m_blockman_options.block_tree_db_params.cache_bytes = kernel::CacheSizes{database_cache_bytes}.block_tree_db;
+    opts.m_blockman_options.block_tree_db_params.cache_bytes = cache_sizes.block_tree_db;
+    return 0;
 }
 
 void btck_chainstate_manager_options_destroy(btck_ChainstateManagerOptions* options)
diff --git a/src/kernel/bitcoinkernel.h b/src/kernel/bitcoinkernel.h
index 73475e47e4..d0219ece6f 100644
--- a/src/kernel/bitcoinkernel.h
+++ b/src/kernel/bitcoinkernel.h
@@ -1203,9 +1203,10 @@ BITCOINKERNEL_API void btck_chainstate_manager_options_set_worker_threads_num(
  * called, the total cache defaults to 450 MiB.
  *
  * @param[in] chainstate_manager_options Non-null, options to be set.
- * @param[in] database_cache_bytes       The total database cache size in bytes.
+ * @param[in] database_cache_bytes       The total database cache size in bytes. Values below 2 are rejected.
+ * @return                               0 if the set was successful, non-zero if the set failed.
  */
-BITCOINKERNEL_API void btck_chainstate_manager_options_set_database_cache_bytes(
+BITCOINKERNEL_API int BITCOINKERNEL_WARN_UNUSED_RESULT btck_chainstate_manager_options_set_database_cache_bytes(
     btck_ChainstateManagerOptions* chainstate_manager_options,
     size_t database_cache_bytes) BITCOINKERNEL_ARG_NONNULL(1);
 
diff --git a/src/kernel/bitcoinkernel_wrapper.h b/src/kernel/bitcoinkernel_wrapper.h
index 42d19e4a22..9783c3aba1 100644
--- a/src/kernel/bitcoinkernel_wrapper.h
+++ b/src/kernel/bitcoinkernel_wrapper.h
@@ -1200,9 +1200,9 @@ public:
         btck_chainstate_manager_options_set_worker_threads_num(get(), worker_threads);
     }
 
-    void SetDatabaseCacheBytes(size_t database_cache_bytes)
+    bool SetDatabaseCacheBytes(size_t database_cache_bytes)
     {
-        btck_chainstate_manager_options_set_database_cache_bytes(get(), database_cache_bytes);
+        return btck_chainstate_manager_options_set_database_cache_bytes(get(), database_cache_bytes) == 0;
     }
 
     bool SetWipeDbs(bool wipe_block_tree, bool wipe_chainstate)
diff --git a/src/test/kernel/test_kernel.cpp b/src/test/kernel/test_kernel.cpp
index 2ac48b6746..c72c8a995a 100644
--- a/src/test/kernel/test_kernel.cpp
+++ b/src/test/kernel/test_kernel.cpp
@@ -801,7 +801,10 @@ BOOST_AUTO_TEST_CASE(btck_chainman_tests)
 
     ChainstateManagerOptions chainman_opts{context, PathToString(test_directory.m_directory), PathToString(test_directory.m_directory / "blocks")};
     chainman_opts.SetWorkerThreads(4);
-    chainman_opts.SetDatabaseCacheBytes(1_GiB);
+    BOOST_CHECK(chainman_opts.SetDatabaseCacheBytes(2));
+    BOOST_CHECK(chainman_opts.SetDatabaseCacheBytes(1_GiB));
+    BOOST_CHECK(!chainman_opts.SetDatabaseCacheBytes(0));
+    BOOST_CHECK(!chainman_opts.SetDatabaseCacheBytes(1));
     BOOST_CHECK(!chainman_opts.SetWipeDbs(/*wipe_block_tree=*/true, /*wipe_chainstate=*/false));
     BOOST_CHECK(chainman_opts.SetWipeDbs(/*wipe_block_tree=*/true, /*wipe_chainstate=*/true));
     BOOST_CHECK(chainman_opts.SetWipeDbs(/*wipe_block_tree=*/false, /*wipe_chainstate=*/true));

diff --git a/src/test/CMakeLists.txt b/src/test/CMakeLists.txt
index 0e4e4fd1fb..b5a12f7277 100644
--- a/src/test/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/src/test/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -199,6 +199,7 @@ function(add_boost_test source_file)
       SKIP_REGULAR_EXPRESSION
         "no test cases matching filter"
         "skipping script_assets_test"
+        "skipping total_ram"
     )
   endforeach()
 endfunction()
diff --git a/src/test/system_ram_tests.cpp b/src/test/system_ram_tests.cpp
index 16da6d1065..60f6361472 100644
--- a/src/test/system_ram_tests.cpp
+++ b/src/test/system_ram_tests.cpp
@@ -12,7 +12,11 @@ BOOST_AUTO_TEST_SUITE(system_ram_tests)
 BOOST_AUTO_TEST_CASE(total_ram)
 {
     const auto total{TryGetTotalRam()};
-    BOOST_REQUIRE(total);
+    if (!total) {
+        BOOST_WARN_MESSAGE(false, "skipping total_ram: total RAM unknown");
+        return;
+    }
+
     BOOST_CHECK_GE(*total, 1_GiB);
     BOOST_CHECK_LT(*total, 10'000_GiB); // ~10 TiB memory is unlikely
 }