diff --git a/src/common/settings.cpp b/src/common/settings.cpp
index 5761e8b321e..913ad6d76a9 100644
--- a/src/common/settings.cpp
+++ b/src/common/settings.cpp
@@ -4,6 +4,10 @@
 
 #include <common/settings.h>
 
+#if defined(HAVE_CONFIG_H)
+#include <config/bitcoin-config.h>
+#endif
+
 #include <tinyformat.h>
 #include <univalue.h>
 #include <util/fs.h>
@@ -81,7 +85,9 @@ bool ReadSettings(const fs::path& path, std::map<std::string, SettingsValue>& va
 
     SettingsValue in;
     if (!in.read(std::string{std::istreambuf_iterator<char>(file), std::istreambuf_iterator<char>()})) {
-        errors.emplace_back(strprintf("Unable to parse settings file %s", fs::PathToString(path)));
+        errors.emplace_back(strprintf("Settings file %s does not contain valid JSON. This is probably caused by disk corruption or a crash, "
+                                      "and can be fixed by removing the file, which will reset settings to default values.",
+                                      fs::PathToString(path)));
         return false;
     }
 
@@ -114,6 +120,13 @@ bool WriteSettings(const fs::path& path,
     std::vector<std::string>& errors)
 {
     SettingsValue out(SettingsValue::VOBJ);
+    // Add auto-generated warning comment only if it does not exist
+    if (!values.contains("_warning_")) {
+        out.pushKV("_warning_", strprintf("This file is automatically generated and updated by %s. Please do not edit this file while the node "
+                                          "is running, as any changes might be ignored or overwritten.",
+                                          PACKAGE_NAME));
+    }
+    // Push settings values
     for (const auto& value : values) {
         out.pushKVEnd(value.first, value.second);
     }
diff --git a/src/qt/test/optiontests.cpp b/src/qt/test/optiontests.cpp
index e5a5179d879..7100603616c 100644
--- a/src/qt/test/optiontests.cpp
+++ b/src/qt/test/optiontests.cpp
@@ -61,7 +61,11 @@ void OptionTests::migrateSettings()
     QVERIFY(!settings.contains("addrSeparateProxyTor"));
 
     std::ifstream file(gArgs.GetDataDirNet() / "settings.json");
+    std::string default_warning = strprintf("This file is automatically generated and updated by %s. Please do not edit this file while the node "
+                                            "is running, as any changes might be ignored or overwritten.",
+                                            PACKAGE_NAME);
     QCOMPARE(std::string(std::istreambuf_iterator<char>(file), std::istreambuf_iterator<char>()).c_str(), "{\n"
+        "    \"_warning_\": \""+ default_warning+"\",\n"
         "    \"dbcache\": \"600\",\n"
         "    \"listen\": false,\n"
         "    \"onion\": \"onion:234\",\n"
diff --git a/src/test/settings_tests.cpp b/src/test/settings_tests.cpp
index fa8ceb8dd6b..41190b35798 100644
--- a/src/test/settings_tests.cpp
+++ b/src/test/settings_tests.cpp
@@ -99,7 +99,9 @@ BOOST_AUTO_TEST_CASE(ReadWrite)
     // Check invalid json not allowed
     WriteText(path, R"(invalid json)");
     BOOST_CHECK(!common::ReadSettings(path, values, errors));
-    std::vector<std::string> fail_parse = {strprintf("Unable to parse settings file %s", fs::PathToString(path))};
+    std::vector<std::string> fail_parse = {strprintf("Settings file %s does not contain valid JSON. This is probably caused by disk corruption or a crash, "
+                                                     "and can be fixed by removing the file, which will reset settings to default values.",
+                                                     fs::PathToString(path))};
     BOOST_CHECK_EQUAL_COLLECTIONS(errors.begin(), errors.end(), fail_parse.begin(), fail_parse.end());
 }
 
diff --git a/test/functional/feature_settings.py b/test/functional/feature_settings.py
index 1bacdd447a2..0214e781de0 100755
--- a/test/functional/feature_settings.py
+++ b/test/functional/feature_settings.py
@@ -23,10 +23,11 @@ class SettingsTest(BitcoinTestFramework):
         settings = node.chain_path / "settings.json"
         conf = node.datadir_path / "bitcoin.conf"
 
-        # Assert empty settings file was created
+        # Assert default settings file was created
         self.stop_node(0)
+        default_settings = {"_warning_": "This file is automatically generated and updated by Bitcoin Core. Please do not edit this file while the node is running, as any changes might be ignored or overwritten."}
         with settings.open() as fp:
-            assert_equal(json.load(fp), {})
+            assert_equal(json.load(fp), default_settings)
 
         # Assert settings are parsed and logged
         with settings.open("w") as fp:
@@ -48,12 +49,12 @@ class SettingsTest(BitcoinTestFramework):
 
         # Assert settings are unchanged after shutdown
         with settings.open() as fp:
-            assert_equal(json.load(fp), {"string": "string", "num": 5, "bool": True, "null": None, "list": [6, 7]})
+            assert_equal(json.load(fp), {**default_settings, **{"string": "string", "num": 5, "bool": True, "null": None, "list": [6, 7]}})
 
         # Test invalid json
         with settings.open("w") as fp:
             fp.write("invalid json")
-        node.assert_start_raises_init_error(expected_msg='Unable to parse settings file', match=ErrorMatch.PARTIAL_REGEX)
+        node.assert_start_raises_init_error(expected_msg='does not contain valid JSON. This is probably caused by disk corruption or a crash', match=ErrorMatch.PARTIAL_REGEX)
 
         # Test invalid json object
         with settings.open("w") as fp: