diff --git a/core/blockchain.go b/core/blockchain.go
index 5a377b5599..afe2971df6 100644
--- a/core/blockchain.go
+++ b/core/blockchain.go
@@ -166,6 +166,7 @@ type CacheConfig struct {
 	StateScheme         string        // Scheme used to store ethereum states and merkle tree nodes on top
 	PathSyncFlush       bool          // Whether sync flush the trienodebuffer of pathdb to disk.
 	JournalFilePath     string
+	JournalFile         bool
 
 	SnapshotNoBuild bool // Whether the background generation is allowed
 	SnapshotWait    bool // Wait for snapshot construction on startup. TODO(karalabe): This is a dirty hack for testing, nuke it
@@ -190,6 +191,7 @@ func (c *CacheConfig) triedbConfig() *triedb.Config {
 			CleanCacheSize:  c.TrieCleanLimit * 1024 * 1024,
 			DirtyCacheSize:  c.TrieDirtyLimit * 1024 * 1024,
 			JournalFilePath: c.JournalFilePath,
+			JournalFile:     c.JournalFile,
 		}
 	}
 	return config
diff --git a/eth/backend.go b/eth/backend.go
index 3ec6a15ba6..542e38e0c3 100644
--- a/eth/backend.go
+++ b/eth/backend.go
@@ -139,7 +139,7 @@ func New(stack *node.Node, config *ethconfig.Config) (*Ethereum, error) {
 	}
 
 	// Assemble the Ethereum object
-	chainDb, err := stack.OpenAndMergeDatabase("chaindata", ChainDBNamespace, false, config)
+	chainDb, err := stack.OpenAndMergeDatabase(ChainData, ChainDBNamespace, false, config)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
@@ -255,14 +255,12 @@ func New(stack *node.Node, config *ethconfig.Config) (*Ethereum, error) {
 		journalFilePath string
 		path            string
 	)
-	if config.JournalFileEnabled {
-		if stack.CheckIfMultiDataBase() {
-			path = ChainData + "/state"
-		} else {
-			path = ChainData
-		}
-		journalFilePath = stack.ResolvePath(path) + "/" + JournalFileName
+	if stack.CheckIfMultiDataBase() {
+		path = ChainData + "/state"
+	} else {
+		path = ChainData
 	}
+	journalFilePath = stack.ResolvePath(path) + "/" + JournalFileName
 	var (
 		vmConfig = vm.Config{
 			EnablePreimageRecording: config.EnablePreimageRecording,
@@ -281,6 +279,7 @@ func New(stack *node.Node, config *ethconfig.Config) (*Ethereum, error) {
 			StateScheme:         config.StateScheme,
 			PathSyncFlush:       config.PathSyncFlush,
 			JournalFilePath:     journalFilePath,
+			JournalFile:         config.JournalFileEnabled,
 		}
 	)
 	bcOps := make([]core.BlockChainOption, 0)
diff --git a/triedb/pathdb/database.go b/triedb/pathdb/database.go
index a897a8e4a9..f60677fc93 100644
--- a/triedb/pathdb/database.go
+++ b/triedb/pathdb/database.go
@@ -65,6 +65,13 @@ const (
 	DefaultBatchRedundancyRate = 1.1
 )
 
+type JournalType int
+
+const (
+	JournalKVType JournalType = iota
+	JournalFileType
+)
+
 // layer is the interface implemented by all state layers which includes some
 // public methods and some additional methods for internal usage.
 type layer interface {
@@ -92,7 +99,7 @@ type layer interface {
 	// journal commits an entire diff hierarchy to disk into a single journal entry.
 	// This is meant to be used during shutdown to persist the layer without
 	// flattening everything down (bad for reorgs).
-	journal(w io.Writer, journalFile bool) error
+	journal(w io.Writer, journalType JournalType) error
 }
 
 // Config contains the settings for database.
@@ -104,6 +111,7 @@ type Config struct {
 	ReadOnly        bool   // Flag whether the database is opened in read only mode.
 	NoTries         bool
 	JournalFilePath string
+	JournalFile     bool
 }
 
 // sanitize checks the provided user configurations and changes anything that's
@@ -527,23 +535,40 @@ func (db *Database) GetAllRooHash() [][]string {
 	return data
 }
 
-func (db *Database) IsEnableJournalFile() bool {
-	return len(db.config.JournalFilePath) != 0
+// DetermineJournalTypeForWriter is used when persisting the journal. It determines JournalType based on the config passed in by the Config.
+func (db *Database) DetermineJournalTypeForWriter() JournalType {
+	if db.config.JournalFile {
+		return JournalFileType
+	} else {
+		return JournalKVType
+	}
+}
+
+// DetermineJournalTypeForReader is used when loading the journal. It loads based on whether JournalKV or JournalFile currently exists.
+func (db *Database) DetermineJournalTypeForReader() JournalType {
+	if journal := rawdb.ReadTrieJournal(db.diskdb); len(journal) != 0 {
+		return JournalKVType
+	}
+
+	if fileInfo, stateErr := os.Stat(db.config.JournalFilePath); stateErr == nil && !fileInfo.IsDir() {
+		return JournalFileType
+	}
+
+	return JournalKVType
 }
 
 func (db *Database) DeleteTrieJournal(writer ethdb.KeyValueWriter) error {
+	// To prevent any remnants of old journals after converting from JournalKV to JournalFile or vice versa, all deletions must be completed.
+	rawdb.DeleteTrieJournal(writer)
+
+	// delete from journal file, may not exist
 	filePath := db.config.JournalFilePath
-	if len(filePath) == 0 {
-		rawdb.DeleteTrieJournal(writer)
-	} else {
-		_, err := os.Stat(filePath)
-		if os.IsNotExist(err) {
-			return err
-		}
-		errRemove := os.Remove(filePath)
-		if errRemove != nil {
-			log.Crit("Failed to remove tries journal", "journal path", filePath, "err", err)
-		}
+	if _, err := os.Stat(filePath); os.IsNotExist(err) {
+		return nil
+	}
+	errRemove := os.Remove(filePath)
+	if errRemove != nil {
+		log.Crit("Failed to remove tries journal", "journal path", filePath, "err", errRemove)
 	}
 	return nil
 }
diff --git a/triedb/pathdb/difflayer_test.go b/triedb/pathdb/difflayer_test.go
index 4db0d9874c..ab69a24d3d 100644
--- a/triedb/pathdb/difflayer_test.go
+++ b/triedb/pathdb/difflayer_test.go
@@ -165,6 +165,6 @@ func BenchmarkJournal(b *testing.B) {
 	b.ResetTimer()
 
 	for i := 0; i < b.N; i++ {
-		layer.journal(new(bytes.Buffer), false)
+		layer.journal(new(bytes.Buffer), JournalKVType)
 	}
 }
diff --git a/triedb/pathdb/journal.go b/triedb/pathdb/journal.go
index c1c2bb32c1..e14f047e0d 100644
--- a/triedb/pathdb/journal.go
+++ b/triedb/pathdb/journal.go
@@ -151,8 +151,9 @@ func (kr *JournalKVReader) Read(p []byte) (n int, err error) {
 func (kr *JournalKVReader) Close() {
 }
 
-func newJournalWriter(file string, db ethdb.Database) JournalWriter {
-	if len(file) == 0 {
+func newJournalWriter(file string, db ethdb.Database, journalType JournalType) JournalWriter {
+	log.Info("New journal writer", "path", file, "journalType", journalType)
+	if journalType == JournalKVType {
 		return &JournalKVWriter{
 			diskdb: db,
 		}
@@ -167,8 +168,9 @@ func newJournalWriter(file string, db ethdb.Database) JournalWriter {
 	}
 }
 
-func newJournalReader(file string, db ethdb.Database) (JournalReader, error) {
-	if len(file) == 0 {
+func newJournalReader(file string, db ethdb.Database, journalType JournalType) (JournalReader, error) {
+	log.Info("New journal reader", "path", file, "journalType", journalType)
+	if journalType == JournalKVType {
 		journal := rawdb.ReadTrieJournal(db)
 		if len(journal) == 0 {
 			return nil, errMissJournal
@@ -193,7 +195,7 @@ func newJournalReader(file string, db ethdb.Database) (JournalReader, error) {
 // loadJournal tries to parse the layer journal from the disk.
 func (db *Database) loadJournal(diskRoot common.Hash) (layer, error) {
 	start := time.Now()
-	reader, err := newJournalReader(db.config.JournalFilePath, db.diskdb)
+	reader, err := newJournalReader(db.config.JournalFilePath, db.diskdb, db.DetermineJournalTypeForReader())
 
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
@@ -267,7 +269,7 @@ func (db *Database) loadDiskLayer(r *rlp.Stream) (layer, error) {
 		journalBuf         *rlp.Stream
 		journalEncodedBuff []byte
 	)
-	if db.IsEnableJournalFile() {
+	if db.DetermineJournalTypeForReader() == JournalFileType {
 		if err := r.Decode(&journalEncodedBuff); err != nil {
 			return nil, fmt.Errorf("load disk journal: %v", err)
 		}
@@ -308,7 +310,7 @@ func (db *Database) loadDiskLayer(r *rlp.Stream) (layer, error) {
 		nodes[entry.Owner] = subset
 	}
 
-	if db.IsEnableJournalFile() {
+	if db.DetermineJournalTypeForReader() == JournalFileType {
 		var shaSum [32]byte
 		if err := r.Decode(&shaSum); err != nil {
 			return nil, fmt.Errorf("load shasum: %v", err)
@@ -334,7 +336,7 @@ func (db *Database) loadDiffLayer(parent layer, r *rlp.Stream) (layer, error) {
 		journalBuf         *rlp.Stream
 		journalEncodedBuff []byte
 	)
-	if db.IsEnableJournalFile() {
+	if db.DetermineJournalTypeForReader() == JournalFileType {
 		if err := r.Decode(&journalEncodedBuff); err != nil {
 			// The first read may fail with EOF, marking the end of the journal
 			if err == io.EOF {
@@ -407,7 +409,7 @@ func (db *Database) loadDiffLayer(parent layer, r *rlp.Stream) (layer, error) {
 		storages[entry.Account] = set
 	}
 
-	if db.IsEnableJournalFile() {
+	if db.DetermineJournalTypeForReader() == JournalFileType {
 		var shaSum [32]byte
 		if err := r.Decode(&shaSum); err != nil {
 			return nil, fmt.Errorf("load shasum: %v", err)
@@ -426,7 +428,7 @@ func (db *Database) loadDiffLayer(parent layer, r *rlp.Stream) (layer, error) {
 
 // journal implements the layer interface, marshaling the un-flushed trie nodes
 // along with layer metadata into provided byte buffer.
-func (dl *diskLayer) journal(w io.Writer, journalFile bool) error {
+func (dl *diskLayer) journal(w io.Writer, journalType JournalType) error {
 	dl.lock.RLock()
 	defer dl.lock.RUnlock()
 
@@ -460,7 +462,7 @@ func (dl *diskLayer) journal(w io.Writer, journalFile bool) error {
 	}
 
 	// Store the journal buf into w and calculate checksum
-	if journalFile {
+	if journalType == JournalFileType {
 		shasum := sha256.Sum256(journalBuf.Bytes())
 		if err := rlp.Encode(w, journalBuf.Bytes()); err != nil {
 			return err
@@ -480,12 +482,12 @@ func (dl *diskLayer) journal(w io.Writer, journalFile bool) error {
 
 // journal implements the layer interface, writing the memory layer contents
 // into a buffer to be stored in the database as the layer journal.
-func (dl *diffLayer) journal(w io.Writer, journalFile bool) error {
+func (dl *diffLayer) journal(w io.Writer, journalType JournalType) error {
 	dl.lock.RLock()
 	defer dl.lock.RUnlock()
 
 	// journal the parent first
-	if err := dl.parent.journal(w, journalFile); err != nil {
+	if err := dl.parent.journal(w, journalType); err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
 	// Create a buffer to store encoded data
@@ -535,7 +537,7 @@ func (dl *diffLayer) journal(w io.Writer, journalFile bool) error {
 	}
 
 	// Store the journal buf into w and calculate checksum
-	if journalFile {
+	if journalType == JournalFileType {
 		shasum := sha256.Sum256(journalBuf.Bytes())
 		if err := rlp.Encode(w, journalBuf.Bytes()); err != nil {
 			return err
@@ -583,7 +585,7 @@ func (db *Database) Journal(root common.Hash) error {
 	}
 	// Firstly write out the metadata of journal
 	db.DeleteTrieJournal(db.diskdb)
-	journal := newJournalWriter(db.config.JournalFilePath, db.diskdb)
+	journal := newJournalWriter(db.config.JournalFilePath, db.diskdb, db.DetermineJournalTypeForWriter())
 	defer journal.Close()
 
 	if err := rlp.Encode(journal, journalVersion); err != nil {
@@ -600,7 +602,7 @@ func (db *Database) Journal(root common.Hash) error {
 		return err
 	}
 	// Finally write out the journal of each layer in reverse order.
-	if err := l.journal(journal, db.IsEnableJournalFile()); err != nil {
+	if err := l.journal(journal, db.DetermineJournalTypeForWriter()); err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
 	// Store the journal into the database and return