diff --git a/src/script/descriptor.cpp b/src/script/descriptor.cpp
index 2d10b5dd0f..dff6429259 100644
--- a/src/script/descriptor.cpp
+++ b/src/script/descriptor.cpp
@@ -191,8 +191,13 @@ public:
     /** Get the size of the generated public key(s) in bytes (33 or 65). */
     virtual size_t GetSize() const = 0;
 
+    enum class StringType {
+        PUBLIC,
+        COMPAT // string calculation that mustn't change over time to stay compatible with previous software versions
+    };
+
     /** Get the descriptor string form. */
-    virtual std::string ToString() const = 0;
+    virtual std::string ToString(StringType type=StringType::PUBLIC) const = 0;
 
     /** Get the descriptor string form including private data (if available in arg). */
     virtual bool ToPrivateString(const SigningProvider& arg, std::string& out) const = 0;
@@ -212,9 +217,11 @@ class OriginPubkeyProvider final : public PubkeyProvider
     std::unique_ptr<PubkeyProvider> m_provider;
     bool m_apostrophe;
 
-    std::string OriginString(bool normalized=false) const
+    std::string OriginString(StringType type, bool normalized=false) const
     {
-        return HexStr(m_origin.fingerprint) + FormatHDKeypath(m_origin.path, /*apostrophe=*/!normalized && m_apostrophe);
+        // If StringType==COMPAT, always use the apostrophe to stay compatible with previous versions
+        bool use_apostrophe = (!normalized && m_apostrophe) || type == StringType::COMPAT;
+        return HexStr(m_origin.fingerprint) + FormatHDKeypath(m_origin.path, use_apostrophe);
     }
 
 public:
@@ -228,12 +235,12 @@ public:
     }
     bool IsRange() const override { return m_provider->IsRange(); }
     size_t GetSize() const override { return m_provider->GetSize(); }
-    std::string ToString() const override { return "[" + OriginString() + "]" + m_provider->ToString(); }
+    std::string ToString(StringType type) const override { return "[" + OriginString(type) + "]" + m_provider->ToString(type); }
     bool ToPrivateString(const SigningProvider& arg, std::string& ret) const override
     {
         std::string sub;
         if (!m_provider->ToPrivateString(arg, sub)) return false;
-        ret = "[" + OriginString() + "]" + std::move(sub);
+        ret = "[" + OriginString(StringType::PUBLIC) + "]" + std::move(sub);
         return true;
     }
     bool ToNormalizedString(const SigningProvider& arg, std::string& ret, const DescriptorCache* cache) const override
@@ -245,9 +252,9 @@ public:
         // and append that to our own origin string.
         if (sub[0] == '[') {
             sub = sub.substr(9);
-            ret = "[" + OriginString(/*normalized=*/true) + std::move(sub);
+            ret = "[" + OriginString(StringType::PUBLIC, /*normalized=*/true) + std::move(sub);
         } else {
-            ret = "[" + OriginString(/*normalized=*/true) + "]" + std::move(sub);
+            ret = "[" + OriginString(StringType::PUBLIC, /*normalized=*/true) + "]" + std::move(sub);
         }
         return true;
     }
@@ -275,7 +282,7 @@ public:
     }
     bool IsRange() const override { return false; }
     size_t GetSize() const override { return m_pubkey.size(); }
-    std::string ToString() const override { return m_xonly ? HexStr(m_pubkey).substr(2) : HexStr(m_pubkey); }
+    std::string ToString(StringType type) const override { return m_xonly ? HexStr(m_pubkey).substr(2) : HexStr(m_pubkey); }
     bool ToPrivateString(const SigningProvider& arg, std::string& ret) const override
     {
         CKey key;
@@ -293,7 +300,7 @@ public:
     }
     bool ToNormalizedString(const SigningProvider& arg, std::string& ret, const DescriptorCache* cache) const override
     {
-        ret = ToString();
+        ret = ToString(StringType::PUBLIC);
         return true;
     }
     bool GetPrivKey(int pos, const SigningProvider& arg, CKey& key) const override
@@ -421,9 +428,10 @@ public:
 
         return true;
     }
-    std::string ToString(bool normalized) const
+    std::string ToString(StringType type, bool normalized) const
     {
-        const bool use_apostrophe = !normalized && m_apostrophe;
+        // If StringType==COMPAT, always use the apostrophe to stay compatible with previous versions
+        const bool use_apostrophe = (!normalized && m_apostrophe) || type == StringType::COMPAT;
         std::string ret = EncodeExtPubKey(m_root_extkey) + FormatHDKeypath(m_path, /*apostrophe=*/use_apostrophe);
         if (IsRange()) {
             ret += "/*";
@@ -431,9 +439,9 @@ public:
         }
         return ret;
     }
-    std::string ToString() const override
+    std::string ToString(StringType type=StringType::PUBLIC) const override
     {
-        return ToString(/*normalized=*/false);
+        return ToString(type, /*normalized=*/false);
     }
     bool ToPrivateString(const SigningProvider& arg, std::string& out) const override
     {
@@ -449,7 +457,7 @@ public:
     bool ToNormalizedString(const SigningProvider& arg, std::string& out, const DescriptorCache* cache) const override
     {
         if (m_derive == DeriveType::HARDENED) {
-            out = ToString(/*normalized=*/true);
+            out = ToString(StringType::PUBLIC, /*normalized=*/true);
 
             return true;
         }
@@ -556,6 +564,7 @@ public:
         PUBLIC,
         PRIVATE,
         NORMALIZED,
+        COMPAT, // string calculation that mustn't change over time to stay compatible with previous software versions
     };
 
     bool IsSolvable() const override
@@ -607,6 +616,9 @@ public:
                 case StringType::PUBLIC:
                     tmp = pubkey->ToString();
                     break;
+                case StringType::COMPAT:
+                    tmp = pubkey->ToString(PubkeyProvider::StringType::COMPAT);
+                    break;
             }
             ret += tmp;
         }
@@ -617,10 +629,10 @@ public:
         return true;
     }
 
-    std::string ToString() const final
+    std::string ToString(bool compat_format) const final
     {
         std::string ret;
-        ToStringHelper(nullptr, ret, StringType::PUBLIC);
+        ToStringHelper(nullptr, ret, compat_format ? StringType::COMPAT : StringType::PUBLIC);
         return AddChecksum(ret);
     }
 
@@ -1780,7 +1792,7 @@ std::unique_ptr<Descriptor> InferDescriptor(const CScript& script, const Signing
 
 uint256 DescriptorID(const Descriptor& desc)
 {
-    std::string desc_str = desc.ToString();
+    std::string desc_str = desc.ToString(/*compat_format=*/true);
     uint256 id;
     CSHA256().Write((unsigned char*)desc_str.data(), desc_str.size()).Finalize(id.begin());
     return id;
diff --git a/src/script/descriptor.h b/src/script/descriptor.h
index 0684febf70..c6860c5cf6 100644
--- a/src/script/descriptor.h
+++ b/src/script/descriptor.h
@@ -106,7 +106,7 @@ struct Descriptor {
     virtual bool IsSolvable() const = 0;
 
     /** Convert the descriptor back to a string, undoing parsing. */
-    virtual std::string ToString() const = 0;
+    virtual std::string ToString(bool compat_format=false) const = 0;
 
     /** Whether this descriptor will return one scriptPubKey or multiple (aka is or is not combo) */
     virtual bool IsSingleType() const = 0;
diff --git a/src/wallet/test/walletload_tests.cpp b/src/wallet/test/walletload_tests.cpp
index 58166ae492..1bd2bf012f 100644
--- a/src/wallet/test/walletload_tests.cpp
+++ b/src/wallet/test/walletload_tests.cpp
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ public:
     explicit DummyDescriptor(const std::string& descriptor) : desc(descriptor) {};
     ~DummyDescriptor() = default;
 
-    std::string ToString() const override { return desc; }
+    std::string ToString(bool compat_format) const override { return desc; }
     std::optional<OutputType> GetOutputType() const override { return OutputType::UNKNOWN; }
 
     bool IsRange() const override { return false; }