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@@ -60,3 +60,18 @@ Alternatively, install Qt Creator and open the `bitcoin-qt.pro` file.
An executable named `bitcoin-qt` will be built.
+Berkely DB version warning
+==========================
+
+A warning for people using the *static binary* version of Bitcoin (tl;dr: **Berkely DB databases are not forward compatible**).
+
+The static binary version of Bitcoin is linked against libdb4.7 or libdb4.8 (see also `this Debian issue`_).
+
+Now the nasty thing is that databases from 5.X are not compatible with 4.X.
+
+If the globally installed development package of Berkely DB installed on your system is 5.X, any source you
+build yourself will be linked against that. The first time you run with a 5.X version the database will be upgraded,
+and 4.X cannot open the new format. This means that you cannot go back to the old statically linked version without
+significant hassle!
+
+.. _`this Debian issue`: http://bugs.debian.org/cgi-bin/bugreport.cgi?bug=621425