diff --git a/test/functional/test_framework/test_node.py b/test/functional/test_framework/test_node.py
index 8d8806910..8d6ec618d 100755
--- a/test/functional/test_framework/test_node.py
+++ b/test/functional/test_framework/test_node.py
@@ -166,7 +166,7 @@ class TestNode():
     def wait_until_stopped(self, timeout=BITCOIND_PROC_WAIT_TIMEOUT):
         wait_until(self.is_node_stopped, timeout=timeout)
 
-    def assert_start_raises_init_error(self, extra_args=None, expected_msg=None, *args, **kwargs):
+    def assert_start_raises_init_error(self, extra_args=None, expected_msg=None, partial_match=False, *args, **kwargs):
         """Attempt to start the node and expect it to raise an error.
 
         extra_args: extra arguments to pass through to bitcoind
@@ -187,9 +187,13 @@ class TestNode():
                 # Check stderr for expected message
                 if expected_msg is not None:
                     log_stderr.seek(0)
-                    stderr = log_stderr.read().decode('utf-8')
-                    if re.fullmatch(expected_msg + '\n', stderr) is None:
-                        raise AssertionError('Expected message "{}" does not match stderr:\n"{}"'.format(expected_msg, stderr))
+                    stderr = log_stderr.read().decode('utf-8').strip()
+                    if partial_match:
+                        if re.search(expected_msg, stderr, flags=re.MULTILINE) is None:
+                            raise AssertionError('Expected message "{}" does not partially match stderr:\n"{}"'.format(expected_msg, stderr))
+                    else:
+                        if re.fullmatch(expected_msg, stderr) is None:
+                            raise AssertionError('Expected message "{}" does not fully match stderr:\n"{}"'.format(expected_msg, stderr))
             else:
                 if expected_msg is None:
                     assert_msg = "bitcoind should have exited with an error"
diff --git a/test/functional/wallet_multiwallet.py b/test/functional/wallet_multiwallet.py
index cc72f09c8..cf6d1274b 100755
--- a/test/functional/wallet_multiwallet.py
+++ b/test/functional/wallet_multiwallet.py
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@
 Verify that a bitcoind node can load multiple wallet files
 """
 import os
+import re
 import shutil
 
 from test_framework.test_framework import BitcoinTestFramework
@@ -60,11 +61,8 @@ class MultiWalletTest(BitcoinTestFramework):
                 assert_equal(os.path.isfile(wallet_dir(wallet_name)), True)
 
         # should not initialize if wallet path can't be created
-        exp_stderr = "\n\n\*+\n" + \
-                     "EXCEPTION: .*\n" + \
-                     "boost::filesystem::create_directory: Not a directory:.*\n" + \
-                     "bitcoin in .*\n"
-        self.nodes[0].assert_start_raises_init_error(['-wallet=wallet.dat/bad'], exp_stderr)
+        exp_stderr = "boost::filesystem::create_directory: (The system cannot find the path specified|Not a directory):"
+        self.nodes[0].assert_start_raises_init_error(['-wallet=wallet.dat/bad'], exp_stderr, partial_match=True)
 
         self.nodes[0].assert_start_raises_init_error(['-walletdir=wallets'], 'Error: Specified -walletdir "wallets" does not exist')
         self.nodes[0].assert_start_raises_init_error(['-walletdir=wallets'], 'Error: Specified -walletdir "wallets" is a relative path', cwd=data_dir())
@@ -75,11 +73,8 @@ class MultiWalletTest(BitcoinTestFramework):
 
         # should not initialize if one wallet is a copy of another
         shutil.copyfile(wallet_dir('w8'), wallet_dir('w8_copy'))
-        exp_stderr = "\n\n\*+\n" + \
-                     "EXCEPTION: .*\n" + \
-                     "CDB: Can't open database w8_copy \(duplicates fileid \w+ from w8\)\s*\n" + \
-                     "bitcoin in .*\n"
-        self.nodes[0].assert_start_raises_init_error(['-wallet=w8', '-wallet=w8_copy'], exp_stderr)
+        exp_stderr = "CDB: Can't open database w8_copy \(duplicates fileid \w+ from w8\)"
+        self.nodes[0].assert_start_raises_init_error(['-wallet=w8', '-wallet=w8_copy'], exp_stderr, partial_match=True)
 
         # should not initialize if wallet file is a symlink
         os.symlink('w8', wallet_dir('w8_symlink'))
@@ -90,7 +85,7 @@ class MultiWalletTest(BitcoinTestFramework):
         # should not initialize if the specified walletdir is not a directory
         not_a_dir = wallet_dir('notadir')
         open(not_a_dir, 'a').close()
-        self.nodes[0].assert_start_raises_init_error(['-walletdir=' + not_a_dir], 'Error: Specified -walletdir "' + not_a_dir + '" is not a directory')
+        self.nodes[0].assert_start_raises_init_error(['-walletdir=' + not_a_dir], 'Error: Specified -walletdir "' + re.escape(not_a_dir) + '" is not a directory')
 
         # if wallets/ doesn't exist, datadir should be the default wallet dir
         wallet_dir2 = data_dir('walletdir')
@@ -112,7 +107,7 @@ class MultiWalletTest(BitcoinTestFramework):
         os.mkdir(competing_wallet_dir)
         self.restart_node(0, ['-walletdir=' + competing_wallet_dir])
         exp_stderr = "Error: Error initializing wallet database environment \"\S+competing_walletdir\"!"
-        self.nodes[1].assert_start_raises_init_error(['-walletdir=' + competing_wallet_dir], exp_stderr)
+        self.nodes[1].assert_start_raises_init_error(['-walletdir=' + competing_wallet_dir], exp_stderr, partial_match=True)
 
         self.restart_node(0, extra_args)