diff --git a/src/DBConnection.cpp b/src/DBConnection.cpp
index f1b54b170..69a5095ab 100644
--- a/src/DBConnection.cpp
+++ b/src/DBConnection.cpp
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ Paul Licameli -- split from ProjectFileIO.cpp
 #include "Internat.h"
 #include "Project.h"
 #include "FileException.h"
+#include "wxFileNameWrapper.h"
 
 // Configuration to provide "safe" connections
 static const char *SafeConfig =
@@ -282,7 +283,9 @@ void DBConnection::CheckpointThread()
    // If it fails, then we won't checkpoint until the main thread closes
    // the associated DB.
    sqlite3 *db = nullptr;
-   if (sqlite3_open(sqlite3_db_filename(mDB, nullptr), &db) == SQLITE_OK)
+   const auto name = sqlite3_db_filename(mDB, nullptr);
+   bool giveUp = false;
+   if (sqlite3_open(name, &db) == SQLITE_OK)
    {
       // Configure it to be safe
       ModeConfig(db, "main", SafeConfig);
@@ -311,10 +314,38 @@ void DBConnection::CheckpointThread()
 
          // And kick off the checkpoint. This may not checkpoint ALL frames
          // in the WAL.  They'll be gotten the next time around.
-         sqlite3_wal_checkpoint_v2(db, nullptr, SQLITE_CHECKPOINT_PASSIVE, nullptr, nullptr);
-
+         auto rc = giveUp ? SQLITE_OK :
+            sqlite3_wal_checkpoint_v2(
+               db, nullptr, SQLITE_CHECKPOINT_PASSIVE, nullptr, nullptr);
          // Reset
          mCheckpointActive = false;
+
+         if ( rc != SQLITE_OK ) {
+            // Can't checkpoint -- maybe the device has too little space
+            wxFileNameWrapper fName{ name };
+            auto path = FileException::AbbreviatePath( fName );
+            auto name = fName.GetFullName();
+            auto longname = name + "-wal";
+            auto message1 = rc == SQLITE_FULL
+               ? XO("There is insufficient space in %s.\n" ).Format( path )
+               : TranslatableString{};
+            auto message = XO(
+"The database log file %s could not be cleaned up.\n"
+"%s\n"
+"Nothing has been lost, but you must not remove this file!  "
+"Copy %s with its log file to another device, open it, and close to make "
+"it complete."
+            ).Format( longname, message1, name );
+
+            // Throw and catch and AudacityException, enqueuing the
+            // error message box for the event loop in the main thread
+            GuardedCall( [&message]{
+               throw SimpleMessageBoxException{
+                  message, XO("Warning") }; } );
+            
+            // Stop trying to checkpoint
+            giveUp = true;
+         }
       }
    }
 
diff --git a/src/FileException.cpp b/src/FileException.cpp
index 802905f2e..ee3bc817e 100644
--- a/src/FileException.cpp
+++ b/src/FileException.cpp
@@ -37,8 +37,14 @@ XO("Audacity successfully wrote a file in %s but failed to rename it as %s.");
       default:
          break;
    }
-   wxString target;
 
+   return format.Format(
+      AbbreviatePath(fileName), renameTarget.GetFullName() );
+}
+
+wxString FileException::AbbreviatePath( const wxFileName &fileName )
+{
+   wxString target;
 #ifdef __WXMSW__
 
    // Drive letter plus colon
@@ -54,7 +60,5 @@ XO("Audacity successfully wrote a file in %s but failed to rename it as %s.");
    target = path.GetFullPath();
 
 #endif
-
-   return format.Format( target, renameTarget.GetFullName() );
+   return target;
 }
-
diff --git a/src/FileException.h b/src/FileException.h
index 6c7353503..55910a4fd 100644
--- a/src/FileException.h
+++ b/src/FileException.h
@@ -46,6 +46,8 @@ public:
 
    ~FileException() override;
 
+   static wxString AbbreviatePath(const wxFileName &fileName);
+
 protected:
    //! %Format an error message appropriate for the @ref Cause.
    TranslatableString ErrorMessage() const override;