Improved startmasternode help handling

src/rpc/masternode.cpp

@@ -408,6 +408,15 @@ void SerializeMNB(UniValue& statusObjRet, const CMasternodeBroadcast& mnb, const
 
 UniValue startmasternode(const JSONRPCRequest& request)
 {
+    // Skip after legacy obsolete. !TODO: remove when transition to DMN is complete
+    if (deterministicMNManager->LegacyMNObsolete()) {
+        if (request.fHelp) {
+            throw std::runtime_error("startmasternode (deprecated and no longer functional)");
+        } else {
+            throw JSONRPCError(RPC_MISC_ERROR, "startmasternode is not supported when deterministic masternode list is active (DIP3)");
+        }
+    }
+
     CWallet * const pwallet = GetWalletForJSONRPCRequest(request);
 
     if (!EnsureWalletIsAvailable(pwallet, request.fHelp))
@@ -457,10 +466,7 @@ UniValue startmasternode(const JSONRPCRequest& request)
 
             "\nExamples:\n" +
             HelpExampleCli("startmasternode", "\"alias\" \"0\" \"my_mn\"") + HelpExampleRpc("startmasternode", "\"alias\" \"0\" \"my_mn\""));
-    // Skip after legacy obsolete. !TODO: remove when transition to DMN is complete
-    if (deterministicMNManager->LegacyMNObsolete()) {
-        throw JSONRPCError(RPC_MISC_ERROR, "startmasternode is not supported when deterministic masternode list is active (DIP3)");
-    }
+
     bool fLock = (request.params[1].get_str() == "true" ? true : false);
 
     EnsureWalletIsUnlocked(pwallet);