diff --git a/cmd/geth/accountcmd.go b/cmd/geth/accountcmd.go
index 59fc2e4493..fe6ef34468 100644
--- a/cmd/geth/accountcmd.go
+++ b/cmd/geth/accountcmd.go
@@ -22,8 +22,6 @@ import (
 	"os"
 	"strings"
 
-	"github.com/urfave/cli/v2"
-
 	"github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/accounts"
 	"github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/accounts/keystore"
 	"github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/cmd/utils"
diff --git a/cmd/geth/consolecmd.go b/cmd/geth/consolecmd.go
index d6250b4d93..aa78242fd3 100644
--- a/cmd/geth/consolecmd.go
+++ b/cmd/geth/consolecmd.go
@@ -18,13 +18,14 @@ package main
 
 import (
 	"fmt"
+	"os"
+	"path/filepath"
 	"slices"
 	"strings"
 
-	"github.com/urfave/cli/v2"
-
 	"github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/cmd/utils"
 	"github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/console"
+	"github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/node"
 	"github.com/urfave/cli/v2"
 )
 
diff --git a/cmd/geth/main.go b/cmd/geth/main.go
index cc39a01b43..01ae223742 100644
--- a/cmd/geth/main.go
+++ b/cmd/geth/main.go
@@ -30,7 +30,6 @@ import (
 	"time"
 
 	"github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/accounts"
-	"github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/accounts/keystore"
 	"github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/cmd/utils"
 	"github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/common"
 	"github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/console/prompt"
@@ -59,7 +58,7 @@ const (
 
 var (
 	// flags that configure the node
-	nodeFlags = flags.Merge([]cli.Flag{
+	nodeFlags = slices.Concat([]cli.Flag{
 		utils.BorLogsFlag,
 		utils.IdentityFlag,
 		utils.UnlockedAccountFlag,
@@ -465,41 +464,6 @@ func startNode(ctx *cli.Context, stack *node.Node, isConsole bool) {
 	}
 }
 
-// unlockAccounts unlocks any account specifically requested.
-func unlockAccounts(ctx *cli.Context, stack *node.Node) {
-	var unlocks []string
-
-	inputs := strings.Split(ctx.String(utils.UnlockedAccountFlag.Name), ",")
-	for _, input := range inputs {
-		if trimmed := strings.TrimSpace(input); trimmed != "" {
-			unlocks = append(unlocks, trimmed)
-		}
-	}
-	// Short circuit if there is no account to unlock.
-	if len(unlocks) == 0 {
-		return
-	}
-	// If insecure account unlocking is not allowed if node's APIs are exposed to external.
-	// Print warning log to user and skip unlocking.
-	if !stack.Config().InsecureUnlockAllowed && stack.Config().ExtRPCEnabled() {
-		utils.Fatalf("Account unlock with HTTP access is forbidden!")
-	}
-
-	backends := stack.AccountManager().Backends(keystore.KeyStoreType)
-
-	if len(backends) == 0 {
-		log.Warn("Failed to unlock accounts, keystore is not available")
-		return
-	}
-
-	ks := backends[0].(*keystore.KeyStore)
-	passwords := utils.MakePasswordList(ctx)
-
-	for i, account := range unlocks {
-		unlockAccount(ks, account, i, passwords)
-	}
-}
-
 func getHeimdallArgs(ctx *cli.Context) []string {
 	heimdallArgs := strings.Split(ctx.String(utils.RunHeimdallArgsFlag.Name), ",")
 	return append([]string{"start"}, heimdallArgs...)
diff --git a/cmd/geth/misccmd.go b/cmd/geth/misccmd.go
index af9ac6f987..f1d13f3da2 100644
--- a/cmd/geth/misccmd.go
+++ b/cmd/geth/misccmd.go
@@ -22,8 +22,6 @@ import (
 	"runtime"
 	"strings"
 
-	"github.com/urfave/cli/v2"
-
 	"github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/internal/version"
 	"github.com/urfave/cli/v2"
 )
diff --git a/cmd/utils/flags.go b/cmd/utils/flags.go
index 8bc4479138..78c1ec5665 100644
--- a/cmd/utils/flags.go
+++ b/cmd/utils/flags.go
@@ -1311,6 +1311,33 @@ func MakeDatabaseHandles(max int) int {
 	return int(raised / 2) // Leave half for networking and other stuff
 }
 
+// MakeAddress converts an account specified directly as a hex encoded string or
+// a key index in the key store to an internal account representation.
+func MakeAddress(ks *keystore.KeyStore, account string) (accounts.Account, error) {
+	// If the specified account is a valid address, return it
+	if common.IsHexAddress(account) {
+		return accounts.Account{Address: common.HexToAddress(account)}, nil
+	}
+	// Otherwise try to interpret the account as a keystore index
+	index, err := strconv.Atoi(account)
+	if err != nil || index < 0 {
+		return accounts.Account{}, fmt.Errorf("invalid account address or index %q", account)
+	}
+
+	log.Warn("-------------------------------------------------------------------")
+	log.Warn("Referring to accounts by order in the keystore folder is dangerous!")
+	log.Warn("This functionality is deprecated and will be removed in the future!")
+	log.Warn("Please use explicit addresses! (can search via `geth account list`)")
+	log.Warn("-------------------------------------------------------------------")
+
+	accs := ks.Accounts()
+	if len(accs) <= index {
+		return accounts.Account{}, fmt.Errorf("index %d higher than number of accounts %d", index, len(accs))
+	}
+
+	return accs[index], nil
+}
+
 // setEtherbase retrieves the etherbase from the directly specified command line flags.
 func setEtherbase(ctx *cli.Context, cfg *ethconfig.Config) {
 	if ctx.IsSet(MinerEtherbaseFlag.Name) {
diff --git a/cmd/utils/prompt.go b/cmd/utils/prompt.go
index 1016ff2163..bc14d38fde 100644
--- a/cmd/utils/prompt.go
+++ b/cmd/utils/prompt.go
@@ -49,3 +49,20 @@ func GetPassPhrase(text string, confirmation bool) string {
 
 	return password
 }
+
+// GetPassPhraseWithList retrieves the password associated with an account, either fetched
+// from a list of preloaded passphrases, or requested interactively from the user.
+func GetPassPhraseWithList(text string, confirmation bool, index int, passwords []string) string {
+	// If a list of passwords was supplied, retrieve from them
+	if len(passwords) > 0 {
+		if index < len(passwords) {
+			return passwords[index]
+		}
+
+		return passwords[len(passwords)-1]
+	}
+	// Otherwise prompt the user for the password
+	password := GetPassPhrase(text, confirmation)
+
+	return password
+}