diff --git a/tests/merge.py b/tests/merge.py
index 6e987a2a..73c2f293 100644
--- a/tests/merge.py
+++ b/tests/merge.py
@@ -1369,6 +1369,56 @@ class MergeTest(ProbackupTest, unittest.TestCase):
 
         self.del_test_dir(module_name, fname)
 
+    def test_crash_after_opening_backup_control(self):
+        """
+        check that crashing after opening backup.control
+        for writing will not result in losing backup metadata
+        """
+        fname = self.id().split('.')[3]
+        backup_dir = os.path.join(self.tmp_path, module_name, fname, 'backup')
+        node = self.make_simple_node(
+            base_dir=os.path.join(module_name, fname, 'node'),
+            set_replication=True,
+            initdb_params=['--data-checksums'])
+
+        self.init_pb(backup_dir)
+        self.add_instance(backup_dir, 'node', node)
+        self.set_archiving(backup_dir, 'node', node)
+        node.slow_start()
+
+        # FULL stream backup
+        self.backup_node(
+            backup_dir, 'node', node, options=['--stream'])
+
+        # DELTA archive backup
+        backup_id = self.backup_node(
+            backup_dir, 'node', node, backup_type='delta')
+
+        print(self.show_pb(
+            backup_dir, 'node', as_json=False, as_text=True))
+
+        gdb = self.merge_backup(backup_dir, "node", backup_id, gdb=True)
+        gdb.set_breakpoint('write_backup_filelist')
+        gdb.run_until_break()
+
+        gdb.set_breakpoint('write_backup')
+        gdb.continue_execution_until_break()
+        gdb.set_breakpoint('pgBackupWriteControl')
+        gdb.continue_execution_until_break()
+
+        gdb._execute('signal SIGKILL')
+
+        print(self.show_pb(
+            backup_dir, 'node', as_json=False, as_text=True))
+
+        self.assertEqual(
+            'MERGING', self.show_pb(backup_dir, 'node')[0]['status'])
+
+        self.assertEqual(
+            'MERGING', self.show_pb(backup_dir, 'node')[1]['status'])
+
+        self.del_test_dir(module_name, fname)
+
 # 1. always use parent link when merging (intermediates may be from different chain)
 # 2. page backup we are merging with may disappear after failed merge,
 # it should not be possible to continue merge after that