diff --git a/app/controllers/merge_requests_controller.rb b/app/controllers/merge_requests_controller.rb
index 9abfff032..a7ab2e098 100644
--- a/app/controllers/merge_requests_controller.rb
+++ b/app/controllers/merge_requests_controller.rb
@@ -62,7 +62,7 @@ class MergeRequestsController < ApplicationController
 
   def start_merge
     if @merge_request.status == "ready_to_merge"
-      @merge_request.update!(processing: true)
+      @merge_request.update!(processing: true, last_failed_attempt: nil)
       ProcessMergeRequestJob.perform_later(merge_request: @merge_request)
     end
 
diff --git a/app/jobs/process_merge_request_job.rb b/app/jobs/process_merge_request_job.rb
index cdec20814..2f763d00c 100644
--- a/app/jobs/process_merge_request_job.rb
+++ b/app/jobs/process_merge_request_job.rb
@@ -7,8 +7,8 @@ class ProcessMergeRequestJob < ApplicationJob
     merge_date = merge_request.merge_date
 
     Merge::MergeOrganisationsService.new(absorbing_organisation_id:, merging_organisation_ids:, merge_date:).call
-    merge_request.update!(request_merged: true, last_failed_attempt: nil)
+    merge_request.update!(request_merged: true)
   rescue StandardError
-    merge_request.update!(last_failed_attempt: Time.zone.now)
+    merge_request.update!(last_failed_attempt: Time.zone.now, processing: false)
   end
 end
diff --git a/spec/jobs/process_merge_request_job_spec.rb b/spec/jobs/process_merge_request_job_spec.rb
index 0c4ae30f1..071285c55 100644
--- a/spec/jobs/process_merge_request_job_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/jobs/process_merge_request_job_spec.rb
@@ -27,14 +27,7 @@ describe ProcessMergeRequestJob do
       expect(merge_request.reload.status).to eq("request_merged")
     end
 
-    it "clears last_failed_attempt value" do
-      merge_request.update!(last_failed_attempt: Time.zone.now)
-      job.perform(merge_request:)
-
-      expect(merge_request.reload.last_failed_attempt).to be_nil
-    end
-
-    it "sets last_failed_attempt value if there's an error" do
+    it "sets last_failed_attempt value if there's an error and sets processing to false" do
       allow(merge_organisations_service).to receive(:call).and_raise(ActiveRecord::Rollback)
 
       expect(merge_request.last_failed_attempt).to be_nil
@@ -42,6 +35,7 @@ describe ProcessMergeRequestJob do
 
       merge_request.reload
       expect(merge_request.last_failed_attempt).to be_within(10.seconds).of(Time.zone.now)
+      expect(merge_request.processing).to eq(false)
     end
   end
 end