diff --git a/app/controllers/merge_requests_controller.rb b/app/controllers/merge_requests_controller.rb
index 810777e63..51317bcfd 100644
--- a/app/controllers/merge_requests_controller.rb
+++ b/app/controllers/merge_requests_controller.rb
@@ -63,7 +63,7 @@ class MergeRequestsController < ApplicationController
 
   def start_merge
     if @merge_request.status == "ready_to_merge"
-      @merge_request.update!(processing: true, last_failed_attempt: nil)
+      @merge_request.update!(processing: true, last_failed_attempt: nil, total_users: @merge_request.total_visible_users_after_merge)
       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 2f763d00c..62c5109cc 100644
--- a/app/jobs/process_merge_request_job.rb
+++ b/app/jobs/process_merge_request_job.rb
@@ -9,6 +9,6 @@ class ProcessMergeRequestJob < ApplicationJob
     Merge::MergeOrganisationsService.new(absorbing_organisation_id:, merging_organisation_ids:, merge_date:).call
     merge_request.update!(request_merged: true)
   rescue StandardError
-    merge_request.update!(last_failed_attempt: Time.zone.now, processing: false)
+    merge_request.update!(last_failed_attempt: Time.zone.now, processing: false, total_users: nil)
   end
 end
diff --git a/spec/jobs/process_merge_request_job_spec.rb b/spec/jobs/process_merge_request_job_spec.rb
index 071285c55..a8373ca5e 100644
--- a/spec/jobs/process_merge_request_job_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/jobs/process_merge_request_job_spec.rb
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ describe ProcessMergeRequestJob do
     let(:organisation) { create(:organisation) }
     let(:merging_organisation) { create(:organisation) }
     let(:other_merging_organisation) { create(:organisation) }
-    let(:merge_request) { MergeRequest.create!(requesting_organisation: organisation, absorbing_organisation: organisation, merge_date: Time.zone.local(2022, 3, 3)) }
+    let(:merge_request) { MergeRequest.create!(requesting_organisation: organisation, absorbing_organisation: organisation, merge_date: Time.zone.local(2022, 3, 3), total_users: 5) }
 
     before do
       create(:merge_request_organisation, merge_request:, merging_organisation:)
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ describe ProcessMergeRequestJob do
       expect(merge_request.reload.status).to eq("request_merged")
     end
 
-    it "sets last_failed_attempt value if there's an error and sets processing to false" do
+    it "sets last_failed_attempt value, sets processing to false and clears total_users if there's an error" do
       allow(merge_organisations_service).to receive(:call).and_raise(ActiveRecord::Rollback)
 
       expect(merge_request.last_failed_attempt).to be_nil
@@ -36,6 +36,7 @@ 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)
+      expect(merge_request.total_users).to be_nil
     end
   end
 end
diff --git a/spec/requests/merge_requests_controller_spec.rb b/spec/requests/merge_requests_controller_spec.rb
index a0d87a0da..cad862688 100644
--- a/spec/requests/merge_requests_controller_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/requests/merge_requests_controller_spec.rb
@@ -434,6 +434,7 @@ RSpec.describe MergeRequestsController, type: :request do
           expect(ProcessMergeRequestJob).to receive(:perform_later).with(merge_request:).once
           patch "/merge-request/#{merge_request.id}/start-merge"
           expect(merge_request.reload.status).to eq("processing")
+          expect(merge_request.total_users).to eq(5)
         end
       end