diff --git a/lib/mergeset/table.go b/lib/mergeset/table.go
index 8592adef0e..90dacc96d2 100644
--- a/lib/mergeset/table.go
+++ b/lib/mergeset/table.go
@@ -949,6 +949,13 @@ func (tb *Table) mustMergeInmemoryParts(pws []*partWrapper) []*partWrapper {
 	return pwsResult
 }
 
+// mustMergeInmemoryPartsFinal merges the given in-memory part wrappers (pws)
+// into a single new in-memory part wrapper.
+//
+// It panics if the input slice pws is empty (though the caller should prevent
+// this). If the pws contains only one element, it is returned as is. Finally,
+// when len(pws) > 1, the source pws are merged, and their ref count is
+// decremented.
 func (tb *Table) mustMergeInmemoryPartsFinal(pws []*partWrapper) *partWrapper {
 	if len(pws) == 0 {
 		logger.Panicf("BUG: pws must contain at least a single item")
@@ -969,7 +976,11 @@ func (tb *Table) mustMergeInmemoryPartsFinal(pws []*partWrapper) *partWrapper {
 	}
 
 	flushToDiskDeadline := getFlushToDiskDeadline(pws, tb.flushInterval)
-	return tb.mustMergeIntoInmemoryPart(bsrs, flushToDiskDeadline)
+	pw := tb.mustMergeIntoInmemoryPart(bsrs, flushToDiskDeadline)
+	for _, srcPW := range pws {
+		srcPW.decRef()
+	}
+	return pw
 }
 
 func (tb *Table) createInmemoryPart(ibs []*inmemoryBlock) *partWrapper {
diff --git a/lib/mergeset/table_test.go b/lib/mergeset/table_test.go
index 7231c11e2f..494933d69b 100644
--- a/lib/mergeset/table_test.go
+++ b/lib/mergeset/table_test.go
@@ -301,3 +301,56 @@ func testReopenTable(t *testing.T, path string, itemsCount int) {
 		tb.MustClose()
 	}
 }
+
+func TestTableMustMergeInmemoryPartsFinal_pwsRefCount(t *testing.T) {
+	path := t.Name()
+	fs.MustRemoveDir(path)
+	defer fs.MustRemoveDir(path)
+
+	var isReadOnly atomic.Bool
+	tb := MustOpenTable(path, 0, nil, nil, &isReadOnly)
+	defer tb.MustClose()
+
+	generatePartWrappers := func(n int) []*partWrapper {
+		pws := make([]*partWrapper, n)
+		for i := range n {
+			var ib inmemoryBlock
+			items := bytes.Repeat([]byte{byte(i)}, 1024)
+			ib.Add(items)
+			pw := tb.createInmemoryPart([]*inmemoryBlock{&ib})
+			pws[i] = pw
+		}
+		return pws
+	}
+
+	assertRefCount := func(pws []*partWrapper, want int32) {
+		t.Helper()
+		for _, pw := range pws {
+			if got := pw.refCount.Load(); got != want {
+				t.Fatalf("unexpected inmemory part wrapper ref count: got %d, want %d", got, want)
+			}
+		}
+	}
+
+	var (
+		pwsSrc  []*partWrapper
+		pwFinal *partWrapper
+	)
+
+	// single source part wrapper
+	pwsSrc = generatePartWrappers(1)
+	assertRefCount(pwsSrc, 1)
+	pwFinal = tb.mustMergeInmemoryPartsFinal(pwsSrc)
+	if pwFinal != pwsSrc[0] {
+		t.Fatalf("mustMergeInmemoryPartsFinal must return the original wrapper for a single source part")
+	}
+	assertRefCount(pwsSrc, 1)
+	assertRefCount([]*partWrapper{pwFinal}, 1)
+
+	// many source part wrappers
+	pwsSrc = generatePartWrappers(100)
+	assertRefCount(pwsSrc, 1)
+	pwFinal = tb.mustMergeInmemoryPartsFinal(pwsSrc)
+	assertRefCount(pwsSrc, 0)
+	assertRefCount([]*partWrapper{pwFinal}, 1)
+}
diff --git a/lib/storage/partition.go b/lib/storage/partition.go
index de25cdcf66..7e7a3500e5 100644
--- a/lib/storage/partition.go
+++ b/lib/storage/partition.go
@@ -803,10 +803,17 @@ func (pt *partition) mustMergeInmemoryParts(pws []*partWrapper) []*partWrapper {
 	return pwsResult
 }
 
-// mustMergeInmemoryPartsFinal merges the given in-memory part wrappers (pws) into a single new in-memory part wrapper.
-// It panics if the input slice pws is empty (though the caller should prevent this).
-// Returns nil if the merge results in an empty part (e.g., due to retention filters removing all data).
-// Otherwise, returns the wrapper for the merged part.
+// mustMergeInmemoryPartsFinal merges the given in-memory part wrappers (pws)
+// into a single new in-memory part wrapper.
+//
+// It panics if the input slice pws is empty (though the caller should prevent
+// this). If the pws contains only one element, it is returned as is. Finally,
+// when len(pws) > 1, the source pws are merged, and their ref count is
+// decremented.
+//
+// Returns nil if the merge results in an empty part (e.g., due to retention
+// filters removing all data). Otherwise, returns the wrapper for the merged
+// part.
 func (pt *partition) mustMergeInmemoryPartsFinal(pws []*partWrapper) *partWrapper {
 	if len(pws) == 0 {
 		logger.Panicf("BUG: pws must contain at least a single item")
@@ -853,6 +860,9 @@ func (pt *partition) mustMergeInmemoryPartsFinal(pws []*partWrapper) *partWrappe
 	if err != nil {
 		logger.Panicf("FATAL: cannot merge inmemoryBlocks: %s", err)
 	}
+	for _, pw := range pws {
+		pw.decRef()
+	}
 
 	// The resulting part is empty, no need to create a part wrapper
 	if ph.BlocksCount == 0 {
diff --git a/lib/storage/partition_test.go b/lib/storage/partition_test.go
index 5d730c4bf5..c9c317fe6d 100644
--- a/lib/storage/partition_test.go
+++ b/lib/storage/partition_test.go
@@ -183,10 +183,9 @@ func TestMergeInMemoryPartsEmptyResult(t *testing.T) {
 			rows[i].PrecisionBits = 64
 		}
 
-		pws = append(pws, &partWrapper{
-			mp: newTestInmemoryPart(rows),
-			p:  &part{},
-		})
+		mp := newTestInmemoryPart(rows)
+		pw := newPartWrapperFromInmemoryPart(mp, time.Time{})
+		pws = append(pws, pw)
 	}
 
 	pwsNew := pt.mustMergeInmemoryParts(pws)
@@ -195,6 +194,68 @@ func TestMergeInMemoryPartsEmptyResult(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+func TestMergeInMemoryPartsFinal_pwsRefCount(t *testing.T) {
+	defer testRemoveAll(t)
+
+	generatePartWrappers := func(n int) []*partWrapper {
+		var pws []*partWrapper
+		for range n {
+			var rows []rawRow
+			for i := range 10 {
+				row := rawRow{
+					TSID:          TSID{MetricID: uint64(i)},
+					Value:         float64(i),
+					Timestamp:     time.Now().UnixMilli() + int64(i),
+					PrecisionBits: 64,
+				}
+				rows = append(rows, row)
+			}
+			var mp inmemoryPart
+			mp.InitFromRows(rows)
+			pw := newPartWrapperFromInmemoryPart(&mp, time.Time{})
+			pws = append(pws, pw)
+		}
+		return pws
+	}
+
+	assertRefCount := func(pws []*partWrapper, want int32) {
+		t.Helper()
+		for _, pw := range pws {
+			if got := pw.refCount.Load(); got != want {
+				t.Fatalf("unexpected inmemory part wrapper ref count: got %d, want %d", got, want)
+			}
+		}
+	}
+
+	s := MustOpenStorage(t.Name(), OpenOptions{})
+	defer s.MustClose()
+	ptw := s.tb.MustGetPartition(time.Now().UnixMilli())
+	defer s.tb.PutPartition(ptw)
+	pt := ptw.pt
+
+	var (
+		pwsSrc  []*partWrapper
+		pwFinal *partWrapper
+	)
+
+	// single source part wrapper
+	pwsSrc = generatePartWrappers(1)
+	assertRefCount(pwsSrc, 1)
+	pwFinal = pt.mustMergeInmemoryPartsFinal(pwsSrc)
+	if pwFinal != pwsSrc[0] {
+		t.Fatalf("mustMergeInmemoryPartsFinal must return the original wrapper for a single source part")
+	}
+	assertRefCount(pwsSrc, 1)
+	assertRefCount([]*partWrapper{pwFinal}, 1)
+
+	// many source part wrappers
+	pwsSrc = generatePartWrappers(100)
+	assertRefCount(pwsSrc, 1)
+	pwFinal = pt.mustMergeInmemoryPartsFinal(pwsSrc)
+	assertRefCount(pwsSrc, 0)
+	assertRefCount([]*partWrapper{pwFinal}, 1)
+}
+
 func testCreatePartition(t *testing.T, timestamp int64, s *Storage) *partition {
 	t.Helper()
 	small := filepath.Join(t.Name(), smallDirname)