diff --git a/managed-ledger/src/main/java/org/apache/bookkeeper/mledger/impl/ManagedCursorImpl.java b/managed-ledger/src/main/java/org/apache/bookkeeper/mledger/impl/ManagedCursorImpl.java
index 7edc4a857b02c..f7eed46091ec9 100644
--- a/managed-ledger/src/main/java/org/apache/bookkeeper/mledger/impl/ManagedCursorImpl.java
+++ b/managed-ledger/src/main/java/org/apache/bookkeeper/mledger/impl/ManagedCursorImpl.java
@@ -1804,6 +1804,7 @@ public void operationComplete() {
 
             @Override
             public void operationFailed(ManagedLedgerException exception) {
+                isDirty = true;
                 log.warn("[{}] Failed to mark delete position for cursor={} position={}", ledger.getName(),
                         ManagedCursorImpl.this, mdEntry.newPosition);
                 if (log.isDebugEnabled()) {
diff --git a/managed-ledger/src/test/java/org/apache/bookkeeper/mledger/impl/ManagedCursorTest.java b/managed-ledger/src/test/java/org/apache/bookkeeper/mledger/impl/ManagedCursorTest.java
index c14681ac92568..fe21eedab9412 100644
--- a/managed-ledger/src/test/java/org/apache/bookkeeper/mledger/impl/ManagedCursorTest.java
+++ b/managed-ledger/src/test/java/org/apache/bookkeeper/mledger/impl/ManagedCursorTest.java
@@ -3495,6 +3495,57 @@ public void testConsistencyOfIndividualMessages() throws Exception {
         assertEquals(c1.getMarkDeletedPosition(), positions.get(positions.size() -1));
     }
 
+
+
+    @Test
+    public void testFlushCursorAfterError() throws Exception {
+        ManagedLedgerConfig config = new ManagedLedgerConfig();
+        config.setThrottleMarkDelete(1.0);
+
+        ManagedLedgerFactoryConfig factoryConfig = new ManagedLedgerFactoryConfig();
+        factoryConfig.setCursorPositionFlushSeconds(1);
+
+        @Cleanup("shutdown")
+        ManagedLedgerFactory factory1 = new ManagedLedgerFactoryImpl(metadataStore, bkc, factoryConfig);
+        ManagedLedger ledger1 = factory1.open("testFlushCursorAfterInactivity", config);
+        ManagedCursor c1 = ledger1.openCursor("c");
+        List<Position> positions = new ArrayList<>();
+
+        for (int i = 0; i < 20; i++) {
+            positions.add(ledger1.addEntry(new byte[1024]));
+        }
+
+        // Simulate BK write error
+        bkc.failNow(BKException.Code.NotEnoughBookiesException);
+        metadataStore.setAlwaysFail(new MetadataStoreException.BadVersionException(""));
+
+        try {
+            c1.markDelete(positions.get(positions.size() - 1));
+            fail("should have failed");
+        } catch (ManagedLedgerException e) {
+            // Expected
+        }
+
+        metadataStore.unsetAlwaysFail();
+
+        // In memory position is updated
+        assertEquals(c1.getMarkDeletedPosition(), positions.get(positions.size() - 1));
+
+        Awaitility.await()
+                // Give chance to the flush to be automatically triggered.
+                // NOTE: this can't be set too low, or it causes issues with ZK thread pool rejecting
+                .pollDelay(Duration.ofMillis(2000))
+                .untilAsserted(() -> {
+                    // Abruptly re-open the managed ledger without graceful close
+                    @Cleanup("shutdown")
+                    ManagedLedgerFactory factory2 = new ManagedLedgerFactoryImpl(metadataStore, bkc);
+                    ManagedLedger ledger2 = factory2.open("testFlushCursorAfterInactivity", config);
+                    ManagedCursor c2 = ledger2.openCursor("c");
+
+                    assertEquals(c2.getMarkDeletedPosition(), positions.get(positions.size() - 1));
+                });
+    }
+
     @Test
     public void testCursorCheckReadPositionChanged() throws Exception {
         ManagedLedger ledger = factory.open("my_test_ledger", new ManagedLedgerConfig());