diff --git a/src/indexer/segment_updater.rs b/src/indexer/segment_updater.rs
index b2fa1d648..5861b5c46 100644
--- a/src/indexer/segment_updater.rs
+++ b/src/indexer/segment_updater.rs
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+use std::any::Any;
 use std::borrow::BorrowMut;
 use std::collections::HashSet;
 use std::io::Write;
@@ -23,7 +24,9 @@ use crate::indexer::{
     DefaultMergePolicy, MergeCandidate, MergeOperation, MergePolicy, SegmentEntry,
     SegmentSerializer,
 };
-use crate::{FutureResult, Opstamp};
+use crate::{FutureResult, Opstamp, TantivyError};
+
+const PANIC_CAUGHT: &str = "Panic caught in merge thread";
 
 /// Save the index meta file.
 /// This operation is atomic:
@@ -287,6 +290,15 @@ impl SegmentUpdater {
         let merge_thread_pool = ThreadPoolBuilder::new()
             .thread_name(|i| format!("merge_thread_{i}"))
             .num_threads(num_merge_threads)
+            .panic_handler(move |panic| {
+                // We don't print the panic content itself, 
+                // it is already printed during the unwinding
+                if let Some(message) = panic.downcast_ref::<&str>() {
+                    if *message != PANIC_CAUGHT {
+                        error!("uncaught merge panic")
+                    }
+                }
+            })
             .build()
             .map_err(|_| {
                 crate::TantivyError::SystemError(
@@ -506,11 +518,34 @@ impl SegmentUpdater {
             // Its lifetime is used to track how many merging thread are currently running,
             // as well as which segment is currently in merge and therefore should not be
             // candidate for another merge.
-            match merge(
-                &segment_updater.index,
-                segment_entries,
-                merge_operation.target_opstamp(),
-            ) {
+            let merge_panic_res = std::panic::catch_unwind(std::panic::AssertUnwindSafe(|| {
+                merge(
+                    &segment_updater.index,
+                    segment_entries,
+                    merge_operation.target_opstamp(),
+                )
+            }));
+            let merge_res = match merge_panic_res {
+                Ok(merge_res) => merge_res,
+                Err(panic_err) => {
+                    let panic_str = if let Some(msg) = panic_err.downcast_ref::<&str>() {
+                        *msg
+                    } else if let Some(msg) = panic_err.downcast_ref::<String>() {
+                        msg.as_str()
+                    } else {
+                        "UNKNOWN"
+                    };
+                    let _send_result = merging_future_send.send(Err(TantivyError::SystemError(
+                        format!("Merge thread panicked: {panic_str}"),
+                    )));
+                    // Resume unwinding because we forced unwind safety with
+                    // `std::panic::AssertUnwindSafe` Use a specific message so
+                    // the panic_handler can double check that we properly caught the panic.
+                    let boxed_panic_message: Box<dyn Any + Send> = Box::new(PANIC_CAUGHT);
+                    std::panic::resume_unwind(boxed_panic_message);
+                }
+            };
+            match merge_res {
                 Ok(after_merge_segment_entry) => {
                     let res = segment_updater.end_merge(merge_operation, after_merge_segment_entry);
                     let _send_result = merging_future_send.send(res);