diff --git a/x-pack/plugins/alerting/public/pages/maintenance_windows/components/create_maintenance_windows_form.test.tsx b/x-pack/plugins/alerting/public/pages/maintenance_windows/components/create_maintenance_windows_form.test.tsx
index dc78b4455d54b..c5fb3bdf8357a 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugins/alerting/public/pages/maintenance_windows/components/create_maintenance_windows_form.test.tsx
+++ b/x-pack/plugins/alerting/public/pages/maintenance_windows/components/create_maintenance_windows_form.test.tsx
@@ -189,6 +189,43 @@ describe('CreateMaintenanceWindowForm', () => {
     expect(managementInput).toBeChecked();
   });
 
+  it('should initialize MWs with selected category ids properly', async () => {
+    const result = appMockRenderer.render(
+      <CreateMaintenanceWindowForm
+        {...formProps}
+        initialValue={{
+          title: 'test',
+          startDate: '2023-03-24',
+          endDate: '2023-03-26',
+          timezone: ['America/Los_Angeles'],
+          recurring: true,
+          categoryIds: ['observability', 'management'],
+        }}
+        maintenanceWindowId="test"
+      />
+    );
+
+    await waitFor(() => {
+      expect(
+        result.queryByTestId('maintenanceWindowCategorySelectionLoading')
+      ).not.toBeInTheDocument();
+    });
+
+    const observabilityInput = within(
+      result.getByTestId('maintenanceWindowCategorySelection')
+    ).getByTestId('checkbox-observability');
+    const securityInput = within(
+      result.getByTestId('maintenanceWindowCategorySelection')
+    ).getByTestId('checkbox-securitySolution');
+    const managementInput = within(
+      result.getByTestId('maintenanceWindowCategorySelection')
+    ).getByTestId('checkbox-management');
+
+    expect(observabilityInput).toBeChecked();
+    expect(managementInput).toBeChecked();
+    expect(securityInput).not.toBeChecked();
+  });
+
   it('can select category IDs', async () => {
     const result = appMockRenderer.render(<CreateMaintenanceWindowForm {...formProps} />);