diff --git a/openmls/src/group/core_group/process.rs b/openmls/src/group/core_group/process.rs
index e203643af..377695248 100644
--- a/openmls/src/group/core_group/process.rs
+++ b/openmls/src/group/core_group/process.rs
@@ -305,6 +305,10 @@ impl CoreGroup {
         if let Some(message_secrets) = self.merge_commit(provider, staged_commit)? {
             self.message_secrets_store
                 .add(past_epoch, message_secrets, leaves);
+            provider
+                .storage()
+                .write_message_secrets(self.group_id(), &self.message_secrets_store)
+                .map_err(|err| MergeCommitError::StorageError(err))?;
         }
         // Empty the proposal store
         proposal_store.empty();
diff --git a/openmls/src/group/tests/test_past_secrets.rs b/openmls/src/group/tests/test_past_secrets.rs
index f065919d8..ecfbf15de 100644
--- a/openmls/src/group/tests/test_past_secrets.rs
+++ b/openmls/src/group/tests/test_past_secrets.rs
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ use crate::{
     framing::{MessageDecryptionError, MlsMessageIn, ProcessedMessageContent},
     group::*,
 };
+use openmls_traits::OpenMlsProvider;
 
 #[openmls_test::openmls_test]
 fn test_past_secrets_in_group(
@@ -122,7 +123,6 @@ fn test_past_secrets_in_group(
         }
 
         // === Test application messages from older epochs ===
-
         // The first messages should fail
         for application_message in application_messages.iter().take(max_epochs / 2) {
             let err = bob_group
@@ -135,7 +135,9 @@ fn test_past_secrets_in_group(
                 ),)
             ));
         }
-
+        let mut bob_group = MlsGroup::load(provider.storage(), bob_group.group_id())
+            .expect("reload group")
+            .unwrap();
         // The last messages should not fail
         for application_message in application_messages.iter().skip(max_epochs / 2) {
             let bob_processed_message = bob_group