diff --git a/tests/qemu-iotests/254 b/tests/qemu-iotests/254
index 8edba91c5d..9a57bccc26 100755
--- a/tests/qemu-iotests/254
+++ b/tests/qemu-iotests/254
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env python
 #
-# Test external snapshot with bitmap copying.
+# Test external snapshot with bitmap copying and moving.
 #
 # Copyright (c) 2019 Virtuozzo International GmbH. All rights reserved.
 #
@@ -32,6 +32,10 @@ vm = iotests.VM().add_drive(disk, opts='node-name=base')
 vm.launch()
 
 vm.qmp_log('block-dirty-bitmap-add', node='drive0', name='bitmap0')
+vm.qmp_log('block-dirty-bitmap-add', node='drive0', name='bitmap1',
+           persistent=True)
+vm.qmp_log('block-dirty-bitmap-add', node='drive0', name='bitmap2',
+           persistent=True)
 
 vm.hmp_qemu_io('drive0', 'write 0 512K')
 
@@ -39,16 +43,38 @@ vm.qmp_log('transaction', indent=2, actions=[
     {'type': 'blockdev-snapshot-sync',
      'data': {'device': 'drive0', 'snapshot-file': top,
               'snapshot-node-name': 'snap'}},
+
+    # copy non-persistent bitmap0
     {'type': 'block-dirty-bitmap-add',
      'data': {'node': 'snap', 'name': 'bitmap0'}},
     {'type': 'block-dirty-bitmap-merge',
      'data': {'node': 'snap', 'target': 'bitmap0',
-              'bitmaps': [{'node': 'base', 'name': 'bitmap0'}]}}
+              'bitmaps': [{'node': 'base', 'name': 'bitmap0'}]}},
+
+    # copy persistent bitmap1, original will be saved to base image
+    {'type': 'block-dirty-bitmap-add',
+     'data': {'node': 'snap', 'name': 'bitmap1', 'persistent': True}},
+    {'type': 'block-dirty-bitmap-merge',
+     'data': {'node': 'snap', 'target': 'bitmap1',
+              'bitmaps': [{'node': 'base', 'name': 'bitmap1'}]}},
+
+    # move persistent bitmap1, original will be removed and not saved
+    # to base image
+    {'type': 'block-dirty-bitmap-add',
+     'data': {'node': 'snap', 'name': 'bitmap2', 'persistent': True}},
+    {'type': 'block-dirty-bitmap-merge',
+     'data': {'node': 'snap', 'target': 'bitmap2',
+              'bitmaps': [{'node': 'base', 'name': 'bitmap2'}]}},
+    {'type': 'block-dirty-bitmap-remove',
+     'data': {'node': 'base', 'name': 'bitmap2'}}
 ], filters=[iotests.filter_qmp_testfiles])
 
 result = vm.qmp('query-block')['return'][0]
 log("query-block: device = {}, node-name = {}, dirty-bitmaps:".format(
     result['device'], result['inserted']['node-name']))
 log(result['dirty-bitmaps'], indent=2)
+log("\nbitmaps in backing image:")
+log(result['inserted']['image']['backing-image']['format-specific'] \
+    ['data']['bitmaps'], indent=2)
 
 vm.shutdown()
diff --git a/tests/qemu-iotests/254.out b/tests/qemu-iotests/254.out
index d7394cf002..d185c0532f 100644
--- a/tests/qemu-iotests/254.out
+++ b/tests/qemu-iotests/254.out
@@ -1,5 +1,9 @@
 {"execute": "block-dirty-bitmap-add", "arguments": {"name": "bitmap0", "node": "drive0"}}
 {"return": {}}
+{"execute": "block-dirty-bitmap-add", "arguments": {"name": "bitmap1", "node": "drive0", "persistent": true}}
+{"return": {}}
+{"execute": "block-dirty-bitmap-add", "arguments": {"name": "bitmap2", "node": "drive0", "persistent": true}}
+{"return": {}}
 {
   "execute": "transaction",
   "arguments": {
@@ -31,6 +35,55 @@
           "target": "bitmap0"
         },
         "type": "block-dirty-bitmap-merge"
+      },
+      {
+        "data": {
+          "name": "bitmap1",
+          "node": "snap",
+          "persistent": true
+        },
+        "type": "block-dirty-bitmap-add"
+      },
+      {
+        "data": {
+          "bitmaps": [
+            {
+              "name": "bitmap1",
+              "node": "base"
+            }
+          ],
+          "node": "snap",
+          "target": "bitmap1"
+        },
+        "type": "block-dirty-bitmap-merge"
+      },
+      {
+        "data": {
+          "name": "bitmap2",
+          "node": "snap",
+          "persistent": true
+        },
+        "type": "block-dirty-bitmap-add"
+      },
+      {
+        "data": {
+          "bitmaps": [
+            {
+              "name": "bitmap2",
+              "node": "base"
+            }
+          ],
+          "node": "snap",
+          "target": "bitmap2"
+        },
+        "type": "block-dirty-bitmap-merge"
+      },
+      {
+        "data": {
+          "name": "bitmap2",
+          "node": "base"
+        },
+        "type": "block-dirty-bitmap-remove"
       }
     ]
   }
@@ -40,6 +93,24 @@
 }
 query-block: device = drive0, node-name = snap, dirty-bitmaps:
 [
+  {
+    "busy": false,
+    "count": 524288,
+    "granularity": 65536,
+    "name": "bitmap2",
+    "persistent": true,
+    "recording": true,
+    "status": "active"
+  },
+  {
+    "busy": false,
+    "count": 524288,
+    "granularity": 65536,
+    "name": "bitmap1",
+    "persistent": true,
+    "recording": true,
+    "status": "active"
+  },
   {
     "busy": false,
     "count": 524288,
@@ -50,3 +121,14 @@ query-block: device = drive0, node-name = snap, dirty-bitmaps:
     "status": "active"
   }
 ]
+
+bitmaps in backing image:
+[
+  {
+    "flags": [
+      "auto"
+    ],
+    "granularity": 65536,
+    "name": "bitmap1"
+  }
+]
