diff --git a/lib/metadata/lv.c b/lib/metadata/lv.c
index 25f406d1d..3a3081d13 100644
--- a/lib/metadata/lv.c
+++ b/lib/metadata/lv.c
@@ -1601,6 +1601,22 @@ int lv_set_name(struct logical_volume *lv, const char *lv_name)
 	return 1;
 }
 
+int lv_set_vg(struct logical_volume *lv, struct volume_group *vg)
+{
+	const char *lv_name;
+
+	if (lv->vg != vg) {
+		lv_name = lv->name;
+		if (!lv_set_name(lv, NULL))
+			return_0; /* drop from existing VG radix_tree */
+		lv->vg = vg;
+		if (!lv_set_name(lv, lv_name))
+			return_0;
+	}
+
+	return 1;
+}
+
 static char *_time_dup(struct cmd_context *cmd, struct dm_pool *mem,
 		       time_t ts, int iso_mode)
 {
diff --git a/lib/metadata/lv.h b/lib/metadata/lv.h
index 89a4a2dbd..b64bc8cb6 100644
--- a/lib/metadata/lv.h
+++ b/lib/metadata/lv.h
@@ -154,6 +154,7 @@ char *lvseg_kernel_discards_dup(struct dm_pool *mem, const struct lv_segment *se
 int lv_set_creation(struct logical_volume *lv,
 		    const char *hostname, uint64_t timestamp);
 int lv_set_name(struct logical_volume *lv, const char *lv_name);
+int lv_set_vg(struct logical_volume *lv, struct volume_group *vg);
 int lv_active_change(struct cmd_context *cmd, struct logical_volume *lv,
 		     enum activation_change activate);
 
diff --git a/tools/vgmerge.c b/tools/vgmerge.c
index 4ed4a8f0b..18f6777f8 100644
--- a/tools/vgmerge.c
+++ b/tools/vgmerge.c
@@ -156,7 +156,8 @@ static int _vgmerge_single(struct cmd_context *cmd, const char *vg_name_to,
 	}
 
 	dm_list_iterate_items(lvl1, &vg_from->lvs) {
-		lvl1->lv->vg = vg_to;
+		if (!lv_set_vg(lvl1->lv, vg_to))
+			goto_bad;
 		lvl1->lv->lvid.id[0] = lvl1->lv->vg->id;
 	}
 
diff --git a/tools/vgsplit.c b/tools/vgsplit.c
index 2f2b89b06..bc0e131cf 100644
--- a/tools/vgsplit.c
+++ b/tools/vgsplit.c
@@ -49,7 +49,8 @@ static int _lv_tree_move(struct dm_list *lvh,
 		*lvht = dm_list_next(lvh, lvh);
 
 	dm_list_move(&vg_to->lvs, lvh);
-	lv->vg = vg_to;
+	if (!lv_set_vg(lv, vg_to))
+		return_0;
 	lv->lvid.id[0] = lv->vg->id;
 
 	if (seg)