diff --git a/ydb/core/persqueue/ut/ut_with_sdk/autoscaling_ut.cpp b/ydb/core/persqueue/ut/ut_with_sdk/autoscaling_ut.cpp
index d363acca852b..87747e44d3a3 100644
--- a/ydb/core/persqueue/ut/ut_with_sdk/autoscaling_ut.cpp
+++ b/ydb/core/persqueue/ut/ut_with_sdk/autoscaling_ut.cpp
@@ -757,6 +757,43 @@ Y_UNIT_TEST_SUITE(TopicAutoscaling) {
         }
     }
 
+    Y_UNIT_TEST(ControlPlane_BackCompatibility) {
+        auto topicName = "back-compatibility-test";
+
+        TTopicSdkTestSetup setup = CreateSetup();
+        TTopicClient client = setup.MakeClient();
+
+        {
+            TCreateTopicSettings createSettings;
+            createSettings
+                .BeginConfigurePartitioningSettings()
+                    .MinActivePartitions(3)
+                .EndConfigurePartitioningSettings();
+            client.CreateTopic(topicName, createSettings).Wait();
+        }
+
+        {
+            auto describeAfterAlter = client.DescribeTopic(topicName).GetValueSync();
+
+            UNIT_ASSERT_VALUES_EQUAL(describeAfterAlter.GetTopicDescription().GetPartitioningSettings().GetMinActivePartitions(), 3);
+        }
+
+        {
+            TAlterTopicSettings alterSettings;
+            alterSettings
+                .BeginAlterPartitioningSettings()
+                    .MinActivePartitions(5)
+                .EndAlterTopicPartitioningSettings();
+            client.AlterTopic(topicName, alterSettings).Wait();
+        }
+
+        {
+            auto describeAfterAlter = client.DescribeTopic(topicName).GetValueSync();
+
+            UNIT_ASSERT_VALUES_EQUAL(describeAfterAlter.GetTopicDescription().GetPartitioningSettings().GetMinActivePartitions(), 5);
+        }
+    }
+
     Y_UNIT_TEST(ControlPlane_PauseAutoPartitioning) {
         auto topicName = "autoscalit-topic";
 
diff --git a/ydb/services/datastreams/datastreams_proxy.cpp b/ydb/services/datastreams/datastreams_proxy.cpp
index 48277a3c5ff0..4a92862a0c7c 100644
--- a/ydb/services/datastreams/datastreams_proxy.cpp
+++ b/ydb/services/datastreams/datastreams_proxy.cpp
@@ -471,14 +471,7 @@ namespace NKikimr::NDataStreams::V1 {
         Y_UNUSED(selfInfo);
 
         TString error;
-        if (!GetProtoRequest()->has_partitioning_settings()) {
-            if (!ValidateShardsCount(*GetProtoRequest(), pqGroupDescription, error))
-            {
-                return ReplyWithError(Ydb::StatusIds::BAD_REQUEST, static_cast<size_t>(NYds::EErrorCodes::BAD_REQUEST), error);
-            }
 
-            groupConfig.SetTotalGroupCount(GetProtoRequest()->target_shard_count());
-        }
         switch (GetProtoRequest()->retention_case()) {
             case Ydb::DataStreams::V1::UpdateStreamRequest::RetentionCase::kRetentionPeriodHours:
                 groupConfig.MutablePQTabletConfig()->MutablePartitionConfig()->SetLifetimeSeconds(
@@ -520,7 +513,19 @@ namespace NKikimr::NDataStreams::V1 {
             }
         }
 
-        if (GetProtoRequest()->has_partitioning_settings()) {
+        if (!GetProtoRequest()->has_partitioning_settings() ||
+            (GetProtoRequest()->partitioning_settings().has_auto_partitioning_settings() &&
+            (GetProtoRequest()->partitioning_settings().auto_partitioning_settings().strategy() == Ydb::DataStreams::V1::AutoPartitioningStrategy::AUTO_PARTITIONING_STRATEGY_DISABLED) ||
+            (GetProtoRequest()->partitioning_settings().auto_partitioning_settings().strategy() == Ydb::DataStreams::V1::AutoPartitioningStrategy::AUTO_PARTITIONING_STRATEGY_UNSPECIFIED))) {
+
+            if (!ValidateShardsCount(*GetProtoRequest(), pqGroupDescription, error))
+            {
+                return ReplyWithError(Ydb::StatusIds::BAD_REQUEST, static_cast<size_t>(NYds::EErrorCodes::BAD_REQUEST), error);
+            }
+
+            groupConfig.SetTotalGroupCount(GetProtoRequest()->target_shard_count());
+
+        } else {
             auto r = ValidatePartitioningSettings(GetProtoRequest()->partitioning_settings());
             if (!r.empty()) {
                 return ReplyWithError(Ydb::StatusIds::BAD_REQUEST, static_cast<size_t>(NYds::EErrorCodes::INVALID_ARGUMENT), r);
diff --git a/ydb/services/datastreams/datastreams_ut.cpp b/ydb/services/datastreams/datastreams_ut.cpp
index 7d978c7515fc..4a7ae905c95b 100644
--- a/ydb/services/datastreams/datastreams_ut.cpp
+++ b/ydb/services/datastreams/datastreams_ut.cpp
@@ -2706,7 +2706,6 @@ Y_UNIT_TEST_SUITE(DataStreams) {
 
         TString streamName = "test-topic";
         TString streamName2 = "test-topic-2";
-
         {
             NYdb::NTopic::TTopicClient pqClient(*testServer.Driver);
             auto settings = NYdb::NTopic::TCreateTopicSettings()
@@ -2807,6 +2806,127 @@ Y_UNIT_TEST_SUITE(DataStreams) {
             UNIT_ASSERT_VALUES_EQUAL(description.shards(4).parent_shard_id(), "shard-000001");
         }
 
+        auto streamForAlterTest = "stream-alter-test";
+        {
+            auto result = testServer.DataStreamsClient->CreateStream(streamForAlterTest,
+                NYDS_V1::TCreateStreamSettings()
+                    .ShardCount(3)
+                ).ExtractValueSync();
+            UNIT_ASSERT_VALUES_EQUAL(result.IsTransportError(), false);
+            if (result.GetStatus() != EStatus::SUCCESS) {
+                result.GetIssues().PrintTo(Cerr);
+            }
+            UNIT_ASSERT_VALUES_EQUAL_C(result.GetStatus(), EStatus::SUCCESS, result.GetIssues().ToString());
+        }
+
+        {
+            auto result = testServer.DataStreamsClient->DescribeStream(streamForAlterTest).ExtractValueSync();
+            UNIT_ASSERT_VALUES_EQUAL(result.IsTransportError(), false);
+            Cerr << result.GetIssues().ToString() << "\n";
+            UNIT_ASSERT_VALUES_EQUAL_C(result.GetStatus(), EStatus::SUCCESS, result.GetIssues().ToString());
+
+            auto& d = result.GetResult().stream_description();
+            UNIT_ASSERT_VALUES_EQUAL(d.shards().size(), 3);
+            UNIT_ASSERT_VALUES_EQUAL(d.stream_status(), YDS_V1::StreamDescription::ACTIVE);
+            UNIT_ASSERT_VALUES_EQUAL(d.stream_name(), streamForAlterTest);
+            UNIT_ASSERT_VALUES_EQUAL(d.stream_arn(), streamForAlterTest);
+
+            UNIT_ASSERT_VALUES_EQUAL(d.partitioning_settings().auto_partitioning_settings().strategy(), ::Ydb::DataStreams::V1::AutoPartitioningStrategy::AUTO_PARTITIONING_STRATEGY_DISABLED);
+        }
+
+        {
+            auto result = testServer.DataStreamsClient->UpdateStream(streamForAlterTest,
+                 NYDS_V1::TUpdateStreamSettings()
+                    .TargetShardCount(5)
+                    .BeginConfigurePartitioningSettings()
+                        .BeginConfigureAutoPartitioningSettings()
+                            .Strategy(NYdb::NDataStreams::V1::EAutoPartitioningStrategy::Disabled)
+                        .EndConfigureAutoPartitioningSettings()
+                    .EndConfigurePartitioningSettings()
+                ).ExtractValueSync();
+
+            UNIT_ASSERT_VALUES_EQUAL(result.IsTransportError(), false);
+            if (result.GetStatus() != EStatus::SUCCESS) {
+                result.GetIssues().PrintTo(Cerr);
+            }
+            UNIT_ASSERT_VALUES_EQUAL_C(result.GetStatus(), EStatus::SUCCESS, result.GetIssues().ToString());
+        }
+
+        {
+            auto result = testServer.DataStreamsClient->DescribeStream(streamForAlterTest).ExtractValueSync();
+            UNIT_ASSERT_VALUES_EQUAL(result.IsTransportError(), false);
+            Cerr << result.GetIssues().ToString() << "\n";
+            UNIT_ASSERT_VALUES_EQUAL_C(result.GetStatus(), EStatus::SUCCESS, result.GetIssues().ToString());
+
+            auto& d = result.GetResult().stream_description();
+            UNIT_ASSERT_VALUES_EQUAL(d.shards().size(), 5);
+            UNIT_ASSERT_VALUES_EQUAL(d.stream_status(), YDS_V1::StreamDescription::ACTIVE);
+            UNIT_ASSERT_VALUES_EQUAL(d.stream_name(), streamForAlterTest);
+            UNIT_ASSERT_VALUES_EQUAL(d.stream_arn(), streamForAlterTest);
+
+            UNIT_ASSERT_VALUES_EQUAL(d.partitioning_settings().auto_partitioning_settings().strategy(), ::Ydb::DataStreams::V1::AutoPartitioningStrategy::AUTO_PARTITIONING_STRATEGY_DISABLED);
+        }
+
+        {
+            auto result = testServer.DataStreamsClient->UpdateStream(streamForAlterTest,
+                 NYDS_V1::TUpdateStreamSettings()
+                    .TargetShardCount(10)
+                ).ExtractValueSync();
+
+            UNIT_ASSERT_VALUES_EQUAL(result.IsTransportError(), false);
+            if (result.GetStatus() != EStatus::SUCCESS) {
+                result.GetIssues().PrintTo(Cerr);
+            }
+            UNIT_ASSERT_VALUES_EQUAL_C(result.GetStatus(), EStatus::SUCCESS, result.GetIssues().ToString());
+        }
+
+        {
+            auto result = testServer.DataStreamsClient->DescribeStream(streamForAlterTest).ExtractValueSync();
+            UNIT_ASSERT_VALUES_EQUAL(result.IsTransportError(), false);
+            Cerr << result.GetIssues().ToString() << "\n";
+            UNIT_ASSERT_VALUES_EQUAL_C(result.GetStatus(), EStatus::SUCCESS, result.GetIssues().ToString());
+
+            auto& d = result.GetResult().stream_description();
+            UNIT_ASSERT_VALUES_EQUAL(d.shards().size(), 10);
+            UNIT_ASSERT_VALUES_EQUAL(d.stream_status(), YDS_V1::StreamDescription::ACTIVE);
+            UNIT_ASSERT_VALUES_EQUAL(d.stream_name(), streamForAlterTest);
+            UNIT_ASSERT_VALUES_EQUAL(d.stream_arn(), streamForAlterTest);
+
+            UNIT_ASSERT_VALUES_EQUAL(d.partitioning_settings().auto_partitioning_settings().strategy(), ::Ydb::DataStreams::V1::AutoPartitioningStrategy::AUTO_PARTITIONING_STRATEGY_DISABLED);
+        }
+
+        {
+            auto result = testServer.DataStreamsClient->UpdateStream(streamForAlterTest,
+                 NYDS_V1::TUpdateStreamSettings()
+                    .TargetShardCount(15)
+                    .BeginConfigurePartitioningSettings()
+                        .BeginConfigureAutoPartitioningSettings()
+                        .EndConfigureAutoPartitioningSettings()
+                    .EndConfigurePartitioningSettings()
+                ).ExtractValueSync();
+
+            UNIT_ASSERT_VALUES_EQUAL(result.IsTransportError(), false);
+            if (result.GetStatus() != EStatus::SUCCESS) {
+                result.GetIssues().PrintTo(Cerr);
+            }
+            UNIT_ASSERT_VALUES_EQUAL_C(result.GetStatus(), EStatus::SUCCESS, result.GetIssues().ToString());
+        }
+
+        {
+            auto result = testServer.DataStreamsClient->DescribeStream(streamForAlterTest).ExtractValueSync();
+            UNIT_ASSERT_VALUES_EQUAL(result.IsTransportError(), false);
+            Cerr << result.GetIssues().ToString() << "\n";
+            UNIT_ASSERT_VALUES_EQUAL_C(result.GetStatus(), EStatus::SUCCESS, result.GetIssues().ToString());
+
+            auto& d = result.GetResult().stream_description();
+            UNIT_ASSERT_VALUES_EQUAL(d.shards().size(), 15);
+            UNIT_ASSERT_VALUES_EQUAL(d.stream_status(), YDS_V1::StreamDescription::ACTIVE);
+            UNIT_ASSERT_VALUES_EQUAL(d.stream_name(), streamForAlterTest);
+            UNIT_ASSERT_VALUES_EQUAL(d.stream_arn(), streamForAlterTest);
+
+            UNIT_ASSERT_VALUES_EQUAL(d.partitioning_settings().auto_partitioning_settings().strategy(), ::Ydb::DataStreams::V1::AutoPartitioningStrategy::AUTO_PARTITIONING_STRATEGY_DISABLED);
+        }
+
         {
             auto result = testServer.DataStreamsClient->CreateStream(streamName2,
                 NYDS_V1::TCreateStreamSettings()
diff --git a/ydb/services/lib/actors/pq_schema_actor.cpp b/ydb/services/lib/actors/pq_schema_actor.cpp
index 05a2275b58e4..bbb641ac5625 100644
--- a/ydb/services/lib/actors/pq_schema_actor.cpp
+++ b/ydb/services/lib/actors/pq_schema_actor.cpp
@@ -1164,7 +1164,29 @@ namespace NKikimr::NGRpcProxy::V1 {
         auto pqTabletConfig = pqDescr.MutablePQTabletConfig();
         NPQ::Migrate(*pqTabletConfig);
         auto partConfig = pqTabletConfig->MutablePartitionConfig();
-        auto splitMergeFeatureEnabled = appData->FeatureFlags.GetEnableTopicSplitMerge();
+
+        auto needHandleAutoPartitioning = false;
+        if (appData->FeatureFlags.GetEnableTopicSplitMerge()) {
+
+            auto reqHasAutoPartitioningStrategyChange = request.has_alter_partitioning_settings() &&
+                request.alter_partitioning_settings().has_alter_auto_partitioning_settings() &&
+                request.alter_partitioning_settings().alter_auto_partitioning_settings().has_set_strategy();
+
+            auto pqConfigHasAutoPartitioningStrategy = pqTabletConfig->HasPartitionStrategy() &&
+                pqTabletConfig->GetPartitionStrategy().HasPartitionStrategyType() &&
+                pqTabletConfig->GetPartitionStrategy().GetPartitionStrategyType();
+
+            if (pqConfigHasAutoPartitioningStrategy && pqTabletConfig->GetPartitionStrategy().GetPartitionStrategyType() != ::NKikimrPQ::TPQTabletConfig_TPartitionStrategyType::TPQTabletConfig_TPartitionStrategyType_DISABLED) {
+                needHandleAutoPartitioning = true;
+            } else if (reqHasAutoPartitioningStrategyChange) {
+                auto strategy = request.alter_partitioning_settings().alter_auto_partitioning_settings().set_strategy();
+                needHandleAutoPartitioning = strategy == ::Ydb::Topic::AutoPartitioningStrategy::AUTO_PARTITIONING_STRATEGY_PAUSED ||
+                                            strategy == ::Ydb::Topic::AutoPartitioningStrategy::AUTO_PARTITIONING_STRATEGY_SCALE_UP ||
+                                            strategy == ::Ydb::Topic::AutoPartitioningStrategy::AUTO_PARTITIONING_STRATEGY_SCALE_UP_AND_DOWN;
+            }
+
+        }
+
 
         if (request.has_set_retention_storage_mb()) {
             CHECK_CDC;
@@ -1178,12 +1200,12 @@ namespace NKikimr::NGRpcProxy::V1 {
             if (settings.has_set_min_active_partitions()) {
                 auto minParts = IfEqualThenDefault<i64>(settings.set_min_active_partitions(), 0L, 1L);
                 pqDescr.SetTotalGroupCount(minParts);
-                if (splitMergeFeatureEnabled) {
+                if (needHandleAutoPartitioning) {
                     pqTabletConfig->MutablePartitionStrategy()->SetMinPartitionCount(minParts);
                 }
             }
 
-            if (splitMergeFeatureEnabled) {
+            if (needHandleAutoPartitioning) {
                 if (settings.has_set_max_active_partitions()) {
                     pqTabletConfig->MutablePartitionStrategy()->SetMaxPartitionCount(settings.set_max_active_partitions());
                 }
@@ -1219,7 +1241,7 @@ namespace NKikimr::NGRpcProxy::V1 {
             }
         }
 
-        if (splitMergeFeatureEnabled) {
+        if (needHandleAutoPartitioning) {
             auto code = ValidatePartitionStrategy(*pqTabletConfig, error);
             if (code) return code->YdbCode;
         }
diff --git a/ydb/services/persqueue_v1/actors/schema_actors.cpp b/ydb/services/persqueue_v1/actors/schema_actors.cpp
index c68c6fe205ad..63749dfc71a3 100644
--- a/ydb/services/persqueue_v1/actors/schema_actors.cpp
+++ b/ydb/services/persqueue_v1/actors/schema_actors.cpp
@@ -1094,7 +1094,7 @@ void TDescribeTopicActor::HandleCacheNavigateResponse(TEvTxProxySchemeCache::TEv
         }
 
         const auto &config = pqDescr.GetPQTabletConfig();
-        if (AppData(TActivationContext::ActorContextFor(SelfId()))->FeatureFlags.GetEnableTopicSplitMerge()) {
+        if (AppData(TActivationContext::ActorContextFor(SelfId()))->FeatureFlags.GetEnableTopicSplitMerge() && NPQ::SplitMergeEnabled(config)) {
             Result.mutable_partitioning_settings()->set_min_active_partitions(config.GetPartitionStrategy().GetMinPartitionCount());
         } else {
             Result.mutable_partitioning_settings()->set_min_active_partitions(pqDescr.GetTotalGroupCount());