diff --git a/datafusion/core/tests/memory_limit.rs b/datafusion/core/tests/memory_limit.rs
index f6f5f856c8760..c36e912b63ef6 100644
--- a/datafusion/core/tests/memory_limit.rs
+++ b/datafusion/core/tests/memory_limit.rs
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ use arrow::record_batch::RecordBatch;
 use arrow_array::{DictionaryArray, ArrayRef};
 use arrow_schema::SortOptions;
 use async_trait::async_trait;
+use datafusion::assert_batches_eq;
 use datafusion::physical_optimizer::PhysicalOptimizerRule;
 use datafusion::physical_plan::common::batch_byte_size;
 use datafusion::physical_plan::memory::MemoryExec;
@@ -199,7 +200,7 @@ async fn symmetric_hash_join() {
         ],
         1_000,
     )
-    .with_scenario(Scenario::AccessLogStreaming)
+        .with_scenario(Scenario::AccessLogStreaming)
     .run()
     .await
 }
@@ -207,17 +208,35 @@ async fn symmetric_hash_join() {
 #[tokio::test]
 async fn sort_preserving_merge() {
     TestCase::new(
-        "select * from t ORDER BY a ASC NULL LAST, b ASC NULLS LAST LIMIT 10",
+        // use same order as the inpput table to avoid a sort
+        "select * from t ORDER BY a ASC NULLS LAST, b ASC NULLS LAST LIMIT 10",
         vec![
             "Resources exhausted: Failed to allocate additional",
             "SortPreservingMergeExec",
         ],
-        // Each batch takes 5264 bytes, so provide enough memory to sort them all, but not to mere them
-        5264 * 5 + 1000,
+        // Each batch takes 5264 bytes so
+        5200,
     )
-    .with_scenario(Scenario::DictionaryStrings)
-    .run()
-    .await
+        .with_scenario(Scenario::DictionaryStrings)
+        .with_expected_plan(
+            // It is important that this plan does not have a Sort in
+            // it (it should only have a SortPreservingMergeExec
+            &[
+                "+---------------+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+",
+                "| plan_type     | plan                                                                                                         |",
+                "+---------------+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+",
+                "| logical_plan  | Limit: skip=0, fetch=10                                                                                      |",
+                "|               |   Sort: t.a ASC NULLS LAST, t.b ASC NULLS LAST, fetch=10                                                     |",
+                "|               |     TableScan: t projection=[a, b]                                                                           |",
+                "| physical_plan | GlobalLimitExec: skip=0, fetch=10                                                                            |",
+                "|               |   SortPreservingMergeExec: [a@0 ASC NULLS LAST,b@1 ASC NULLS LAST], fetch=10                                 |",
+                "|               |     MemoryExec: partitions=2, partition_sizes=[5, 5], output_ordering: a@0 ASC NULLS LAST,b@1 ASC NULLS LAST |",
+                "|               |                                                                                                              |",
+                "+---------------+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+",
+            ]
+        )
+        .run()
+        .await
 }
 
 /// Run the query with the specified memory limit,
@@ -229,6 +248,8 @@ struct TestCase {
     memory_limit: usize,
     config: SessionConfig,
     scenario: Scenario,
+    /// Expected explain plan, if non emptry
+    expected_plan: Vec<String>,
 }
 
 impl TestCase {
@@ -246,6 +267,7 @@ impl TestCase {
             memory_limit,
             config: SessionConfig::new(),
             scenario: Scenario::AccessLog,
+            expected_plan: vec![],
         }
     }
 
@@ -261,6 +283,12 @@ impl TestCase {
         self
     }
 
+    /// Specify an expected plan to review
+    pub fn with_expected_plan(mut self, expected_plan: &[&str]) -> Self {
+        self.expected_plan = expected_plan.iter().map(|s| s.to_string()).collect();
+        self
+    }
+
     /// Run the test, panic'ing on error
     async fn run(self) {
         let Self {
@@ -269,6 +297,7 @@ impl TestCase {
             memory_limit,
             config,
             scenario,
+            expected_plan,
         } = self;
 
         let table = scenario.table();
@@ -292,6 +321,12 @@ impl TestCase {
 
         let df = ctx.sql(&query).await.expect("Planning query");
 
+        if !expected_plan.is_empty() {
+            let expected_plan: Vec<_> = expected_plan.iter().map(|s| s.as_str()).collect();
+            let actual_plan = df.clone().explain(false, false).unwrap().collect().await.unwrap();
+            assert_batches_eq!(expected_plan, &actual_plan);
+        }
+
         match df.collect().await {
             Ok(_batches) => {
                 panic!("Unexpected success when running, expected memory limit failure")