diff --git a/cache/manager.go b/cache/manager.go
index fe22fc07..36dac6fe 100644
--- a/cache/manager.go
+++ b/cache/manager.go
@@ -410,25 +410,32 @@ func (cm *cacheManager) getRecord(ctx context.Context, id string, opts ...RefOpt
 
 	if mutableID := md.getEqualMutable(); mutableID != "" {
 		mutable, err := cm.getRecord(ctx, mutableID)
-		if err != nil {
-			// check loading mutable deleted record from disk
-			if IsNotFound(err) {
-				cm.MetadataStore.Clear(id)
+		if err == nil {
+			rec := &cacheRecord{
+				mu:            &sync.Mutex{},
+				cm:            cm,
+				refs:          make(map[ref]struct{}),
+				parentRefs:    parents,
+				cacheMetadata: md,
+				equalMutable:  &mutableRef{cacheRecord: mutable},
 			}
+			mutable.equalImmutable = &immutableRef{cacheRecord: rec}
+			cm.records[id] = rec
+			return rec, nil
+		} else if IsNotFound(err) {
+			// The equal mutable for this ref is not found, check to see if our snapshot exists
+			if _, statErr := cm.Snapshotter.Stat(ctx, md.getSnapshotID()); statErr != nil {
+				// this ref's snapshot also doesn't exist, just remove this record
+				cm.MetadataStore.Clear(id)
+				return nil, errors.Wrap(errNotFound, id)
+			}
+			// Our snapshot exists, so there may have been a crash while finalizing this ref.
+			// Clear the equal mutable field and continue using this ref.
+			md.clearEqualMutable()
+			md.commitMetadata()
+		} else {
 			return nil, err
 		}
-
-		rec := &cacheRecord{
-			mu:            &sync.Mutex{},
-			cm:            cm,
-			refs:          make(map[ref]struct{}),
-			parentRefs:    parents,
-			cacheMetadata: md,
-			equalMutable:  &mutableRef{cacheRecord: mutable},
-		}
-		mutable.equalImmutable = &immutableRef{cacheRecord: rec}
-		cm.records[id] = rec
-		return rec, nil
 	}
 
 	rec := &cacheRecord{
@@ -448,6 +455,20 @@ func (cm *cacheManager) getRecord(ctx context.Context, id string, opts ...RefOpt
 		return nil, errors.Wrapf(errNotFound, "failed to get deleted record %s", id)
 	}
 
+	if rec.mutable {
+		// If the record is mutable, then the snapshot must exist
+		if _, err := cm.Snapshotter.Stat(ctx, rec.ID()); err != nil {
+			if !errdefs.IsNotFound(err) {
+				return nil, errors.Wrap(err, "failed to check mutable ref snapshot")
+			}
+			// the snapshot doesn't exist, clear this record
+			if err := rec.remove(ctx, true); err != nil {
+				return nil, errors.Wrap(err, "failed to remove mutable rec with missing snapshot")
+			}
+			return nil, errors.Wrap(errNotFound, rec.ID())
+		}
+	}
+
 	if err := initializeMetadata(rec.cacheMetadata, rec.parentRefs, opts...); err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
diff --git a/cache/manager_test.go b/cache/manager_test.go
index d5cd5d14..80d465b2 100644
--- a/cache/manager_test.go
+++ b/cache/manager_test.go
@@ -1684,6 +1684,87 @@ func TestMergeOp(t *testing.T) {
 	checkDiskUsage(ctx, t, cm, 0, 0)
 }
 
+func TestLoadHalfFinalizedRef(t *testing.T) {
+	// This test simulates the situation where a ref w/ an equalMutable has its
+	// snapshot committed but there is a crash before the metadata is updated to
+	// clear the equalMutable field. It's expected that the mutable will be
+	// removed and the immutable ref will continue to be usable.
+	t.Parallel()
+
+	ctx := namespaces.WithNamespace(context.Background(), "buildkit-test")
+
+	tmpdir, err := ioutil.TempDir("", "cachemanager")
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	defer os.RemoveAll(tmpdir)
+
+	snapshotter, err := native.NewSnapshotter(filepath.Join(tmpdir, "snapshots"))
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+
+	co, cleanup, err := newCacheManager(ctx, cmOpt{
+		tmpdir:          tmpdir,
+		snapshotter:     snapshotter,
+		snapshotterName: "native",
+	})
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	defer cleanup()
+	cm := co.manager.(*cacheManager)
+
+	mref, err := cm.New(ctx, nil, nil, CachePolicyRetain)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	mutRef := mref.(*mutableRef)
+
+	iref, err := mutRef.Commit(ctx)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	immutRef := iref.(*immutableRef)
+
+	require.NoError(t, mref.Release(ctx))
+
+	_, err = co.lm.Create(ctx, func(l *leases.Lease) error {
+		l.ID = immutRef.ID()
+		l.Labels = map[string]string{
+			"containerd.io/gc.flat": time.Now().UTC().Format(time.RFC3339Nano),
+		}
+		return nil
+	})
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	err = co.lm.AddResource(ctx, leases.Lease{ID: immutRef.ID()}, leases.Resource{
+		ID:   immutRef.getSnapshotID(),
+		Type: "snapshots/" + cm.Snapshotter.Name(),
+	})
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+
+	err = cm.Snapshotter.Commit(ctx, immutRef.getSnapshotID(), mutRef.getSnapshotID())
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+
+	_, err = cm.Snapshotter.Stat(ctx, mutRef.getSnapshotID())
+	require.Error(t, err)
+
+	require.NoError(t, iref.Release(ctx))
+
+	require.NoError(t, cm.Close())
+	require.NoError(t, cleanup())
+
+	co, cleanup, err = newCacheManager(ctx, cmOpt{
+		tmpdir:          tmpdir,
+		snapshotter:     snapshotter,
+		snapshotterName: "native",
+	})
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	defer cleanup()
+	cm = co.manager.(*cacheManager)
+
+	_, err = cm.GetMutable(ctx, mutRef.ID())
+	require.ErrorIs(t, err, errNotFound)
+
+	iref, err = cm.Get(ctx, immutRef.ID())
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	require.NoError(t, iref.Finalize(ctx))
+	immutRef = iref.(*immutableRef)
+
+	_, err = cm.Snapshotter.Stat(ctx, immutRef.getSnapshotID())
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+}
+
 func TestMountReadOnly(t *testing.T) {
 	t.Parallel()
 	if runtime.GOOS != "linux" {