diff --git a/src/storage/tablet/ob_table_store_util.h b/src/storage/tablet/ob_table_store_util.h
index 88abc04100..d6b258240b 100644
--- a/src/storage/tablet/ob_table_store_util.h
+++ b/src/storage/tablet/ob_table_store_util.h
@@ -169,7 +169,7 @@ public:
     ddl_kvs_   = nullptr;
     count_     = 0;
   }
-  OB_INLINE bool count() const { return count_; }
+  OB_INLINE int64_t count() const { return count_; }
   OB_INLINE bool empty() const { return 0 == count_; }
   OB_INLINE bool is_valid() const { return 1 == count_ || (is_inited_ && count_ > 1 && nullptr != ddl_kvs_); }
   OB_INLINE int64_t get_deep_copy_size() const { return count_ * sizeof(ObITable *); }
diff --git a/src/storage/tablet/ob_tablet.cpp b/src/storage/tablet/ob_tablet.cpp
index d6f5864293..9735d4dabf 100644
--- a/src/storage/tablet/ob_tablet.cpp
+++ b/src/storage/tablet/ob_tablet.cpp
@@ -428,6 +428,13 @@ int ObTablet::init_for_merge(
     ddl_kvs_ = ddl_kvs_addr;
     ddl_kv_count_ = ddl_kv_count;
     ALLOC_AND_INIT(allocator, table_store_addr_, (*this), param, (*old_table_store));
+    if (OB_UNLIKELY(ddl_kv_count_ != ddl_kv_count
+                 || ddl_kv_count != table_store_addr_.get_ptr()->get_ddl_memtable_count())) {
+      // This is defense code. If it runs at here, it must be a bug.
+      ret = OB_ERR_UNEXPECTED;
+      LOG_ERROR("It encounters a ddl kv array bug, please pay attention", K(ret), K(ddl_kv_count), K(ddl_kv_count_),
+          "table store ddl kv count", table_store_addr_.get_ptr()->get_ddl_memtable_count());
+    }
   }
 
   if (FAILEDx(table_store_cache_.init(table_store_addr_.get_ptr()->get_major_sstables(),
diff --git a/unittest/storage/tablet/test_tablet.cpp b/unittest/storage/tablet/test_tablet.cpp
index bddd3e6e56..c9cd25bb5e 100644
--- a/unittest/storage/tablet/test_tablet.cpp
+++ b/unittest/storage/tablet/test_tablet.cpp
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@
 #include "storage/tablet/ob_tablet_binding_helper.h"
 #include "storage/tablet/ob_tablet_binding_info.h"
 #include "storage/tablet/ob_tablet_table_store_flag.h"
+#include "storage/ddl/ob_tablet_ddl_kv.h"
 
 namespace oceanbase
 {
@@ -37,6 +38,17 @@ using namespace storage;
 using namespace common;
 using namespace share;
 
+#define ALLOC_AND_INIT(allocator, addr, args...)                                  \
+  do {                                                                            \
+    if (OB_SUCC(ret)) {                                                           \
+      if (OB_FAIL(ObTabletObjLoadHelper::alloc_and_new(allocator, addr.ptr_))) {  \
+        LOG_WARN("fail to allocate and new object", K(ret));                      \
+      } else if (OB_FAIL(addr.get_ptr()->init(allocator, args))) {                \
+        LOG_WARN("fail to initialize tablet member", K(ret), K(addr));            \
+      }                                                                           \
+    }                                                                             \
+  } while (false)                                                                 \
+
 class ObTabletMetaV1 final
 {
 public:
@@ -378,11 +390,23 @@ public:
   virtual ~TestTablet();
   virtual void SetUp();
   virtual void TearDown();
+  void pull_ddl_memtables(ObIArray<ObITable *> &ddl_kvs)
+  {
+    for (int64_t i = 0; i < ddl_kv_count_; ++i) {
+      ASSERT_EQ(OB_SUCCESS, ddl_kvs.push_back(ddl_kvs_[i]));
+    }
+    std::cout<< "pull ddl memtables:" << ddl_kv_count_ << std::endl;
+  }
+  void reproducing_bug();
 private:
   ObArenaAllocator allocator_;
+  ObITable **ddl_kvs_;
+  volatile int64_t ddl_kv_count_;
 };
 
 TestTablet::TestTablet()
+  : ddl_kvs_(nullptr),
+    ddl_kv_count_(0)
 {
 }
 
@@ -514,6 +538,68 @@ TEST_F(TestTablet, test_serialize_mig_param_compat)
 
 }
 
+class TestTableStore
+{
+public:
+  int init(ObArenaAllocator &allocator, TestTablet &tablet)
+  {
+    int ret = OB_SUCCESS;
+    ObArray<ObITable *> ddl_kvs;
+    tablet.pull_ddl_memtables(ddl_kvs);
+    ret = ddl_kvs_.init(allocator, ddl_kvs);
+    const int64_t count = ddl_kvs_.count();
+    std::cout<< "init table store:" << ddl_kvs.count() << ", " << count <<std::endl;
+    STORAGE_LOG(ERROR, "ddl kvs", K(ddl_kvs), K(ddl_kvs_));
+    return ret;
+  }
+  void reproducing_bug(ObArenaAllocator &allocator)
+  {
+    ObArray<ObITable *> ddl_kvs;
+    for (int64_t i = 0; i < 3; ++i) {
+      ObITable *ddl_kv = new ObDDLKV();
+      ddl_kv->key_.table_type_ = ObITable::TableType::DDL_MEM_SSTABLE;
+      ddl_kvs.push_back(ddl_kv);
+    }
+    ddl_kvs_.init(allocator, ddl_kvs);
+    const int64_t count = ddl_kvs_.count();
+    std::cout<< "table store reproducing_bug:" << ddl_kvs.count() << ", " << count <<std::endl;
+  }
+  TO_STRING_KV(K(ddl_kvs_));
+private:
+  ObDDLKVArray ddl_kvs_;
+};
+
+void TestTablet::reproducing_bug()
+{
+  int ret = OB_SUCCESS;
+  ObTabletComplexAddr<TestTableStore> table_store_addr;
+  ddl_kvs_ = static_cast<ObITable**>(allocator_.alloc(sizeof(ObITable*) * ObTablet::DDL_KV_ARRAY_SIZE));
+  ASSERT_TRUE(nullptr != ddl_kvs_);
+  ddl_kvs_[0] = new ObDDLKV();
+  ddl_kvs_[0]->key_.table_type_ = ObITable::TableType::DDL_MEM_SSTABLE;
+  ddl_kvs_[1] = new ObDDLKV();
+  ddl_kvs_[1]->key_.table_type_ = ObITable::TableType::DDL_MEM_SSTABLE;
+  ddl_kvs_[2] = new ObDDLKV();
+  ddl_kvs_[2]->key_.table_type_ = ObITable::TableType::DDL_MEM_SSTABLE;
+  std::cout<< "reproducing_bug 1:" << ddl_kv_count_ << std::endl;
+  ddl_kv_count_ = 3;
+  std::cout<< "reproducing_bug 2:" << ddl_kv_count_ << std::endl;
+  ALLOC_AND_INIT(allocator_, table_store_addr, (*this));
+  if (ddl_kv_count_ != table_store_addr.get_ptr()->ddl_kvs_.count()) {
+    std::cout<< "reproducing_bug 3:" << ddl_kv_count_ << ", " << table_store_addr.get_ptr()->ddl_kvs_.count() << std::endl;
+    // This is defense code. If it runs at here, it must be a bug. And, just abort to preserve the enviroment
+    // for debugging. Please remove me, after the problem is found.
+    ob_abort();
+  }
+}
+
+TEST_F(TestTablet, reproducing_bug_53174886)
+{
+  TestTableStore table_store;
+  table_store.reproducing_bug(allocator_);
+  reproducing_bug();
+}
+
 }  // end namespace unittest
 }  // end namespace oceanbase