diff --git a/mercurial/filemerge.py b/mercurial/filemerge.py
--- a/mercurial/filemerge.py
+++ b/mercurial/filemerge.py
@@ -439,16 +439,15 @@
             merged_text, conflicts = simplemerge.simplemerge(
                 ui, local, base, other, mode=mode
             )
-            # fcd.flags() already has the merged flags (done in
-            # mergestate.resolve())
-            if merged_text is not None:
+            if merged_text is not None and (
+                not conflicts or premerge in validkeep
+            ):
+                # fcd.flags() already has the merged flags (done in
+                # mergestate.resolve())
                 local.fctx.write(merged_text, local.fctx.flags())
             if not conflicts:
                 ui.debug(b" premerge successful\n")
                 return 0
-        if premerge not in validkeep:
-            # restore from backup and try again
-            _restorebackup(local.fctx, backup)
     return 1  # continue merging
 
 
@@ -875,12 +874,6 @@
     }
 
 
-def _restorebackup(fcd, backup):
-    # TODO: Add a workingfilectx.write(otherfilectx) path so we can use
-    # util.copy here instead.
-    fcd.write(backup.data(), fcd.flags())
-
-
 def _makebackup(repo, ui, wctx, fcd):
     """Makes and returns a filectx-like object for ``fcd``'s backup file.