diff --git a/src/crawlee/request_loaders/_sitemap_request_loader.py b/src/crawlee/request_loaders/_sitemap_request_loader.py
index f0a6af0647..bc39211058 100644
--- a/src/crawlee/request_loaders/_sitemap_request_loader.py
+++ b/src/crawlee/request_loaders/_sitemap_request_loader.py
@@ -302,6 +302,12 @@ async def abort_loading(self) -> None:
             with suppress(asyncio.CancelledError):
                 await self._loading_task
 
+    async def persist_state(self) -> None:
+        """Persist the loader's state to the key-value store. Does nothing without a `persist_state_key`."""
+        # Loads the persisted record first, so that a call before the first use writes the restored state.
+        await self._get_state()
+        await self._state.persist_state()
+
     async def close(self) -> None:
         """Close the request loader."""
         self._closed = True
diff --git a/tests/unit/request_loaders/test_sitemap_request_loader.py b/tests/unit/request_loaders/test_sitemap_request_loader.py
index 48596f8a12..39bf5d6ad6 100644
--- a/tests/unit/request_loaders/test_sitemap_request_loader.py
+++ b/tests/unit/request_loaders/test_sitemap_request_loader.py
@@ -234,3 +234,19 @@ async def test_close_before_first_use_stops_listening(monkeypatch: pytest.Monkey
         await event_manager.wait_for_all_listeners_to_complete()
 
         set_value.assert_not_called()
+
+
+async def test_persist_state_writes_record(key_value_store: KeyValueStore) -> None:
+    """`persist_state()` writes the state with the in-progress request to the key-value store."""
+    sitemap_url = f'{DEFAULT_URL}sitemap.xml'
+    client, _ = make_status_stream_client({sitemap_url: [(200, get_basic_sitemap().encode())]})
+    loader = SitemapRequestLoader([sitemap_url], http_client=client, persist_state_key='sitemap-state')
+    request = await loader.fetch_next_request()
+    assert request is not None
+
+    await loader.persist_state()
+    record = await key_value_store.get_value('sitemap-state')
+    await loader.close()
+
+    assert record['inProgress'] == [request.url]
+    assert list(record['requestData']) == [request.url]