Background. Recent studies showed that low temperature plasma of a glow discharge that burns in the inert or active gases at the pressures below atmospheric is the perspective heating source for different processes related with the metal treatment let alone the diffusion bonding and brazing. However, in manufacturing practice, various conditions on the cathode surface (welded or treated samples) that may cause the changes of a glow discharge form or even its transition into an electric arc may appear. The prolonged arc action on the samples' surfaces inevitably leads to the disruption of the technological process and, consequently, to undesirable samples overheating.Objective. The purpose of this work is to improve the methods and to means of stabilizing the glow discharge in the technological processes of diffusion welding and soldering.Methods. Using the methods of the theory of gas discharge physics, electrodynamics and electromagnetism, the main causes of the appearance of external perturbations and instabilities that lead to the emergence of a stable arc discharge on the local sections of the surfaces of the welded parts were determined.Results. It is established that increasing of the electrode gap length in the conditions of the arc emergence to the values of 0.03–0.06 m for the time of 10-2–10-1 s is an effective means of quenching the electric arcs emerging in the stability infringinment of combustion of the power-current glow discharge in the processes of welding and soldering.Conclusions. The basic conditions for the loss of stability of a normal glow discharge and its transition to another, more stable form of gas discharge – electric arc – are determined. It is shown that the continuous action of the arc discharge on the surface of the welded parts leads to the melting of the latter, which requires the creation of additional arc extinguishing systems. The possibility of using multielectrode systems with movable anode sections as a means of eliminating the appearance and stabilization of an electric arc on the surface of parts welded is shown.