diff --git a/changelog.md b/changelog.md
index 96dff46..a5c256b 100644
--- a/changelog.md
+++ b/changelog.md
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
 - Breaking: by default, only [plain objects](https://github.com/sindresorhus/is-plain-obj/#is-plain-obj-) will have their properties merged, with all other values being copied to the target.  [#152](https://github.com/TehShrike/deepmerge/issues/152)
 - Breaking: the `isMergeableObject` option is renamed to `isMergeable` [#168](https://github.com/TehShrike/deepmerge/pull/168)
 - Fixed: the options argument is no longer mutated (again) [#173](https://github.com/TehShrike/deepmerge/pull/173)
+- Breaking+fixed: setting `clone` to `false` will cause values to be copied directly onto the destination object rather than cloning the destination and only mutating child properties.
 
 # [4.2.2](https://github.com/TehShrike/deepmerge/releases/tag/v4.2.2)
 
diff --git a/index.js b/index.js
index 2600ec5..033b8cf 100644
--- a/index.js
+++ b/index.js
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ const defaultIsMergeable = value => Array.isArray(value) || isPlainObj(value)
 const emptyTarget = value => Array.isArray(value) ? [] : {}
 
 const cloneUnlessOtherwiseSpecified = (value, options) => {
-	return (options.clone !== false && options.isMergeable(value))
+	return (options.clone && options.isMergeable(value))
 		? deepmerge(emptyTarget(value), value, options)
 		: value
 }
@@ -48,7 +48,7 @@ const propertyIsUnsafe = (target, key) => {
 }
 
 const mergeObject = (target, source, options) => {
-	const destination = {}
+	const destination = options.clone ? emptyTarget(target) : target
 
 	if (options.isMergeable(target)) {
 		getKeys(target)
@@ -70,15 +70,18 @@ const mergeObject = (target, source, options) => {
 	return destination
 }
 
+const cloneOptionsWithDefault = inputOptions => ({
+	arrayMerge: defaultArrayMerge,
+	isMergeable: defaultIsMergeable,
+	clone: true,
+	...inputOptions,
+	// cloneUnlessOtherwiseSpecified is added to `options` so that custom arrayMerge()
+	// implementations can use it. The caller may not replace it.
+	cloneUnlessOtherwiseSpecified: cloneUnlessOtherwiseSpecified
+})
+
 const deepmerge = (target, source, inputOptions) => {
-	const options = {
-		arrayMerge: defaultArrayMerge,
-		isMergeable: defaultIsMergeable,
-		...inputOptions,
-		// cloneUnlessOtherwiseSpecified is added to `options` so that custom arrayMerge()
-		// implementations can use it. The caller may not replace it.
-		cloneUnlessOtherwiseSpecified: cloneUnlessOtherwiseSpecified
-	}
+	const options = cloneOptionsWithDefault(inputOptions)
 
 	const sourceIsArray = Array.isArray(source)
 	const targetIsArray = Array.isArray(target)
@@ -92,12 +95,23 @@ const deepmerge = (target, source, inputOptions) => {
 	return mergeObject(target, source, options)
 }
 
-deepmerge.all = (array, options) => {
+deepmerge.all = (array, inputOptions) => {
 	if (!Array.isArray(array)) {
 		throw new Error(`first argument should be an array`)
 	}
 
-	return array.reduce((prev, next) => deepmerge(prev, next, options), {})
+	const options = cloneOptionsWithDefault(inputOptions)
+
+	if (array.length === 0) {
+		return {}
+	} else if (array.length === 1) {
+		const value = array[0]
+		return options.clone
+			? deepmerge(emptyTarget(value), value, options)
+			: value
+	}
+
+	return array.reduce((prev, next) => deepmerge(prev, next, options))
 }
 
 module.exports = deepmerge
diff --git a/readme.md b/readme.md
index 196af72..c315fca 100644
--- a/readme.md
+++ b/readme.md
@@ -249,12 +249,9 @@ result.pets // => ['Cat', 'Parrot', 'Dog']
 
 ### `clone`
 
-*Deprecated.*
-
 Defaults to `true`.
 
-If `clone` is `false` then child objects will be copied directly instead of being cloned.  This was the default behavior before version 2.x.
-
+If `clone` is `false` then child properties will be copied directly onto targets without cloning the target.
 
 # Testing
 
diff --git a/test/merge.js b/test/merge.js
index acf0fa6..789d2f8 100644
--- a/test/merge.js
+++ b/test/merge.js
@@ -685,3 +685,25 @@ test('should not mutate options', function(t) {
 	t.deepEqual(options, {})
 	t.end()
 })
+
+test('With clone: false, merge should not clone the target root', t => {
+	const destination = {}
+	const output = merge(destination, {
+		sup: true
+	}, { clone: false })
+
+	t.equal(destination, output)
+	t.end()
+})
+
+test('With clone: false, merge.all should not clone the target root', t => {
+	const destination = {}
+	const output = merge.all([
+		destination, {
+			sup: true
+		}
+	], { clone: false })
+
+	t.equal(destination, output)
+	t.end()
+})