diff --git a/index.d.ts b/index.d.ts
index 20f645a..13ec1d3 100644
--- a/index.d.ts
+++ b/index.d.ts
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ declare namespace deepmerge {
 
 	export function all (objects: object[], options?: Options): object;
 	export function all<T> (objects: Partial<T>[], options?: Options): T;
+	export function customMergeIgnoreEmptyValues (key: any, target: any, source: any): any;
 }
 
 export = deepmerge;
diff --git a/index.js b/index.js
index 761c002..142a37d 100644
--- a/index.js
+++ b/index.js
@@ -19,11 +19,11 @@ function defaultArrayMerge(target, source, options) {
 	})
 }
 
-function getMergeFunction(key, options) {
+function getMergeFunction(key, options, target, source) {
 	if (!options.customMerge) {
 		return deepmerge
 	}
-	var customMerge = options.customMerge(key)
+	var customMerge = options.customMerge(key, target, source);
 	return typeof customMerge === 'function' ? customMerge : deepmerge
 }
 
@@ -69,7 +69,7 @@ function mergeObject(target, source, options) {
 		if (!options.isMergeable(source[key]) || !propertyIsOnObject(target, key)) {
 			destination[key] = cloneUnlessOtherwiseSpecified(source[key], options)
 		} else {
-			destination[key] = getMergeFunction(key, options)(target[key], source[key], options)
+			destination[key] = getMergeFunction(key, options, target[key], source[key])(target[key], source[key], options)
 		}
 	})
 	return destination
@@ -106,4 +106,8 @@ deepmerge.all = function deepmergeAll(array, options) {
 	}, {})
 }
 
+deepmerge.customMergeIgnoreEmptyValues = (key, target, source) => !target || target === ''
+	? () => source
+	: () => target;
+
 module.exports = deepmerge
diff --git a/test/merge.js b/test/merge.js
index 1a99b28..e38c06e 100644
--- a/test/merge.js
+++ b/test/merge.js
@@ -676,3 +676,18 @@ test('Falsey properties should be mergeable', function(t) {
 	t.ok(customMergeWasCalled, 'custom merge function was called')
 	t.end()
 })
+
+test('customMerge without overwriting with null or empty string', function(t) {
+	var src = { someNewVariable: "herp", very: { nested: { thing: "" } } };
+  var target = { very: { nested: { thing: "derp" } } };
+
+  var res = merge(target, src, {
+    customMerge: merge.customMergeIgnoreEmptyValues,
+  });
+
+  t.deepEqual(res, {
+    someNewVariable: "herp",
+    very: { nested: { thing: "derp" } },
+  });
+  t.end();
+})