diff --git a/merge.go b/merge.go
index 3aa18c7..ad88d40 100644
--- a/merge.go
+++ b/merge.go
@@ -38,7 +38,10 @@ func mergeDocs(doc, patch *partialDoc, mergeMerge bool) {
 			cur, ok := (*doc)[k]
 
 			if !ok || cur == nil {
-				pruneNulls(v)
+				if !mergeMerge {
+					pruneNulls(v)
+				}
+
 				(*doc)[k] = v
 			} else {
 				(*doc)[k] = merge(cur, v, mergeMerge)
diff --git a/merge_test.go b/merge_test.go
index e739bab..a225cf5 100644
--- a/merge_test.go
+++ b/merge_test.go
@@ -479,7 +479,7 @@ func createNestedMap(m map[string]interface{}, depth int, objectCount *int) {
 	if depth == 0 {
 		return
 	}
-	for i := 0; i< 2;i++ {
+	for i := 0; i < 2; i++ {
 		nested := map[string]interface{}{}
 		*objectCount += 1
 		createNestedMap(nested, depth-1, objectCount)
@@ -571,12 +571,12 @@ func benchmarkMatchesValueWithDeeplyNestedFields(depth int, b *testing.B) {
 func BenchmarkMatchesValue1(b *testing.B)  { benchmarkMatchesValueWithDeeplyNestedFields(1, b) }
 func BenchmarkMatchesValue2(b *testing.B)  { benchmarkMatchesValueWithDeeplyNestedFields(2, b) }
 func BenchmarkMatchesValue3(b *testing.B)  { benchmarkMatchesValueWithDeeplyNestedFields(3, b) }
-func BenchmarkMatchesValue4(b *testing.B) { benchmarkMatchesValueWithDeeplyNestedFields(4, b) }
-func BenchmarkMatchesValue5(b *testing.B) { benchmarkMatchesValueWithDeeplyNestedFields(5, b) }
-func BenchmarkMatchesValue6(b *testing.B) { benchmarkMatchesValueWithDeeplyNestedFields(6, b) }
-func BenchmarkMatchesValue7(b *testing.B) { benchmarkMatchesValueWithDeeplyNestedFields(7, b) }
-func BenchmarkMatchesValue8(b *testing.B) { benchmarkMatchesValueWithDeeplyNestedFields(8, b) }
-func BenchmarkMatchesValue9(b *testing.B) { benchmarkMatchesValueWithDeeplyNestedFields(9, b) }
+func BenchmarkMatchesValue4(b *testing.B)  { benchmarkMatchesValueWithDeeplyNestedFields(4, b) }
+func BenchmarkMatchesValue5(b *testing.B)  { benchmarkMatchesValueWithDeeplyNestedFields(5, b) }
+func BenchmarkMatchesValue6(b *testing.B)  { benchmarkMatchesValueWithDeeplyNestedFields(6, b) }
+func BenchmarkMatchesValue7(b *testing.B)  { benchmarkMatchesValueWithDeeplyNestedFields(7, b) }
+func BenchmarkMatchesValue8(b *testing.B)  { benchmarkMatchesValueWithDeeplyNestedFields(8, b) }
+func BenchmarkMatchesValue9(b *testing.B)  { benchmarkMatchesValueWithDeeplyNestedFields(9, b) }
 func BenchmarkMatchesValue10(b *testing.B) { benchmarkMatchesValueWithDeeplyNestedFields(10, b) }
 
 func TestCreateMergePatchComplexRemoveAll(t *testing.T) {
@@ -674,6 +674,12 @@ func TestMergeMergePatches(t *testing.T) {
 			p2:           `{"del2": null}`,
 			exp:          `{"del1": null, "del2": null}`,
 		},
+		{
+			demonstrates: "nulls are kept in complex objects",
+			p1:           `{}`,
+			p2:           `{"request":{"object":{"complex_object_array":["value1","value2","value3"],"complex_object_map":{"key1":"value1","key2":"value2","key3":"value3"},"simple_object_bool":false,"simple_object_float":-5.5,"simple_object_int":5,"simple_object_null":null,"simple_object_string":"example"}}}`,
+			exp:          `{"request":{"object":{"complex_object_array":["value1","value2","value3"],"complex_object_map":{"key1":"value1","key2":"value2","key3":"value3"},"simple_object_bool":false,"simple_object_float":-5.5,"simple_object_int":5,"simple_object_null":null,"simple_object_string":"example"}}}`,
+		},
 		{
 			demonstrates: "a key added then deleted is kept deleted",
 			p1:           `{"add_then_delete": "atd"}`,
diff --git a/v5/merge.go b/v5/merge.go
index cde37f1..a7c4573 100644
--- a/v5/merge.go
+++ b/v5/merge.go
@@ -48,7 +48,9 @@ func mergeDocs(doc, patch *partialDoc, mergeMerge bool) {
 			cur, ok := doc.obj[k]
 
 			if !ok || cur == nil {
-				pruneNulls(v)
+				if !mergeMerge {
+					pruneNulls(v)
+				}
 				_ = doc.set(k, v, &ApplyOptions{})
 			} else {
 				_ = doc.set(k, merge(cur, v, mergeMerge), &ApplyOptions{})
diff --git a/v5/merge_test.go b/v5/merge_test.go
index a7e1bb9..72e3ea8 100644
--- a/v5/merge_test.go
+++ b/v5/merge_test.go
@@ -479,7 +479,7 @@ func createNestedMap(m map[string]interface{}, depth int, objectCount *int) {
 	if depth == 0 {
 		return
 	}
-	for i := 0; i< 2;i++ {
+	for i := 0; i < 2; i++ {
 		nested := map[string]interface{}{}
 		*objectCount += 1
 		createNestedMap(nested, depth-1, objectCount)
@@ -571,12 +571,12 @@ func benchmarkMatchesValueWithDeeplyNestedFields(depth int, b *testing.B) {
 func BenchmarkMatchesValue1(b *testing.B)  { benchmarkMatchesValueWithDeeplyNestedFields(1, b) }
 func BenchmarkMatchesValue2(b *testing.B)  { benchmarkMatchesValueWithDeeplyNestedFields(2, b) }
 func BenchmarkMatchesValue3(b *testing.B)  { benchmarkMatchesValueWithDeeplyNestedFields(3, b) }
-func BenchmarkMatchesValue4(b *testing.B) { benchmarkMatchesValueWithDeeplyNestedFields(4, b) }
-func BenchmarkMatchesValue5(b *testing.B) { benchmarkMatchesValueWithDeeplyNestedFields(5, b) }
-func BenchmarkMatchesValue6(b *testing.B) { benchmarkMatchesValueWithDeeplyNestedFields(6, b) }
-func BenchmarkMatchesValue7(b *testing.B) { benchmarkMatchesValueWithDeeplyNestedFields(7, b) }
-func BenchmarkMatchesValue8(b *testing.B) { benchmarkMatchesValueWithDeeplyNestedFields(8, b) }
-func BenchmarkMatchesValue9(b *testing.B) { benchmarkMatchesValueWithDeeplyNestedFields(9, b) }
+func BenchmarkMatchesValue4(b *testing.B)  { benchmarkMatchesValueWithDeeplyNestedFields(4, b) }
+func BenchmarkMatchesValue5(b *testing.B)  { benchmarkMatchesValueWithDeeplyNestedFields(5, b) }
+func BenchmarkMatchesValue6(b *testing.B)  { benchmarkMatchesValueWithDeeplyNestedFields(6, b) }
+func BenchmarkMatchesValue7(b *testing.B)  { benchmarkMatchesValueWithDeeplyNestedFields(7, b) }
+func BenchmarkMatchesValue8(b *testing.B)  { benchmarkMatchesValueWithDeeplyNestedFields(8, b) }
+func BenchmarkMatchesValue9(b *testing.B)  { benchmarkMatchesValueWithDeeplyNestedFields(9, b) }
 func BenchmarkMatchesValue10(b *testing.B) { benchmarkMatchesValueWithDeeplyNestedFields(10, b) }
 
 func TestCreateMergePatchComplexRemoveAll(t *testing.T) {
@@ -674,6 +674,12 @@ func TestMergeMergePatches(t *testing.T) {
 			p2:           `{"del2": null}`,
 			exp:          `{"del1": null, "del2": null}`,
 		},
+		{
+			demonstrates: "nulls are kept in complex objects",
+			p1:           `{}`,
+			p2:           `{"request":{"object":{"complex_object_array":["value1","value2","value3"],"complex_object_map":{"key1":"value1","key2":"value2","key3":"value3"},"simple_object_bool":false,"simple_object_float":-5.5,"simple_object_int":5,"simple_object_null":null,"simple_object_string":"example"}}}`,
+			exp:          `{"request":{"object":{"complex_object_array":["value1","value2","value3"],"complex_object_map":{"key1":"value1","key2":"value2","key3":"value3"},"simple_object_bool":false,"simple_object_float":-5.5,"simple_object_int":5,"simple_object_null":null,"simple_object_string":"example"}}}`,
+		},
 		{
 			demonstrates: "a key added then deleted is kept deleted",
 			p1:           `{"add_then_delete": "atd"}`,