diff --git a/dict.go b/dict.go
index ade88969..ecff1ad3 100644
--- a/dict.go
+++ b/dict.go
@@ -89,7 +89,7 @@ func dict(v ...interface{}) map[string]interface{} {
 
 func merge(dst map[string]interface{}, srcs ...map[string]interface{}) interface{} {
 	for _, src := range srcs {
-		if err := mergo.Merge(&dst, src); err != nil {
+		if err := mergo.Merge(&dst, src, mergo.WithoutDereference); err != nil {
 			// Swallow errors inside of a template.
 			return ""
 		}
@@ -99,7 +99,7 @@ func merge(dst map[string]interface{}, srcs ...map[string]interface{}) interface
 
 func mustMerge(dst map[string]interface{}, srcs ...map[string]interface{}) (interface{}, error) {
 	for _, src := range srcs {
-		if err := mergo.Merge(&dst, src); err != nil {
+		if err := mergo.Merge(&dst, src, mergo.WithoutDereference); err != nil {
 			return nil, err
 		}
 	}
diff --git a/dict_test.go b/dict_test.go
index c829daa5..2ecc1388 100644
--- a/dict_test.go
+++ b/dict_test.go
@@ -157,7 +157,9 @@ func TestMerge(t *testing.T) {
 			"j": "jay",
 			"k": map[string]interface{}{
 				"l": false,
+				"m": true,
 			},
+			"z": 10,
 		},
 		"dst": map[string]interface{}{
 			"a": "one",
@@ -167,9 +169,12 @@ func TestMerge(t *testing.T) {
 			},
 			"g": []int{8, 9},
 			"i": "eye",
+			"j": nil,
 			"k": map[string]interface{}{
 				"l": true,
+				"m": false,
 			},
+			"z": 0,
 		},
 	}
 	tpl := `{{merge .dst .src1 .src2}}`
@@ -191,7 +196,9 @@ func TestMerge(t *testing.T) {
 		"j": "jay",       // overridden and merged
 		"k": map[string]interface{}{
 			"l": true, // overridden
+			"m": false,
 		},
+		"z": 0, // zero value should be preserved
 	}
 	assert.Equal(t, expected, dict["dst"])
 }
diff --git a/go.mod b/go.mod
index 494916f1..463e4ffa 100644
--- a/go.mod
+++ b/go.mod
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ require (
 	github.com/Masterminds/semver/v3 v3.2.0
 	github.com/google/uuid v1.1.1
 	github.com/huandu/xstrings v1.3.3
-	github.com/imdario/mergo v0.3.11
+	github.com/imdario/mergo v0.3.16
 	github.com/mitchellh/copystructure v1.0.0
 	github.com/shopspring/decimal v1.2.0
 	github.com/spf13/cast v1.3.1
diff --git a/go.sum b/go.sum
index 11a67119..f97b4b3c 100644
--- a/go.sum
+++ b/go.sum
@@ -9,8 +9,8 @@ github.com/google/uuid v1.1.1 h1:Gkbcsh/GbpXz7lPftLA3P6TYMwjCLYm83jiFQZF/3gY=
 github.com/google/uuid v1.1.1/go.mod h1:TIyPZe4MgqvfeYDBFedMoGGpEw/LqOeaOT+nhxU+yHo=
 github.com/huandu/xstrings v1.3.3 h1:/Gcsuc1x8JVbJ9/rlye4xZnVAbEkGauT8lbebqcQws4=
 github.com/huandu/xstrings v1.3.3/go.mod h1:y5/lhBue+AyNmUVz9RLU9xbLR0o4KIIExikq4ovT0aE=
-github.com/imdario/mergo v0.3.11 h1:3tnifQM4i+fbajXKBHXWEH+KvNHqojZ778UH75j3bGA=
-github.com/imdario/mergo v0.3.11/go.mod h1:jmQim1M+e3UYxmgPu/WyfjB3N3VflVyUjjjwH0dnCYA=
+github.com/imdario/mergo v0.3.16 h1:wwQJbIsHYGMUyLSPrEq1CT16AhnhNJQ51+4fdHUnCl4=
+github.com/imdario/mergo v0.3.16/go.mod h1:WBLT9ZmE3lPoWsEzCh9LPo3TiwVN+ZKEjmz+hD27ysY=
 github.com/mitchellh/copystructure v1.0.0 h1:Laisrj+bAB6b/yJwB5Bt3ITZhGJdqmxquMKeZ+mmkFQ=
 github.com/mitchellh/copystructure v1.0.0/go.mod h1:SNtv71yrdKgLRyLFxmLdkAbkKEFWgYaq1OVrnRcwhnw=
 github.com/mitchellh/reflectwalk v1.0.0 h1:9D+8oIskB4VJBN5SFlmc27fSlIBZaov1Wpk/IfikLNY=
@@ -56,6 +56,7 @@ golang.org/x/tools v0.1.12/go.mod h1:hNGJHUnrk76NpqgfD5Aqm5Crs+Hm0VOH/i9J2+nxYbc
 golang.org/x/xerrors v0.0.0-20190717185122-a985d3407aa7/go.mod h1:I/5z698sn9Ka8TeJc9MKroUUfqBBauWjQqLJ2OPfmY0=
 gopkg.in/check.v1 v0.0.0-20161208181325-20d25e280405 h1:yhCVgyC4o1eVCa2tZl7eS0r+SDo693bJlVdllGtEeKM=
 gopkg.in/check.v1 v0.0.0-20161208181325-20d25e280405/go.mod h1:Co6ibVJAznAaIkqp8huTwlJQCZ016jof/cbN4VW5Yz0=
+gopkg.in/yaml.v2 v2.2.2 h1:ZCJp+EgiOT7lHqUV2J862kp8Qj64Jo6az82+3Td9dZw=
 gopkg.in/yaml.v2 v2.2.2/go.mod h1:hI93XBmqTisBFMUTm0b8Fm+jr3Dg1NNxqwp+5A1VGuI=
-gopkg.in/yaml.v2 v2.3.0 h1:clyUAQHOM3G0M3f5vQj7LuJrETvjVot3Z5el9nffUtU=
-gopkg.in/yaml.v2 v2.3.0/go.mod h1:hI93XBmqTisBFMUTm0b8Fm+jr3Dg1NNxqwp+5A1VGuI=
+gopkg.in/yaml.v3 v3.0.1 h1:fxVm/GzAzEWqLHuvctI91KS9hhNmmWOoWu0XTYJS7CA=
+gopkg.in/yaml.v3 v3.0.1/go.mod h1:K4uyk7z7BCEPqu6E+C64Yfv1cQ7kz7rIZviUmN+EgEM=