diff --git a/packages/cli/test/fixtures/patternlab-config.json b/packages/cli/test/fixtures/patternlab-config.json
index 6102f522f3..4bd371e264 100644
--- a/packages/cli/test/fixtures/patternlab-config.json
+++ b/packages/cli/test/fixtures/patternlab-config.json
@@ -72,6 +72,7 @@
 	"patternStateCascade": ["inprogress", "inreview", "complete"],
 	"patternExportDirectory": "./pattern_exports/",
 	"patternExportPatternPartials": [],
+	"patternMergeVariantArrays": true,
 	"serverOptions": {
 		"wait": 1000
 	},
diff --git a/packages/core/patternlab-config.json b/packages/core/patternlab-config.json
index 39eed54fd3..28d62a2d00 100644
--- a/packages/core/patternlab-config.json
+++ b/packages/core/patternlab-config.json
@@ -75,6 +75,7 @@
   "patternExportPatternPartials": [],
   "patternExportPreserveDirectoryStructure": true,
   "patternExportRaw": false,
+  "patternMergeVariantArrays": true,
   "serverOptions": {
     "wait": 1000
   },
diff --git a/packages/core/src/lib/pseudopattern_hunter.js b/packages/core/src/lib/pseudopattern_hunter.js
index b95dd37f1d..8a4cb4adc7 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/lib/pseudopattern_hunter.js
+++ b/packages/core/src/lib/pseudopattern_hunter.js
@@ -60,10 +60,21 @@ pseudopattern_hunter.prototype.find_pseudopatterns = function(
       }
 
       //extend any existing data with variant data
-      variantFileData = _.merge(
+      variantFileData = _.mergeWith(
         {},
         currentPattern.jsonFileData,
-        variantFileData
+        variantFileData,
+        (objValue, srcValue) => {
+          if (
+            _.isArray(objValue) &&
+            patternlab.config.patternMergeVariantArrays
+          ) {
+            return objValue.concat(srcValue);
+          }
+          // Lodash will only check for "undefined" and eslint needs a consistent
+          // return so do not remove
+          return undefined;
+        }
       );
 
       const variantName = pseudoPatterns[i]
diff --git a/packages/core/test/util/patternlab-config.json b/packages/core/test/util/patternlab-config.json
index c2edf9561c..904e37afde 100644
--- a/packages/core/test/util/patternlab-config.json
+++ b/packages/core/test/util/patternlab-config.json
@@ -57,6 +57,7 @@
   "patternExportPatternPartials": [],
   "patternExportDirectory": "./pattern_exports/",
   "patternExtension": "mustache",
+  "patternMergeVariantArrays": true,
   "cacheBust": true,
   "outputFileSuffixes": {
     "rendered": ".rendered",
diff --git a/packages/development-edition-engine-handlebars/patternlab-config.json b/packages/development-edition-engine-handlebars/patternlab-config.json
index 5b9e9a0c2c..141f35a47d 100644
--- a/packages/development-edition-engine-handlebars/patternlab-config.json
+++ b/packages/development-edition-engine-handlebars/patternlab-config.json
@@ -70,6 +70,7 @@
   "patternExportPatternPartials": [],
   "patternExportPreserveDirectoryStructure": true,
   "patternExportRaw": false,
+  "patternMergeVariantArrays": true,
   "serverOptions": {
     "wait": 1000
   },
diff --git a/packages/development-edition-engine-react/patternlab-config.json b/packages/development-edition-engine-react/patternlab-config.json
index 23b459f2db..dd4efbd247 100644
--- a/packages/development-edition-engine-react/patternlab-config.json
+++ b/packages/development-edition-engine-react/patternlab-config.json
@@ -25,16 +25,7 @@
     "m": [500, 800],
     "l": [800, 2600]
   },
-<<<<<<< HEAD:packages/development-edition-engine-react/patternlab-config.json
   "logLevel": "info",
-=======
-  "patternExportAll": false,
-  "patternExportPreserveDirectoryStructure": false,
-  "patternExportRaw": false,
-  "patternExportPatternPartials": [],
-  "patternExportDirectory": "./pattern_exports/",
-  "cacheBust": true,
->>>>>>> 436dd99e50d808cd14691593b927209f1ecb663e:patternlab-config.json
   "outputFileSuffixes": {
     "rendered": ".rendered",
     "rawTemplate": "",
@@ -79,8 +70,12 @@
   },
   "patternExtension": "mustache",
   "patternStateCascade": ["inprogress", "inreview", "complete"],
+  "patternExportAll": false,
+  "patternExportPreserveDirectoryStructure": false,
+  "patternExportRaw": false,
   "patternExportDirectory": "./pattern_exports/",
   "patternExportPatternPartials": [],
+  "patternMergeVariantArrays": true,
   "serverOptions": {
     "wait": 1000
   },
diff --git a/packages/development-edition-engine-twig/patternlab-config.json b/packages/development-edition-engine-twig/patternlab-config.json
index 3c18bd4039..55fed5c95b 100644
--- a/packages/development-edition-engine-twig/patternlab-config.json
+++ b/packages/development-edition-engine-twig/patternlab-config.json
@@ -80,6 +80,7 @@
   ],
   "patternExportDirectory": "pattern_exports",
   "patternExportPatternPartials": [],
+  "patternMergeVariantArrays": true,
   "serverOptions": {
     "wait": 1000
   },
diff --git a/packages/edition-node-gulp/patternlab-config.json b/packages/edition-node-gulp/patternlab-config.json
index 20625a44fe..e24473a028 100644
--- a/packages/edition-node-gulp/patternlab-config.json
+++ b/packages/edition-node-gulp/patternlab-config.json
@@ -75,6 +75,7 @@
   "patternExportPatternPartials": [],
   "patternExportPreserveDirectoryStructure": true,
   "patternExportRaw": false,
+  "patternMergeVariantArrays": true,
   "serverOptions": {
     "wait": 1000
   },
diff --git a/packages/edition-node/patternlab-config.json b/packages/edition-node/patternlab-config.json
index e5cef68117..3112f5ac08 100644
--- a/packages/edition-node/patternlab-config.json
+++ b/packages/edition-node/patternlab-config.json
@@ -75,6 +75,7 @@
   "patternExportPatternPartials": [],
   "patternExportPreserveDirectoryStructure": true,
   "patternExportRaw": false,
+  "patternMergeVariantArrays": true,
   "serverOptions": {
     "wait": 1000
   },
diff --git a/packages/edition-twig/patternlab-config.json b/packages/edition-twig/patternlab-config.json
index e9652bde5a..ee6acd691c 100644
--- a/packages/edition-twig/patternlab-config.json
+++ b/packages/edition-twig/patternlab-config.json
@@ -139,6 +139,7 @@
   "patternExportPatternPartials": [],
   "patternExportPreserveDirectoryStructure": true,
   "patternExportRaw": false,
+  "patternMergeVariantArrays": true,
   "serverOptions": {
     "wait": 1000
   },