diff --git a/merge.go b/merge.go
index f565137..f2d0c38 100644
--- a/merge.go
+++ b/merge.go
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@ func deepMerge(dst, src reflect.Value, visited map[uintptr]*visit, depth int, ov
 					return
 				}
 			}
-			if !isEmptyValue(srcElement) && (overwrite || !dstElement.IsValid()) {
+			if !isEmptyValue(srcElement) && (overwrite || (!dstElement.IsValid() || isEmptyValue(dst))) {
 				dst.SetMapIndex(key, srcElement)
 			}
 		}
@@ -64,14 +64,14 @@ func deepMerge(dst, src reflect.Value, visited map[uintptr]*visit, depth int, ov
 		if src.IsNil() {
 			break
 		} else if dst.IsNil() {
-			if dst.CanSet() && (isEmptyValue(dst) || overwrite) {
+			if dst.CanSet() && (overwrite || isEmptyValue(dst)) {
 				dst.Set(src)
 			}
 		} else if err = deepMerge(dst.Elem(), src.Elem(), visited, depth+1, overwrite); err != nil {
 			return
 		}
 	default:
-		if dst.CanSet() && !isEmptyValue(src) {
+		if dst.CanSet() && !isEmptyValue(src) && (overwrite || isEmptyValue(dst)) {
 			dst.Set(src)
 		}
 	}
diff --git a/mergo_test.go b/mergo_test.go
index 220b935..877401c 100644
--- a/mergo_test.go
+++ b/mergo_test.go
@@ -58,11 +58,11 @@ func TestKb(t *testing.T) {
 	b.KeyValue = bkv
 
 	ekv := make(map[string]interface{})
-	ekv["Key1"] = "not value 1"
+	ekv["Key1"] = "value1"
 	ekv["Key2"] = "value2"
 	ekv["Key3"] = "value3"
 	expected := testStruct{}
-	expected.Name = "A"
+	expected.Name = "B"
 	expected.KeyValue = ekv
 
 	Merge(&b, a)
@@ -93,7 +93,7 @@ func TestSimpleStruct(t *testing.T) {
 		t.FailNow()
 	}
 	if a.Value != 42 {
-		t.Fatalf("b not merged in a properly: a.Value(%d) != b.Value(%d)", a.Value, b.Value)
+		t.Fatalf("b not merged in properly: a.Value(%d) != b.Value(%d)", a.Value, b.Value)
 	}
 	if !reflect.DeepEqual(a, b) {
 		t.FailNow()
@@ -108,13 +108,13 @@ func TestComplexStruct(t *testing.T) {
 		t.FailNow()
 	}
 	if a.St.Value != 42 {
-		t.Fatalf("b not merged in a properly: a.St.Value(%d) != b.St.Value(%d)", a.St.Value, b.St.Value)
+		t.Fatalf("b not merged in properly: a.St.Value(%d) != b.St.Value(%d)", a.St.Value, b.St.Value)
 	}
 	if a.sz == 1 {
 		t.Fatalf("a's private field sz not preserved from merge: a.sz(%d) == b.sz(%d)", a.sz, b.sz)
 	}
-	if a.Id != b.Id {
-		t.Fatalf("a's field Id not merged properly: a.Id(%s) != b.Id(%s)", a.Id, b.Id)
+	if a.Id == b.Id {
+		t.Fatalf("a's field Id merged unexpectedly: a.Id(%s) == b.Id(%s)", a.Id, b.Id)
 	}
 }
 
@@ -141,7 +141,7 @@ func TestPointerStruct(t *testing.T) {
 		t.FailNow()
 	}
 	if a.C.Value != b.C.Value {
-		//t.Fatalf("b not merged in a properly: a.C.Value(%d) != b.C.Value(%d)", a.C.Value, b.C.Value)
+		t.Fatalf("b not merged in properly: a.C.Value(%d) != b.C.Value(%d)", a.C.Value, b.C.Value)
 	}
 }
 
@@ -189,7 +189,7 @@ func TestEmbeddedStruct(t *testing.T) {
 				embeddedStruct{"bar"},
 			},
 			expected: embeddingStruct{
-				embeddedStruct{"foo"},
+				embeddedStruct{"bar"},
 			},
 		},
 	}
@@ -227,7 +227,7 @@ func TestSliceStruct(t *testing.T) {
 		t.FailNow()
 	}
 	if len(a.S) != len(b.S) {
-		t.Fatalf("b not merged in a properly %d != %d", len(a.S), len(b.S))
+		t.Fatalf("b not merged in a proper way %d != %d", len(a.S), len(b.S))
 	}
 
 	a = sliceTest{[]int{1}}
@@ -235,11 +235,11 @@ func TestSliceStruct(t *testing.T) {
 	if err := Merge(&a, b); err != nil {
 		t.FailNow()
 	}
-	if len(b.S) != 3 {
+	if len(a.S) != 1 {
 		t.FailNow()
 	}
-	if len(a.S) != len(b.S) {
-		t.Fatalf("b not merged in a properly %d != %d", len(a.S), len(b.S))
+	if len(a.S) == len(b.S) {
+		t.Fatalf("b merged unexpectedly %d != %d", len(a.S), len(b.S))
 	}
 }
 
@@ -363,19 +363,19 @@ func TestMap(t *testing.T) {
 	o := b["st"].(*simpleTest)
 	p := b["nt"].(simpleTest)
 	if c.Ct.St.Value != 42 {
-		t.Fatalf("b not merged in a properly: c.Ct.St.Value(%d) != b.Ct.St.Value(%d)", c.Ct.St.Value, n["value"])
+		t.Fatalf("b not merged in properly: c.Ct.St.Value(%d) != b.Ct.St.Value(%d)", c.Ct.St.Value, n["value"])
 	}
 	if c.St.Value != 144 {
-		t.Fatalf("b not merged in a properly: c.St.Value(%d) != b.St.Value(%d)", c.St.Value, o.Value)
+		t.Fatalf("b not merged in properly: c.St.Value(%d) != b.St.Value(%d)", c.St.Value, o.Value)
 	}
 	if c.Nt.Value != 3 {
-		t.Fatalf("b not merged in a properly: c.Nt.Value(%d) != b.Nt.Value(%d)", c.St.Value, p.Value)
+		t.Fatalf("b not merged in properly: c.Nt.Value(%d) != b.Nt.Value(%d)", c.St.Value, p.Value)
 	}
 	if c.Ct.sz == 1 {
 		t.Fatalf("a's private field sz not preserved from merge: c.Ct.sz(%d) == b.Ct.sz(%d)", c.Ct.sz, m["sz"])
 	}
-	if c.Ct.Id != m["id"] {
-		t.Fatalf("a's field Id not merged properly: c.Ct.Id(%s) != b.Ct.Id(%s)", c.Ct.Id, m["id"])
+	if c.Ct.Id == m["id"] {
+		t.Fatalf("a's field Id merged unexpectedly: c.Ct.Id(%s) == b.Ct.Id(%s)", c.Ct.Id, m["id"])
 	}
 }
 
@@ -388,7 +388,7 @@ func TestSimpleMap(t *testing.T) {
 		t.FailNow()
 	}
 	if a.Value != 42 {
-		t.Fatalf("b not merged in a properly: a.Value(%d) != b.Value(%v)", a.Value, b["value"])
+		t.Fatalf("b not merged in properly: a.Value(%d) != b.Value(%v)", a.Value, b["value"])
 	}
 }
 
@@ -409,10 +409,10 @@ func TestBackAndForth(t *testing.T) {
 		ok bool
 	)
 	if v, ok = m["a"]; v.(int) != pt.A || !ok {
-		t.Fatalf("pt not merged properly: m[`a`](%d) != pt.A(%d)", v, pt.A)
+		t.Fatalf("pt not merged in properly: m[`a`](%d) != pt.A(%d)", v, pt.A)
 	}
 	if v, ok = m["b"]; !ok {
-		t.Fatalf("pt not merged properly: B is missing in m")
+		t.Fatalf("pt not merged in properly: B is missing in m")
 	}
 	var st *simpleTest
 	if st = v.(*simpleTest); st.Value != 66 {
@@ -423,13 +423,13 @@ func TestBackAndForth(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Fatal(err)
 	}
 	if bpt.A != pt.A {
-		t.Fatalf("pt not merged properly: bpt.A(%d) != pt.A(%d)", bpt.A, pt.A)
+		t.Fatalf("pt not merged in properly: bpt.A(%d) != pt.A(%d)", bpt.A, pt.A)
 	}
 	if bpt.hidden == pt.hidden {
 		t.Fatalf("pt unexpectedly merged: bpt.hidden(%d) == pt.hidden(%d)", bpt.hidden, pt.hidden)
 	}
 	if bpt.B.Value != pt.B.Value {
-		t.Fatalf("pt not merged properly: bpt.B.Value(%d) != pt.B.Value(%d)", bpt.B.Value, pt.B.Value)
+		t.Fatalf("pt not merged in properly: bpt.B.Value(%d) != pt.B.Value(%d)", bpt.B.Value, pt.B.Value)
 	}
 }