diff --git a/lib/types/alternatives.js b/lib/types/alternatives.js
index 875f2b090..aca726b83 100755
--- a/lib/types/alternatives.js
+++ b/lib/types/alternatives.js
@@ -1,7 +1,8 @@
 'use strict';
 
 const Assert = require('@hapi/hoek/lib/assert');
-const Merge = require('@hapi/hoek/lib/merge');
+const Clone = require('@hapi/hoek/lib/clone');
+const Utils = require('@hapi/hoek/lib/utils');
 
 const Any = require('./any');
 const Common = require('../common');
@@ -12,6 +13,80 @@ const Ref = require('../ref');
 
 const internals = {};
 
+// note: placed here purely for illustration purposes. will move to appropriate location before merging
+// merges source properties into target, but only when they differ from the value in original
+const differenceMerge = function (target, source, original, options) {
+
+    Assert(target && typeof target === 'object', 'Invalid target value: must be an object');
+    Assert(source === null || source === undefined || typeof source === 'object', 'Invalid source value: must be null, undefined, or an object');
+    Assert(original && typeof original === 'object', 'Invalid original value: must be an object');
+
+    if (!source) {
+        return target;
+    }
+
+    options = Object.assign({ nullOverride: true, mergeArrays: true }, options);
+
+    if (Array.isArray(source)) {
+        Assert(Array.isArray(target), 'Cannot merge array onto an object');
+        if (!options.mergeArrays) {
+            target.length = 0;                                                          // Must not change target assignment
+        }
+
+        for (let i = 0; i < source.length; ++i) {
+            target.push(Clone(source[i], { symbols: options.symbols }));
+        }
+
+        return target;
+    }
+
+    const keys = Utils.keys(source, options);
+    for (let i = 0; i < keys.length; ++i) {
+        const key = keys[i];
+        if (key === '__proto__' ||
+          !Object.prototype.propertyIsEnumerable.call(source, key)) {
+
+            continue;
+        }
+
+        const value = source[key];
+        if (value &&
+          typeof value === 'object') {
+
+            if (target[key] === value) {
+                continue;                                           // Can occur for shallow merges
+            }
+
+            if (!target[key] ||
+              typeof target[key] !== 'object' ||
+              (Array.isArray(target[key]) !== Array.isArray(value)) ||
+              value instanceof Date ||
+              (Buffer && Buffer.isBuffer(value)) ||               // $lab:coverage:ignore$
+              value instanceof RegExp) {
+                if (value !== original[key]) {
+                    target[key] = Clone(value, { symbols: options.symbols });
+                }
+            }
+            else {
+                differenceMerge(target[key], value, original[key], options);
+            }
+        }
+        else {
+            if (value !== original[key]) {
+                if (value !== null &&
+                  value !== undefined) {                              // Explicit to preserve empty strings
+                    target[key] = value;
+                }
+                else if (options.nullOverride) {
+                    target[key] = value;
+                }
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
+    return target;
+
+};
 
 module.exports = Any.extend({
 
@@ -45,6 +120,7 @@ module.exports = Any.extend({
         // Match all or one
 
         if (schema._flags.match) {
+            const valueClone = Clone(value);
             const matched = [];
 
             for (let i = 0; i < schema.$_terms.matches.length; ++i) {
@@ -74,7 +150,14 @@ module.exports = Any.extend({
             }
 
             const allobj = schema.$_terms.matches.reduce((acc, v) => acc && v.schema.type === 'object', true);
-            return allobj ? { value: matched.reduce((acc, v) => Merge(acc, v, { mergeArrays: false })) } : { value: matched[matched.length - 1] };
+
+            if (allobj) {
+                // add original value to set prior to merging any changed properties from matched subschemas
+                matched.unshift(valueClone);
+                return { value: matched.reduce((acc, v) => differenceMerge(acc, v, value, { mergeArrays: false })) };
+            }
+
+            return { value: matched[matched.length - 1] };
         }
 
         // Match any
@@ -138,7 +221,7 @@ module.exports = Any.extend({
                 const conditions = match.is ? [match] : match.switch;
                 for (const item of conditions) {
                     if (item.then &&
-                        item.otherwise) {
+                      item.otherwise) {
 
                         obj.$_setFlag('_endedSwitch', true, { clone: false });
                         break;
@@ -200,7 +283,7 @@ module.exports = Any.extend({
         const each = (item) => {
 
             if (Common.isSchema(item) &&
-                item.type === 'array') {
+              item.type === 'array') {
 
                 schema.$_setFlag('_arrayItems', true, { clone: false });
             }