diff --git a/lib/jsdoc/doclet.js b/lib/jsdoc/doclet.js
index 9fa58280..cb05e721 100644
--- a/lib/jsdoc/doclet.js
+++ b/lib/jsdoc/doclet.js
@@ -468,18 +468,7 @@ Doclet.prototype.setMeta = function(meta) {
     }
 };
 
-/**
- * Extend a destination object with properties from the source object, ignoring properties that
- * should be excluded.
- *
- * @private
- * @param {Object} source - The source object.
- * @param {Object} destination - The destination object.
- * @param {Array.<string>} exclude - The names of properties to exclude from copying.
- */
-function extend(source, destination, exclude) {
-    var properties = _.difference(Object.getOwnPropertyNames(source), exclude);
-
+function dooper(source, target, properties) {
     properties.forEach(function(property) {
         switch (typeof source[property]) {
             case 'function':
@@ -487,57 +476,86 @@ function extend(source, destination, exclude) {
                 break;
 
             case 'object':
-                destination[property] = jsdoc.util.doop(source[property]);
+                target[property] = jsdoc.util.doop(source[property]);
 
                 break;
 
             default:
-                destination[property] = source[property];
+                target[property] = source[property];
         }
     });
 }
 
 /**
- * Extend a destination doclet with the specified properties from the source doclet, provided that
- * the properties from the source doclet appear to be a better fit.
+ * Combine two doclets into a target doclet, using properties from the secondary doclet only when
+ * those properties do not exist on the primary doclet, and ignoring properties that should be
+ * excluded.
  *
  * @private
- * @param {module:jsdoc/doclet.Doclet} source - The source doclet.
- * @param {module:jsdoc/doclet.Doclet} destination - The destination doclet.
+ * @param {module:jsdoc/doclet.Doclet} primary - The primary doclet.
+ * @param {module:jsdoc/doclet.Doclet} secondary - The secondary doclet.
+ * @param {module:jsdoc/doclet.Doclet} target - The doclet to which properties will be copied.
+ * @param {Array.<string>} exclude - The names of properties to exclude from copying.
+ */
+function combine(primary, secondary, target, exclude) {
+    var primaryProperties = _.difference(Object.getOwnPropertyNames(primary), exclude);
+    var secondaryProperties = _.difference(Object.getOwnPropertyNames(secondary),
+        exclude.concat(primaryProperties));
+
+    dooper(primary, target, primaryProperties);
+    dooper(secondary, target, secondaryProperties);
+}
+
+/**
+ * Combine specified properties from two doclets into a target doclet, using the properties of the
+ * primary doclet unless the properties of the secondary doclet appear to be a better fit.
+ *
+ * @private
+ * @param {module:jsdoc/doclet.Doclet} primary - The primary doclet.
+ * @param {module:jsdoc/doclet.Doclet} secondary - The secondary doclet.
+ * @param {module:jsdoc/doclet.Doclet} target - The doclet to which properties will be copied.
  * @param {Array.<string>} include - The names of properties to copy.
  */
-function maybeExtend(source, destination, include) {
+function combineWithLogic(primary, secondary, target, include) {
     include.forEach(function(property) {
-        var shouldExtend = false;
+        var shouldUsePrimary = false;
 
-        if ({}.hasOwnProperty.call(source, property)) {
-            // use the source property if the destination property is missing or empty
-            if (!destination[property] || !destination[property].length) {
-                shouldExtend = true;
+        if ({}.hasOwnProperty.call(primary, property)) {
+            // use the primary property if the secondary property is missing or empty
+            if (!secondary[property] || !secondary[property].length) {
+                shouldUsePrimary = true;
             }
             // use the source property if it's not empty
-            else if (source[property].length) {
-                shouldExtend = true;
+            else if (primary[property].length) {
+                shouldUsePrimary = true;
             }
         }
 
-        if (shouldExtend) {
-            destination[property] = jsdoc.util.doop(source[property]);
+        if (shouldUsePrimary) {
+            target[property] = jsdoc.util.doop(primary[property]);
+        }
+        else {
+            target[property] = jsdoc.util.doop(secondary[property]);
         }
     });
 }
 
 /**
- * Merge another doclet into this doclet.
+ * Combine two doclets into a new doclet.
  *
- * @param {module:jsdoc/doclet.Doclet} doclet - The doclet to merge into this one.
+ * @param {module:jsdoc/doclet.Doclet} primary - The doclet whose properties will be used.
+ * @param {module:jsdoc/doclet.Doclet} secondary - The doclet to use as a fallback for properties
+ * that the primary doclet does not have.
  */
-Doclet.prototype.merge = function(doclet) {
+exports.combine = function(primary, secondary) {
     var specialCase = [
         'params',
         'properties'
     ];
+    var target = new Doclet('');
 
-    extend(doclet, this, specialCase);
-    maybeExtend(doclet, this, specialCase);
+    combine(primary, secondary, target, specialCase);
+    combineWithLogic(primary, secondary, target, specialCase);
+
+    return target;
 };
diff --git a/test/specs/jsdoc/doclet.js b/test/specs/jsdoc/doclet.js
index f1ea3a87..1cdb73ea 100644
--- a/test/specs/jsdoc/doclet.js
+++ b/test/specs/jsdoc/doclet.js
@@ -3,7 +3,10 @@
 describe('jsdoc/doclet', function() {
     // TODO: more tests
     var _ = require('underscore');
-    var Doclet = require('jsdoc/doclet').Doclet;
+    var jsdoc = {
+        doclet: require('jsdoc/doclet')
+    };
+    var Doclet = jsdoc.doclet.Doclet;
 
     var docSet = jasmine.getDocSetFromFile('test/fixtures/doclet.js');
     var test1 = docSet.getByLongname('test1')[0];
@@ -47,25 +50,23 @@ describe('jsdoc/doclet', function() {
         });
     });
 
-    describe('merge', function() {
-        it('should override most properties of the original doclet', function() {
-            var originalDoclet = new Doclet('/** Hello!\n@version 1.0.0 */');
-            var newDoclet = new Doclet('/** New and improved!\n@version 2.0.0 */');
+    describe('combine', function() {
+        it('should override most properties of the secondary doclet', function() {
+            var primaryDoclet = new Doclet('/** New and improved!\n@version 2.0.0 */');
+            var secondaryDoclet = new Doclet('/** Hello!\n@version 1.0.0 */');
+            var newDoclet = jsdoc.doclet.combine(primaryDoclet, secondaryDoclet);
 
-            originalDoclet.merge(newDoclet);
-
-            Object.getOwnPropertyNames(originalDoclet).forEach(function(property) {
-                expect(originalDoclet[property]).toEqual(newDoclet[property]);
+            Object.getOwnPropertyNames(newDoclet).forEach(function(property) {
+                expect(newDoclet[property]).toEqual(primaryDoclet[property]);
             });
         });
 
-        it('should add properties that are missing from the original doclet', function() {
-            var originalDoclet = new Doclet('/** Hello! */');
-            var newDoclet = new Doclet('/** Hello!\n@version 2.0.0 */');
+        it('should add properties that are missing from the secondary doclet', function() {
+            var primaryDoclet = new Doclet('/** Hello!\n@version 2.0.0 */');
+            var secondaryDoclet = new Doclet('/** Hello! */');
+            var newDoclet = jsdoc.doclet.combine(primaryDoclet, secondaryDoclet);
 
-            originalDoclet.merge(newDoclet);
-
-            expect(originalDoclet.version).toBe('2.0.0');
+            expect(newDoclet.version).toBe('2.0.0');
         });
 
         describe('params and properties', function() {
@@ -74,65 +75,45 @@ describe('jsdoc/doclet', function() {
                 'properties'
             ];
 
-            it('should use the new doclet\'s params and properties if the original doclet had none',
-                function() {
-                    var originalDoclet = new Doclet('/** Hello! */');
-                    var newComment = [
-                        '/**',
-                        ' * @param {string} foo - The foo.',
-                        ' * @property {number} bar - The bar.',
-                        ' */'
-                    ].join('\n');
-                    var newDoclet = new Doclet(newComment);
+            it('should use the secondary doclet\'s params and properties if the primary doclet ' +
+                'had none', function() {
+                var primaryDoclet = new Doclet('/** Hello! */');
+                var secondaryComment = [
+                    '/**',
+                    ' * @param {string} foo - The foo.',
+                    ' * @property {number} bar - The bar.',
+                    ' */'
+                ].join('\n');
+                var secondaryDoclet = new Doclet(secondaryComment);
+                var newDoclet = jsdoc.doclet.combine(primaryDoclet, secondaryDoclet);
 
-                    originalDoclet.merge(newDoclet);
-
-                    properties.forEach(function(property) {
-                        expect(originalDoclet[property]).toEqual(newDoclet[property]);
-                    });
+                properties.forEach(function(property) {
+                    expect(newDoclet[property]).toEqual(secondaryDoclet[property]);
                 });
+            });
 
-            it('should use the new doclet\'s params and properties if the new doclet has some',
-                function() {
-                    var originalComment = [
-                        '/**',
-                        ' * @param {string} foo - The foo.',
-                        ' * @property {number} bar - The bar.',
-                        ' */'
-                    ].join('\n');
-                    var originalDoclet = new Doclet(originalComment);
-                    var newComment = [
-                        '/**',
-                        ' * @param {number} baz - The baz.',
-                        ' * @property {string} qux - The qux.',
-                        ' */'
-                    ].join('\n');
-                    var newDoclet = new Doclet(newComment);
+            it('should use the primary doclet\'s params and properties if the primary doclet has ' +
+                'some', function() {
+                var primaryComment = [
+                    '/**',
+                    ' * @param {number} baz - The baz.',
+                    ' * @property {string} qux - The qux.',
+                    ' */'
+                ].join('\n');
+                var primaryDoclet = new Doclet(primaryComment);
+                var secondaryComment = [
+                    '/**',
+                    ' * @param {string} foo - The foo.',
+                    ' * @property {number} bar - The bar.',
+                    ' */'
+                ].join('\n');
+                var secondaryDoclet = new Doclet(secondaryComment);
+                var newDoclet = jsdoc.doclet.combine(primaryDoclet, secondaryDoclet);
 
-                    originalDoclet.merge(newDoclet);
-
-                    properties.forEach(function(property) {
-                        expect(originalDoclet[property]).toEqual(newDoclet[property]);
-                    });
-                });
-
-            it('should use the old doclet\'s params and properties if the new doclet has none',
-                function() {
-                    var originalComment = [
-                        '/**',
-                        ' * @param {string} foo - The foo.',
-                        ' * @property {number} bar - The bar.',
-                        ' */'
-                    ].join('\n');
-                    var originalDoclet = new Doclet(originalComment);
-                    var newDoclet = new Doclet('/** Hello! */');
-
-                    originalDoclet.merge(newDoclet);
-
-                    properties.forEach(function(property) {
-                        expect(originalDoclet[property]).not.toEqual(newDoclet[property]);
-                    });
+                properties.forEach(function(property) {
+                    expect(newDoclet[property]).toEqual(primaryDoclet[property]);
                 });
+            });
         });
     });
 });