diff --git a/lib/src/merge.rs b/lib/src/merge.rs
index 527ce56d7..7721b075d 100644
--- a/lib/src/merge.rs
+++ b/lib/src/merge.rs
@@ -165,6 +165,16 @@ impl<T> Merge<T> {
         }
     }
 
+    /// Returns the resolved value, if this merge is resolved. Otherwise returns
+    /// the merge itself as an `Err`. Does not resolve trivial merges.
+    pub fn into_resolved(mut self) -> Result<T, Merge<T>> {
+        if self.removes.is_empty() {
+            Ok(self.adds.pop().unwrap())
+        } else {
+            Err(self)
+        }
+    }
+
     /// Simplify the merge by joining diffs like A->B and B->C into A->C.
     /// Also drops trivial diffs like A->A.
     pub fn simplify(mut self) -> Self
diff --git a/lib/src/merged_tree.rs b/lib/src/merged_tree.rs
index cd0799f4e..8b41399c1 100644
--- a/lib/src/merged_tree.rs
+++ b/lib/src/merged_tree.rs
@@ -227,10 +227,13 @@ fn merge_trees(merge: &Merge<Tree>) -> Result<Merge<Tree>, TreeMergeError> {
     for basename in all_tree_conflict_names(merge) {
         let path_merge = merge.map(|tree| tree.value(basename).cloned());
         let path_merge = merge_tree_values(store, dir, path_merge)?;
-        if let Some(value) = path_merge.as_resolved() {
-            new_tree.set_or_remove(basename, value.clone());
-        } else {
-            conflicts.push((basename, path_merge));
+        match path_merge.into_resolved() {
+            Ok(value) => {
+                new_tree.set_or_remove(basename, value);
+            }
+            Err(path_merge) => {
+                conflicts.push((basename, path_merge));
+            }
         };
     }
     if conflicts.is_empty() {
diff --git a/lib/src/tree.rs b/lib/src/tree.rs
index a02374db7..deeee2d3d 100644
--- a/lib/src/tree.rs
+++ b/lib/src/tree.rs
@@ -570,14 +570,18 @@ fn merge_tree_value(
             );
             let filename = dir.join(basename);
             let merge = simplify_conflict(store, &filename, conflict)?;
-            if let Some(value) = merge.as_resolved() {
-                return Ok(value.clone());
-            }
-            if let Some(tree_value) = try_resolve_file_conflict(store, &filename, &merge)? {
-                Some(tree_value)
-            } else {
-                let conflict_id = store.write_conflict(&filename, &merge)?;
-                Some(TreeValue::Conflict(conflict_id))
+            match merge.into_resolved() {
+                Ok(value) => value,
+                Err(conflict) => {
+                    if let Some(tree_value) =
+                        try_resolve_file_conflict(store, &filename, &conflict)?
+                    {
+                        Some(tree_value)
+                    } else {
+                        let conflict_id = store.write_conflict(&filename, &conflict)?;
+                        Some(TreeValue::Conflict(conflict_id))
+                    }
+                }
             }
         }
     })