diff --git a/app/utils.py b/app/utils.py
index 41cdc29d1..75f301b72 100644
--- a/app/utils.py
+++ b/app/utils.py
@@ -651,8 +651,13 @@ def merge_jsonlike(source, destination):
         return True
 
     def merge_lists(source, destination):
-        for item in destination:
-            if item not in source:
+        last_dest_idx = len(destination) - 1
+        for idx, item in enumerate(destination):
+            if idx <= last_dest_idx:
+                # assign destination value if can't be merged into source
+                if merge_items(source[idx], destination[idx]) is False:
+                    source[idx] = destination[idx]
+            else:
                 source.append(item)
 
     def merge_dicts(source, destination):
diff --git a/tests/app/test_utils.py b/tests/app/test_utils.py
index 4246b5037..b869e9a6a 100644
--- a/tests/app/test_utils.py
+++ b/tests/app/test_utils.py
@@ -614,18 +614,20 @@ def test_get_sample_template_returns_template(template_type):
     ({"a": "b"}, {"c": "d"}, {"a": "b", "c": "d"}),
     # dicts with nested dict, both under same key, additive behaviour:
     ({"a": {"b": "c"}}, {"a": {"e": "f"}}, {"a": {"b": "c", "e": "f"}}),
-    # same key in both dicts, value is a string, destination supersedes source:
+    # same key in both dicts, value is a string, destination supercedes source:
     ({"a": "b"}, {"a": "c"}, {"a": "c"}),
+    # lists with same length but different items, destination supercedes source:
+    (["b", "c", "d"], ["b", "e", "f"], ["b", "e", "f"]),
     # lists in dicts behave as top level lists
-    ({"a": ["b", "c", "d"]}, {"a": ["b", "e", "f"]}, {"a": ["b",  "c", "d", "e", "f"]}),
-    # lists with same string in both result in a list of unique values
-    (["a", "b", "c", "d"], ["d", "e", "f"], ["a", "b", "c", "d", "e", "f"]),
+    ({"a": ["b", "c", "d"]}, {"a": ["b", "e", "f"]}, {"a": ["b", "e", "f"]}),
+    # lists with same string in both, at different positions, result in duplicates keeping their positions
+    (["a", "b", "c", "d"], ["d", "e", "f"], ["d", "e", "f", "d"]),
     # lists with same dict in both result in a list with one instance of that dict
     ([{"b": "c"}], [{"b": "c"}], [{"b": "c"}]),
     # if dicts in lists have different values, they are not merged
-    ([{"b": "c"}], [{"b": "e"}], [{"b": "c"}, {"b": "e"}]),
+    ([{"b": "c"}], [{"b": "e"}], [{"b": "e"}]),
     # merge a dict with a null object returns that dict (does not work the other way round)
-    ({"a": {"b": "c"}}, None, {"a": {"b": "c"}}),
+    ({"a": {"b": "c"}}, None, {"a": {"b": "c"}})
 ])
 def test_merge_jsonlike_merges_jsonlike_objects_correctly(source_object, destination_object, expected_result):
     merge_jsonlike(source_object, destination_object)