diff --git a/src/sparsemap.c b/src/sparsemap.c
index 4a1fc55..4ccd1c6 100644
--- a/src/sparsemap.c
+++ b/src/sparsemap.c
@@ -1262,49 +1262,42 @@ sparsemap_merge(sparsemap_t *map, sparsemap_t *other)
 {
   uint8_t *src, *dst, *dst_tail;
   size_t src_count = __sm_get_chunk_map_count(other),
-         dst_count = __sm_get_chunk_map_count(map);
+         dst_count = __sm_get_chunk_map_count(map),
+         max_chunk_count = src_count + dst_count;
 
   dst = __sm_get_chunk_map_data(map, 0);
   src = __sm_get_chunk_map_data(other, 0);
-  /* Foreach destination chunk, is there a source chunk with the same starting
-     offset? If so, if so let's merge them. */
-  for (size_t i = 0; i < dst_count + src_count; i++) {
-  next_iteration:;
+  for (size_t i = 0; i < max_chunk_count && src_count; i++) {
     __sm_chunk_t dst_chunk;
     sm_idx_t dst_start = *(sm_idx_t *)dst;
     __sm_chunk_map_init(&dst_chunk, dst + sizeof(sm_idx_t));
-    if (i < dst_count) {
-      size_t j = 0;
-      while (j < src_count) {
-        __sm_chunk_t src_chunk;
-        sm_idx_t src_start = *(sm_idx_t *)src;
-        __sm_chunk_map_init(&src_chunk, src + sizeof(sm_idx_t));
-        if (src_start == dst_start) {
-          /* Chunks overlap, merge them. */
-          __sm_chunk_map_merge(map, src_start, src_chunk);
-          src = SM_NEXT_CHUNK_ADDR(src);
-          dst = SM_NEXT_CHUNK_ADDR(dst);
-          i++;
-          goto next_iteration;
-        }
-        src = __sm_get_chunk_map_data(other, 0);
-        j++;
-      }
-    }
+
     __sm_chunk_t src_chunk;
     sm_idx_t src_start = *(sm_idx_t *)src;
     __sm_chunk_map_init(&src_chunk, src + sizeof(sm_idx_t));
 
-    /* Copy the chunk data to the buffer. */
-    dst_tail = __sm_get_chunk_map_end(map);
-    *(sm_idx_t *)dst_tail = src_start;
-    size_t size = __sm_chunk_map_get_size(&src_chunk);
-    memcpy(dst_tail + sizeof(sm_idx_t), src + sizeof(sm_idx_t), size);
+    if (dst_count > 0 && src_start == dst_start) {
+      /* Chunks overlap, merge them. */
+      __sm_chunk_map_merge(map, src_start, src_chunk);
+      src = SM_NEXT_CHUNK_ADDR(src);
+      dst = SM_NEXT_CHUNK_ADDR(dst);
+      dst_count--;
+      src_count--;
+      continue;
+    } else {
+      /* Copy the chunk data directly into the buffer. */
+      // TODO capacity check? ENOMEM
+      dst_tail = __sm_get_chunk_map_end(map);
+      *(sm_idx_t *)dst_tail = src_start;
+      size_t size = __sm_chunk_map_get_size(&src_chunk);
+      memcpy(dst_tail + sizeof(sm_idx_t), src + sizeof(sm_idx_t), size);
 
-    /* Update the chunk count and data_used. */
-    map->m_data_used = 0;
-    __sm_set_chunk_map_count(map, __sm_get_chunk_map_count(map) + 1);
-    src = SM_NEXT_CHUNK_ADDR(src);
+      /* Update the chunk count and data_used. */
+      map->m_data_used = 0;
+      __sm_set_chunk_map_count(map, __sm_get_chunk_map_count(map) + 1);
+      src = SM_NEXT_CHUNK_ADDR(src);
+      src_count--;
+    }
   }
 }