diff --git a/report/metadata_template.go b/report/metadata_template.go
index 152b788d5..054766fe5 100644
--- a/report/metadata_template.go
+++ b/report/metadata_template.go
@@ -111,7 +111,7 @@ func (e MetadataTemplates) Copy() MetadataTemplates {
 	if e == nil {
 		return nil
 	}
-	result := MetadataTemplates{}
+	result := make(MetadataTemplates, len(e))
 	for k, v := range e {
 		result[k] = v
 	}
@@ -124,10 +124,10 @@ func (e MetadataTemplates) Merge(other MetadataTemplates) MetadataTemplates {
 	if e == nil && other == nil {
 		return nil
 	}
-	result := make(MetadataTemplates, len(e))
-	for k, v := range e {
-		result[k] = v
+	if len(other) > len(e) {
+		e, other = other, e
 	}
+	result := e.Copy()
 	for k, v := range other {
 		if existing, ok := result[k]; !ok || existing.Priority < v.Priority {
 			result[k] = v
diff --git a/report/metric_template.go b/report/metric_template.go
index c5d67e0d7..70381ba59 100644
--- a/report/metric_template.go
+++ b/report/metric_template.go
@@ -60,7 +60,7 @@ func (e MetricTemplates) Copy() MetricTemplates {
 	if e == nil {
 		return nil
 	}
-	result := MetricTemplates{}
+	result := make(MetricTemplates, len(e))
 	for k, v := range e {
 		result[k] = v
 	}
@@ -73,10 +73,10 @@ func (e MetricTemplates) Merge(other MetricTemplates) MetricTemplates {
 	if e == nil && other == nil {
 		return nil
 	}
-	result := make(MetricTemplates, len(e))
-	for k, v := range e {
-		result[k] = v
+	if len(other) > len(e) {
+		e, other = other, e
 	}
+	result := e.Copy()
 	for k, v := range other {
 		if existing, ok := result[k]; !ok || existing.Priority < v.Priority {
 			result[k] = v
diff --git a/report/metrics.go b/report/metrics.go
index 63315c622..3e9025dae 100644
--- a/report/metrics.go
+++ b/report/metrics.go
@@ -19,6 +19,9 @@ func (m Metrics) Lookup(key string) (Metric, bool) {
 // Merge merges two sets maps into a fresh set, performing set-union merges as
 // appropriate.
 func (m Metrics) Merge(other Metrics) Metrics {
+	if len(other) > len(m) {
+		m, other = other, m
+	}
 	result := m.Copy()
 	for k, v := range other {
 		if rv, ok := result[k]; ok {
diff --git a/report/table.go b/report/table.go
index 9e116d43b..e661e0f32 100644
--- a/report/table.go
+++ b/report/table.go
@@ -294,10 +294,10 @@ func (t TableTemplates) Merge(other TableTemplates) TableTemplates {
 	if t == nil && other == nil {
 		return nil
 	}
-	result := make(TableTemplates, len(t))
-	for k, v := range t {
-		result[k] = v
+	if len(other) > len(t) {
+		t, other = other, t
 	}
+	result := t.Copy()
 	for k, v := range other {
 		if existing, ok := result[k]; ok {
 			result[k] = v.Merge(existing)
diff --git a/report/topology.go b/report/topology.go
index 4f94e54f5..df08220a7 100644
--- a/report/topology.go
+++ b/report/topology.go
@@ -174,10 +174,10 @@ func (n Nodes) Copy() Nodes {
 // Merge merges the other object into this one, and returns the result object.
 // The original is not modified.
 func (n Nodes) Merge(other Nodes) Nodes {
-	cp := make(Nodes, len(n))
-	for k, v := range n {
-		cp[k] = v
+	if len(other) > len(n) {
+		n, other = other, n
 	}
+	cp := n.Copy()
 	for k, v := range other {
 		if n, ok := cp[k]; ok { // don't overwrite
 			cp[k] = v.Merge(n)