diff --git a/js/id/actions/merge_polygon.js b/js/id/actions/merge_polygon.js
index 4ffde0e4c..6dda35581 100644
--- a/js/id/actions/merge_polygon.js
+++ b/js/id/actions/merge_polygon.js
@@ -86,10 +86,15 @@ iD.actions.MergePolygon = function(ids, newRelationId) {
             graph = graph.remove(m);
         });
 
-        members.forEach(function(m) {
-            var entity = graph.entity(m.id);
-            relation = relation.mergeTags(entity.tags);
-            graph = graph.replace(entity.update({ tags: {} }));
+        entities.closedWay.forEach(function(cw) {
+            function isThisOuter(m) {
+                return m.id === cw.id && m.role !== "inner";
+            }
+            if (members.some(isThisOuter)) {
+                var entity = graph.entity(cw.id);
+                relation = relation.mergeTags(entity.tags);
+                graph = graph.replace(entity.update({ tags: {} }));
+            }
         });
 
         return graph.replace(relation.update({
diff --git a/test/spec/actions/merge_polygon.js b/test/spec/actions/merge_polygon.js
index 5270ce29f..85ac68f8e 100644
--- a/test/spec/actions/merge_polygon.js
+++ b/test/spec/actions/merge_polygon.js
@@ -85,15 +85,20 @@ describe("iD.actions.MergePolygon", function () {
         expect(find(r, 'w5').role).to.equal('outer');
     });
 
-    it("moves all tags to the relation", function() {
+    it("moves tags to the relation", function() {
         graph = graph.replace(graph.entity('w0').update({ tags: { 'building': 'yes' }}));
+        // this is a new inner member whose tags should not be moved to the relation
         graph = graph.replace(graph.entity('w1').update({ tags: { 'natural': 'water' }}));
-        graph = iD.actions.MergePolygon(['w0', 'w1'], 'r')(graph);
+        // this is a new outer member whose tags should be moved to the relation
+        graph = graph.replace(graph.entity('w5').update({ tags: { 'amenity': 'school' }}));
+        graph = iD.actions.MergePolygon(['w0', 'w1','w5'], 'r')(graph);
         var r = graph.entity('r');
         expect(graph.entity('w0').tags.building).to.equal(undefined);
-        expect(graph.entity('w1').tags.natural).to.equal(undefined);
-        expect(r.tags.natural).to.equal('water');
+        expect(graph.entity('w1').tags.natural).to.equal('water');
+        expect(graph.entity('w5').tags.amenity).to.equal(undefined);
         expect(r.tags.building).to.equal('yes');
+        expect(r.tags.natural).to.equal(undefined);
+        expect(r.tags.amenity).to.equal('school');
     });
 
     it("doesn't copy area tags from ways", function() {