diff --git a/doc/examples/update__range.cpp b/doc/examples/update__range.cpp
index 9f3e521a3..98a390429 100644
--- a/doc/examples/update__range.cpp
+++ b/doc/examples/update__range.cpp
@@ -7,12 +7,17 @@ using json = nlohmann::json;
 int main()
 {
     // create two JSON objects
-    json o1 = R"( {"color": "red", "price": 17.99} )"_json;
-    json o2 = R"( {"color": "blue", "speed": 100} )"_json;
+    json o1 = R"( {"color": "red", "price": 17.99, "names": {"de": "Flugzeug"}} )"_json;
+    json o2 = R"( {"color": "blue", "speed": 100, "names": {"en": "plane"}} )"_json;
+    json o3 = o1;
 
-    // add all keys from o2 to o1 (updating "color")
+    // add all keys from o2 to o1 (updating "color", replacing "names")
     o1.update(o2.begin(), o2.end());
 
-    // output updated object o1
+    // add all keys from o2 to o1 (updating "color", merging "names")
+    o3.update(o2.begin(), o2.end(), true);
+
+    // output updated object o1 and o3
     std::cout << std::setw(2) << o1 << '\n';
+    std::cout << std::setw(2) << o3 << '\n';
 }
diff --git a/doc/examples/update__range.output b/doc/examples/update__range.output
index 69f0965af..c35a74513 100644
--- a/doc/examples/update__range.output
+++ b/doc/examples/update__range.output
@@ -1,5 +1,17 @@
 {
   "color": "blue",
+  "names": {
+    "en": "plane"
+  },
+  "price": 17.99,
+  "speed": 100
+}
+{
+  "color": "blue",
+  "names": {
+    "de": "Flugzeug",
+    "en": "plane"
+  },
   "price": 17.99,
   "speed": 100
 }
diff --git a/doc/mkdocs/docs/api/basic_json/update.md b/doc/mkdocs/docs/api/basic_json/update.md
index 2807bf897..851417e87 100644
--- a/doc/mkdocs/docs/api/basic_json/update.md
+++ b/doc/mkdocs/docs/api/basic_json/update.md
@@ -5,12 +5,14 @@
 void update(const_reference j, bool merge_objects = false);
 
 // (2)
-void update(const_iterator first, const_iterator last);
+void update(const_iterator first, const_iterator last, bool merge_objects = false);
 ```
 
-1. Inserts all values from JSON object `j`. and overwrites existing keys. When `merge_objects` is `#!c false` (default),
-   existing keys are overwritten. When `merge_objects` is `#!c true`, recursively merges objects with common keys.
-2. Inserts all values from from range `[first, last)` and overwrites existing keys.
+1. Inserts all values from JSON object `j`.
+2. Inserts all values from from range `[first, last)`
+
+When `merge_objects` is `#!c false` (default), existing keys are overwritten. When `merge_objects` is `#!c true`,
+recursively merges objects with common keys.
 
 The function is motivated by Python's [dict.update](https://docs.python.org/3.6/library/stdtypes.html#dict.update)
 function.
diff --git a/include/nlohmann/json.hpp b/include/nlohmann/json.hpp
index 58a00a470..9852b18c8 100644
--- a/include/nlohmann/json.hpp
+++ b/include/nlohmann/json.hpp
@@ -6002,39 +6002,7 @@ class basic_json // NOLINT(cppcoreguidelines-special-member-functions,hicpp-spec
     */
     void update(const_reference j, bool merge_objects = false)
     {
-        // implicitly convert null value to an empty object
-        if (is_null())
-        {
-            m_type = value_t::object;
-            m_value.object = create<object_t>();
-            assert_invariant();
-        }
-
-        if (JSON_HEDLEY_UNLIKELY(!is_object()))
-        {
-            JSON_THROW(type_error::create(312, "cannot use update() with " + std::string(type_name()), *this));
-        }
-        if (JSON_HEDLEY_UNLIKELY(!j.is_object()))
-        {
-            JSON_THROW(type_error::create(312, "cannot use update() with " + std::string(j.type_name()), *this));
-        }
-
-        for (auto it = j.cbegin(); it != j.cend(); ++it)
-        {
-            if (merge_objects && it.value().is_object())
-            {
-                auto it2 = m_value.object->find(it.key());
-                if (it2 != m_value.object->end())
-                {
-                    it2->second.update(it.value(), true);
-                    continue;
-                }
-            }
-            m_value.object->operator[](it.key()) = it.value();
-#if JSON_DIAGNOSTICS
-            m_value.object->operator[](it.key()).m_parent = this;
-#endif
-        }
+        update(j.begin(), j.end(), merge_objects);
     }
 
     /*!
@@ -6045,6 +6013,9 @@ class basic_json // NOLINT(cppcoreguidelines-special-member-functions,hicpp-spec
 
     @param[in] first begin of the range of elements to insert
     @param[in] last end of the range of elements to insert
+    @param[in] merge_objects  when true, existing keys are not overwritten, but
+                              contents of objects are merged recursively
+                              (default: false)
 
     @throw type_error.312 if called on JSON values other than objects; example:
     `"cannot use update() with string"`
@@ -6061,9 +6032,9 @@ class basic_json // NOLINT(cppcoreguidelines-special-member-functions,hicpp-spec
 
     @sa https://docs.python.org/3.6/library/stdtypes.html#dict.update
 
-    @since version 3.0.0
+    @since version 3.0.0, `merge_objects` parameter added in 3.10.4.
     */
-    void update(const_iterator first, const_iterator last)
+    void update(const_iterator first, const_iterator last, bool merge_objects = false)
     {
         // implicitly convert null value to an empty object
         if (is_null())
@@ -6093,6 +6064,15 @@ class basic_json // NOLINT(cppcoreguidelines-special-member-functions,hicpp-spec
 
         for (auto it = first; it != last; ++it)
         {
+            if (merge_objects && it.value().is_object())
+            {
+                auto it2 = m_value.object->find(it.key());
+                if (it2 != m_value.object->end())
+                {
+                    it2->second.update(it.value(), true);
+                    continue;
+                }
+            }
             m_value.object->operator[](it.key()) = it.value();
 #if JSON_DIAGNOSTICS
             m_value.object->operator[](it.key()).m_parent = this;
diff --git a/single_include/nlohmann/json.hpp b/single_include/nlohmann/json.hpp
index 9e230b75f..bf7212b4d 100644
--- a/single_include/nlohmann/json.hpp
+++ b/single_include/nlohmann/json.hpp
@@ -23471,6 +23471,9 @@ class basic_json // NOLINT(cppcoreguidelines-special-member-functions,hicpp-spec
     Inserts all values from JSON object @a j and overwrites existing keys.
 
     @param[in] j  JSON object to read values from
+    @param[in] merge_objects  when true, existing keys are not overwritten, but
+                              contents of objects are merged recursively
+                              (default: false)
 
     @throw type_error.312 if called on JSON values other than objects; example:
     `"cannot use update() with string"`
@@ -23482,43 +23485,11 @@ class basic_json // NOLINT(cppcoreguidelines-special-member-functions,hicpp-spec
 
     @sa https://docs.python.org/3.6/library/stdtypes.html#dict.update
 
-    @since version 3.0.0
+    @since version 3.0.0, `merge_objects` parameter added in 3.10.4.
     */
-    void update(const_reference j, bool recursive = false)
+    void update(const_reference j, bool merge_objects = false)
     {
-        // implicitly convert null value to an empty object
-        if (is_null())
-        {
-            m_type = value_t::object;
-            m_value.object = create<object_t>();
-            assert_invariant();
-        }
-
-        if (JSON_HEDLEY_UNLIKELY(!is_object()))
-        {
-            JSON_THROW(type_error::create(312, "cannot use update() with " + std::string(type_name()), *this));
-        }
-        if (JSON_HEDLEY_UNLIKELY(!j.is_object()))
-        {
-            JSON_THROW(type_error::create(312, "cannot use update() with " + std::string(j.type_name()), *this));
-        }
-
-        for (auto it = j.cbegin(); it != j.cend(); ++it)
-        {
-            if (recursive && it.value().is_object())
-            {
-                auto it2 = m_value.object->find(it.key());
-                if (it2 != m_value.object->end())
-                {
-                    it2->second.update(it.value(), recursive);
-                    continue;
-                }
-            }
-            m_value.object->operator[](it.key()) = it.value();
-#if JSON_DIAGNOSTICS
-            m_value.object->operator[](it.key()).m_parent = this;
-#endif
-        }
+        update(j.begin(), j.end(), merge_objects);
     }
 
     /*!
@@ -23529,6 +23500,9 @@ class basic_json // NOLINT(cppcoreguidelines-special-member-functions,hicpp-spec
 
     @param[in] first begin of the range of elements to insert
     @param[in] last end of the range of elements to insert
+    @param[in] merge_objects  when true, existing keys are not overwritten, but
+                              contents of objects are merged recursively
+                              (default: false)
 
     @throw type_error.312 if called on JSON values other than objects; example:
     `"cannot use update() with string"`
@@ -23545,9 +23519,9 @@ class basic_json // NOLINT(cppcoreguidelines-special-member-functions,hicpp-spec
 
     @sa https://docs.python.org/3.6/library/stdtypes.html#dict.update
 
-    @since version 3.0.0
+    @since version 3.0.0, `merge_objects` parameter added in 3.10.4.
     */
-    void update(const_iterator first, const_iterator last)
+    void update(const_iterator first, const_iterator last, bool merge_objects = false)
     {
         // implicitly convert null value to an empty object
         if (is_null())
@@ -23577,6 +23551,15 @@ class basic_json // NOLINT(cppcoreguidelines-special-member-functions,hicpp-spec
 
         for (auto it = first; it != last; ++it)
         {
+            if (merge_objects && it.value().is_object())
+            {
+                auto it2 = m_value.object->find(it.key());
+                if (it2 != m_value.object->end())
+                {
+                    it2->second.update(it.value(), true);
+                    continue;
+                }
+            }
             m_value.object->operator[](it.key()) = it.value();
 #if JSON_DIAGNOSTICS
             m_value.object->operator[](it.key()).m_parent = this;