diff --git a/specifyweb/frontend/js_src/lib/components/Merging/autoMerge.ts b/specifyweb/frontend/js_src/lib/components/Merging/autoMerge.ts
index 0c405b0cb38..480ffdca3cc 100644
--- a/specifyweb/frontend/js_src/lib/components/Merging/autoMerge.ts
+++ b/specifyweb/frontend/js_src/lib/components/Merging/autoMerge.ts
@@ -54,6 +54,20 @@ export function autoMerge(
   );
 }
 
+export async function buildInitialMergedResource(
+  table: SpecifyTable,
+  resources: RA<SerializedResource<AnySchema>>,
+  shouldAutoPopulate: boolean,
+  targetId?: number
+): Promise<SerializedResource<AnySchema>> {
+  return (shouldAutoPopulate
+    ? await postMergeResource(
+        resources,
+        autoMerge(table, resources, false, targetId)
+      )
+    : autoMerge(table, resources, true, targetId)) as SerializedResource<AnySchema>;
+}
+
 /**
  * Sort from newest to oldest
  */
diff --git a/specifyweb/frontend/js_src/lib/components/Merging/index.tsx b/specifyweb/frontend/js_src/lib/components/Merging/index.tsx
index 2c3f280a947..130d9d530fb 100644
--- a/specifyweb/frontend/js_src/lib/components/Merging/index.tsx
+++ b/specifyweb/frontend/js_src/lib/components/Merging/index.tsx
@@ -22,7 +22,6 @@ import { icons } from '../Atoms/Icons';
 import { Link } from '../Atoms/Link';
 import { Submit } from '../Atoms/Submit';
 import { LoadingContext } from '../Core/Contexts';
-import { addMissingFields } from '../DataModel/addMissingFields';
 import { runAllFieldChecks } from '../DataModel/businessRules';
 import type { AnySchema, SerializedResource } from '../DataModel/helperTypes';
 import type { SpecifyResource } from '../DataModel/legacyTypes';
@@ -35,7 +34,11 @@ import { Dialog, dialogClassNames } from '../Molecules/Dialog';
 import { userPreferences } from '../Preferences/userPreferences';
 import { formatUrl } from '../Router/queryString';
 import { OverlayContext, OverlayLocation } from '../Router/Router';
-import { autoMerge, postMergeResource } from './autoMerge';
+import {
+  autoMerge,
+  buildInitialMergedResource,
+  postMergeResource,
+} from './autoMerge';
 import { CompareRecords } from './Compare';
 import { recordMergingTableSpec } from './definitions';
 import { InvalidMergeRecordsDialog } from './InvalidMergeRecords';
@@ -225,15 +228,12 @@ function Merging({
         'autoPopulate'
       );
 
-      const mergedPayload = shouldAutoPopulate
-        ? await postMergeResource(
-            initialRecords.current,
-            autoMerge(table, initialRecords.current, false, target.id)
-          )
-        : addMissingFields(
-            table.name,
-            {} as Partial<SerializedResource<AnySchema>>
-          );
+      const mergedPayload = await buildInitialMergedResource(
+        table,
+        initialRecords.current,
+        shouldAutoPopulate,
+        target.id
+      );
 
       const mergedResource = deserializeResource(
         mergedPayload as SerializedResource<AnySchema>
diff --git a/specifyweb/frontend/js_src/lib/hooks/useValidation.tsx b/specifyweb/frontend/js_src/lib/hooks/useValidation.tsx
index 511c3f97fa3..0bf10bd8848 100644
--- a/specifyweb/frontend/js_src/lib/hooks/useValidation.tsx
+++ b/specifyweb/frontend/js_src/lib/hooks/useValidation.tsx
@@ -2,7 +2,10 @@ import React from 'react';
 
 import { InFormEditorContext } from '../components/FormEditor/Context';
 import type { Input } from '../components/Forms/validationHelpers';
-import { hasNativeErrors, isInputTouched } from '../components/Forms/validationHelpers';
+import {
+  hasNativeErrors,
+  isInputTouched,
+} from '../components/Forms/validationHelpers';
 import { listen } from '../utils/events';
 import type { RA } from '../utils/types';