diff --git a/ivy/Ivy.scala b/ivy/Ivy.scala
index 0a7e07882..937648cc0 100644
--- a/ivy/Ivy.scala
+++ b/ivy/Ivy.scala
@@ -474,18 +474,23 @@ private object IvySbt
 	*/
 	def mergeDuplicateDefinitions(dependencies: Seq[DependencyDescriptor]): Seq[DependencyDescriptor] =
 	{
-		val deps = new java.util.LinkedHashMap[ModuleRevisionId, DependencyDescriptor]
+		// need to preserve basic order of dependencies: can't use dependencies.groupBy 
+		val deps = new java.util.LinkedHashMap[ModuleRevisionId, List[DependencyDescriptor]]
 		for( dd <- dependencies )
 		{
 			val id = dd.getDependencyRevisionId
 			val updated = deps get id match {
-				case null => dd
-				case v => ivyint.MergeDescriptors(v, dd)
+				case null => dd :: Nil
+				case v => dd :: v
 			}
 			deps.put(id, updated)
 		}
+
 			import collection.JavaConverters._
-		deps.values.asScala.toSeq
+		deps.values.asScala.toSeq.flatMap { dds =>
+			val mergeable = (dds, dds.tail).zipped.forall( ivyint.MergeDescriptors.mergeable _)
+			if(mergeable) dds.reverse.reduceLeft(ivyint.MergeDescriptors.apply _) :: Nil else dds
+		}
 	}
 
 	/** Transforms an sbt ModuleID into an Ivy DefaultDependencyDescriptor.*/
diff --git a/ivy/MergeDescriptors.scala b/ivy/MergeDescriptors.scala
index f46f90501..e1c07c780 100644
--- a/ivy/MergeDescriptors.scala
+++ b/ivy/MergeDescriptors.scala
@@ -15,20 +15,24 @@ import util.extendable.ExtendableItem
 
 private[sbt] object MergeDescriptors
 {
+	def mergeable(a: DependencyDescriptor, b: DependencyDescriptor): Boolean =
+		a.isForce == b.isForce &&
+		a.isChanging == b.isChanging &&
+		a.isTransitive == b.isTransitive &&
+		a.getParentRevisionId == b.getParentRevisionId &&
+		a.getNamespace == b.getNamespace && {
+			val amrid = a.getDependencyRevisionId
+			val bmrid = b.getDependencyRevisionId
+			amrid == bmrid
+		} && {
+			val adyn = a.getDynamicConstraintDependencyRevisionId
+			val bdyn = b.getDynamicConstraintDependencyRevisionId
+			adyn == bdyn
+		}
+
 	def apply(a: DependencyDescriptor, b: DependencyDescriptor): DependencyDescriptor =
 	{
-		assert(a.isForce == b.isForce)
-		assert(a.isChanging == b.isChanging)
-		assert(a.isTransitive == b.isTransitive)
-		assert(a.getParentRevisionId == b.getParentRevisionId)
-		val amrid = a.getDependencyRevisionId
-		val bmrid = b.getDependencyRevisionId
-		assert(amrid == bmrid)
-		val adyn = a.getDynamicConstraintDependencyRevisionId
-		val bdyn = b.getDynamicConstraintDependencyRevisionId
-		assert(adyn == bdyn)
-		assert(a.getNamespace == b.getNamespace)
-
+		assert(mergeable(a,b))
 		new MergedDescriptors(a,b)
 	}
 }