diff --git a/src/openflexure_microscope_server/utilities.py b/src/openflexure_microscope_server/utilities.py
index b7377f9a..8dfee823 100644
--- a/src/openflexure_microscope_server/utilities.py
+++ b/src/openflexure_microscope_server/utilities.py
@@ -9,6 +9,8 @@ from typing import (
     Concatenate,
     Self,
     overload,
+    TypeAlias,
+    Literal,
 )
 import os
 import re
@@ -25,6 +27,9 @@ import numpy as np
 T = TypeVar("T")
 P = ParamSpec("P")
 
+JSONScalar: TypeAlias = str | int | float | bool | None
+JSONType: TypeAlias = dict[str, "JSONType"] | list["JSONType"] | JSONScalar
+
 LOGGER = logging.getLogger(__name__)
 
 REPO_DIR = os.path.dirname(os.path.dirname(os.path.dirname(__file__)))
@@ -359,3 +364,69 @@ def quadratic(
     :return: The quadratic, evaluated at each point in ``x``
     """
     return a * x**2 + b * x + c
+
+
+# Use overload to clarify to MyPy that if enforce_dict is true, inputs and outputs are
+# dictionaries
+@overload
+def merge_patch(
+    target: dict[str, JSONType], patch: dict[str, JSONType], enforce_dict: Literal[True]
+) -> dict[str, JSONType]: ...
+
+
+# If not they are any JSONType
+@overload
+def merge_patch(
+    target: JSONType, patch: JSONType, enforce_dict: Literal[False]
+) -> JSONType: ...
+@overload
+def merge_patch(target: JSONType, patch: JSONType) -> JSONType: ...
+
+
+def merge_patch(
+    target: JSONType, patch: JSONType, enforce_dict: bool = False
+) -> JSONType:
+    """Merge json data using the methods from IETF RFC 7396.
+
+    Primarily this is designed to merge dictionaries, but IETF RFC 7396 provides
+    defined methods for handling non-dictionary data loaded from JSON, so this
+    has been provided in full.
+
+    :param target: The target object
+    :param patch: The patch to be applied
+    :param enforce_dict: Boolean, set True enfoces that the target and patch are both
+        dictionaries.
+    """
+    target_is_dict = isinstance(target, dict)
+    patch_is_dict = isinstance(patch, dict)
+    if enforce_dict and not (target_is_dict and patch_is_dict):
+        raise ValueError("Both target and patch should be dictionaries.")
+
+    # If patch is not a dict (object), it replaces target entirely:
+    if not patch_is_dict:
+        return patch
+
+    # If target is not an object, replace it with an empty object
+    if not target_is_dict:
+        target = {}
+
+    result = {}
+    # First, keep all keys from target that are not in patch
+    for key, target_val in target.items():
+        if key not in patch:
+            result[key] = target_val
+
+    # Then apply patch keys
+    for key, patch_val in patch.items():
+        # If patch_val is None, do not add the key (deleting from target).
+        if patch_val is None:
+            continue
+
+        # Check if values are dictionaries.
+        if isinstance(patch_val, dict):
+            # If patch value is a dictionary then recurse.
+            result[key] = merge_patch(target.get(key), patch_val)
+        else:
+            # Else, use the patch value
+            result[key] = patch_val
+    return result
diff --git a/tests/test_utilities.py b/tests/test_utilities.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..a995689e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/test_utilities.py
@@ -0,0 +1,46 @@
+"""Test the utilities functions."""
+
+import pytest
+
+from openflexure_microscope_server import utilities
+
+
+@pytest.mark.parametrize(
+    ("target", "patch", "outcome", "err_if_enforce"),
+    [
+        ({"a": "b"}, {"a": "c"}, {"a": "c"}, False),
+        ({"a": "b"}, {"b": "c"}, {"a": "b", "b": "c"}, False),
+        ({"a": "b"}, {"a": None}, {}, False),
+        ({"a": "b", "b": "c"}, {"a": None}, {"b": "c"}, False),
+        ({"a": ["b"]}, {"a": "c"}, {"a": "c"}, False),
+        ({"a": "c"}, {"a": ["b"]}, {"a": ["b"]}, False),
+        (
+            {"a": {"b": "c"}},
+            {"a": {"b": "d", "c": None}},
+            {"a": {"b": "d"}},
+            False,
+        ),
+        ({"a": [{"b": "c"}]}, {"a": [1]}, {"a": [1]}, False),
+        (["a", "b"], ["c", "d"], ["c", "d"], True),
+        ({"a": "b"}, ["c"], ["c"], True),
+        ({"a": "foo"}, None, None, True),
+        ({"a": "foo"}, "bar", "bar", True),
+        ({"e": None}, {"a": 1}, {"e": None, "a": 1}, False),
+        ([1, 2], {"a": "b", "c": None}, {"a": "b"}, True),
+        ({}, {"a": {"bb": {"ccc": None}}}, {"a": {"bb": {}}}, False),
+    ],
+)
+def test_merge_patch(target, patch, outcome, err_if_enforce):
+    """Check that merge_patch returns the expected outcome for each target and patch.
+
+    These test cases are specified in Appedix A of IETF RFC 7396.
+    """
+    assert utilities.merge_patch(target, patch) == outcome
+
+    # If expected to error when enforce_dict is True then check:
+    if err_if_enforce:
+        with pytest.raises(ValueError, match="Both target and patch"):
+            utilities.merge_patch(target, patch, enforce_dict=True)
+    else:
+        # Else should run without error with same expected value
+        assert utilities.merge_patch(target, patch, enforce_dict=True) == outcome