diff --git a/modules/reitit-core/src/reitit/coercion.cljc b/modules/reitit-core/src/reitit/coercion.cljc
index 57d55628..ef35ac14 100644
--- a/modules/reitit-core/src/reitit/coercion.cljc
+++ b/modules/reitit-core/src/reitit/coercion.cljc
@@ -17,7 +17,8 @@
   (-open-model [this model] "Returns a new model which allows extra keys in maps")
   (-encode-error [this error] "Converts error in to a serializable format")
   (-request-coercer [this type model] "Returns a `value format => value` request coercion function")
-  (-response-coercer [this model] "Returns a `value format => value` response coercion function"))
+  (-response-coercer [this model] "Returns a `value format => value` response coercion function")
+  (-route-data-merge [this acc k v]))
 
 #?(:clj
    (defmethod print-method ::coercion [coercion ^Writer w]
diff --git a/modules/reitit-core/src/reitit/core.cljc b/modules/reitit-core/src/reitit/core.cljc
index 8b62909a..bcd54ac4 100644
--- a/modules/reitit-core/src/reitit/core.cljc
+++ b/modules/reitit-core/src/reitit/core.cljc
@@ -360,8 +360,7 @@
   | `:validate`  | Function of `routes opts => ()` to validate route (data) via side-effects
   | `:conflicts` | Function of `{route #{route}} => ()` to handle conflicting routes
   | `:exception` | Function of `Exception => Exception ` to handle creation time exceptions (default `reitit.exception/exception`)
-  | `:router`    | Function of `routes opts => router` to override the actual router implementation
-  | `:merge`     | Function of `route-data key value` to add new kv pair to route-data map. Default uses merge-merge."
+  | `:router`    | Function of `routes opts => router` to override the actual router implementation"
   ([raw-routes]
    (router raw-routes {}))
   ([raw-routes opts]
diff --git a/modules/reitit-core/src/reitit/impl.cljc b/modules/reitit-core/src/reitit/impl.cljc
index 7bd7bb70..65554238 100644
--- a/modules/reitit-core/src/reitit/impl.cljc
+++ b/modules/reitit-core/src/reitit/impl.cljc
@@ -63,18 +63,30 @@
 (defn default-route-data-merge [acc k v]
   (mm/meta-merge acc {k v}))
 
-(defn merge-data [route-data-merge p x]
-  (reduce
-    (fn [acc [k v]]
-      (try
-        (route-data-merge acc k v)
-        (catch #?(:clj Exception, :cljs js/Error) e
-          (ex/fail! ::merge-data {:path p, :left acc, :right {k v}, :exception e}))))
-    {} x))
+(defn merge-data [p x]
+  (let [;; Find last the effective :coercion value
+        ;; for the route, and then use the cocercion
+        ;; instance for route data merge implementation.
+        coercion (->> x
+                      reverse
+                      (some (fn [[k v]]
+                              (when (= :coercion k)
+                                v))))
+        route-data-merge (if coercion
+                           #((resolve 'reitit.coercion/-route-data-merge) coercion %1 %2 %3)
+                           default-route-data-merge)]
+    (reduce
+      (fn [acc [k v]]
+        (try
+          (route-data-merge acc k v)
+          (catch #?(:clj Exception, :cljs js/Error) e
+            (ex/fail! ::merge-data {:path p, :left acc, :right {k v}, :exception e}))))
+      {}
+      x)))
 
-(defn resolve-routes [raw-routes {:keys [coerce _merge] :as opts}]
+(defn resolve-routes [raw-routes {:keys [coerce] :as opts}]
   (cond->> (->> (walk raw-routes opts)
-                (map-data (partial merge-data (or (:merge opts) default-route-data-merge))))
+                (map-data merge-data))
            coerce (into [] (keep #(coerce % opts)))))
 
 (defn path-conflicting-routes [routes opts]
diff --git a/modules/reitit-malli/src/reitit/coercion/malli.cljc b/modules/reitit-malli/src/reitit/coercion/malli.cljc
index 9c06a518..3a12531b 100644
--- a/modules/reitit-malli/src/reitit/coercion/malli.cljc
+++ b/modules/reitit-malli/src/reitit/coercion/malli.cljc
@@ -180,11 +180,10 @@
        (-request-coercer [_ type schema]
          (-coercer (compile schema options) type transformers :decode opts))
        (-response-coercer [_ schema]
-         (-coercer (compile schema options) :response transformers :encode opts))))))
+         (-coercer (compile schema options) :response transformers :encode opts))
+       (-route-data-merge [_ acc k v]
+         (case k
+           :parameters (assoc acc :parameters (merge-with mu/merge (:parameters acc) v))
+           (mm/meta-merge acc {k v})))))))
 
 (def coercion (create default-options))
-
-(defn route-data-merge [acc k v]
-  (case k
-    :parameters (assoc acc :parameters (merge-with mu/merge (:parameters acc) v))
-    (mm/meta-merge acc {k v})))
diff --git a/modules/reitit-schema/src/reitit/coercion/schema.cljc b/modules/reitit-schema/src/reitit/coercion/schema.cljc
index 1985ba72..2a31f123 100644
--- a/modules/reitit-schema/src/reitit/coercion/schema.cljc
+++ b/modules/reitit-schema/src/reitit/coercion/schema.cljc
@@ -7,7 +7,8 @@
             [schema-tools.coerce :as stc]
             [schema-tools.swagger.core :as swagger]
             [reitit.coercion :as coercion]
-            [clojure.set :as set]))
+            [clojure.set :as set]
+            [reitit.impl :as impl]))
 
 (def string-coercion-matcher
   stc/string-coercion-matcher)
@@ -94,6 +95,8 @@
             value))))
     (-response-coercer [this schema]
       (if (coerce-response? schema)
-        (coercion/-request-coercer this :response schema)))))
+        (coercion/-request-coercer this :response schema)))
+    (-route-data-merge [this acc k v]
+      (impl/default-route-data-merge acc k v))))
 
 (def coercion (create default-options))
diff --git a/modules/reitit-spec/src/reitit/coercion/spec.cljc b/modules/reitit-spec/src/reitit/coercion/spec.cljc
index bac09a25..8e19f4db 100644
--- a/modules/reitit-spec/src/reitit/coercion/spec.cljc
+++ b/modules/reitit-spec/src/reitit/coercion/spec.cljc
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
             [spec-tools.data-spec :as ds #?@(:cljs [:refer [Maybe]])]
             [spec-tools.swagger.core :as swagger]
             [reitit.coercion :as coercion]
+            [reitit.impl :as impl]
             [clojure.set :as set])
   #?(:clj
      (:import (spec_tools.core Spec)
@@ -135,6 +136,8 @@
             value))))
     (-response-coercer [this spec]
       (if (coerce-response? spec)
-        (coercion/-request-coercer this :response spec)))))
+        (coercion/-request-coercer this :response spec)))
+    (-route-data-merge [this acc k v]
+      (impl/default-route-data-merge acc k v))))
 
 (def coercion (create default-options))
diff --git a/test/cljc/reitit/impl_test.cljc b/test/cljc/reitit/impl_test.cljc
index 48cfe5bf..cc0405c0 100644
--- a/test/cljc/reitit/impl_test.cljc
+++ b/test/cljc/reitit/impl_test.cljc
@@ -176,8 +176,7 @@
 (deftest merge-data-test
   (is (= {:view 'b
           :controllers [1 2]}
-         (impl/merge-data impl/default-route-data-merge
-                          "/"
+         (impl/merge-data "/"
                           [[:view 'a]
                            [:controllers [1]]
                            [:view 'b]
@@ -185,8 +184,7 @@
 
   (is (= {:view 'b
           :controllers [2]}
-         (impl/merge-data impl/default-route-data-merge
-                          "/"
+         (impl/merge-data "/"
                           [[:view 'a]
                            [:controllers [1]]
                            [:view 'b]
@@ -194,8 +192,7 @@
 
   (is (= {:a schema/Str
           :b schema/Str}
-         (-> (impl/merge-data rcm/route-data-merge
-                              "/"
+         (-> (impl/merge-data "/"
                               [[:parameters {:path {:a schema/Str}}]
                                [:parameters {:path {:b schema/Str}}]])
              :parameters
@@ -204,9 +201,9 @@
   (is (= [:map
           [:a 'string?]
           [:b 'int?]]
-         (-> (impl/merge-data rcm/route-data-merge
-                              "/"
-                              [[:parameters {:path [:map [:a 'string?]]}]
+         (-> (impl/merge-data "/"
+                              [[:coercion rcm/coercion]
+                               [:parameters {:path [:map [:a 'string?]]}]
                                [:parameters {:path [:map [:b 'int?]]}]])
              :parameters
              :path