diff --git a/src/caosdb/apiutils.py b/src/caosdb/apiutils.py
index 74a627bff7a5f4270418b5190174793425edc075..0651e4930072242524dc955c6ae69ca70b5f877a 100644
--- a/src/caosdb/apiutils.py
+++ b/src/caosdb/apiutils.py
@@ -387,8 +387,8 @@ def merge_entities(entity_a: Entity, entity_b: Entity, merge_references_with_emp
        instead. Default is True.
     force : bool, optional
        If True, in case `entity_a` and `entity_b` have the same properties, the
-       values of `entity_b` are sued in the merge. If `False`, a RuntimeError is
-       raised instead. Default is False.
+       values of `entity_a` are replaced by those of `entity_b` in the merge.
+       If `False`, a RuntimeError is raised instead. Default is False.
 
     Returns
     -------
diff --git a/unittests/test_apiutils.py b/unittests/test_apiutils.py
index 815288de9d8991267f52a6ebe9ec5f86f177396d..7b22d9956931fff4bded7f4eab813e9b91181997 100644
--- a/unittests/test_apiutils.py
+++ b/unittests/test_apiutils.py
@@ -479,12 +479,14 @@ def test_force_merge():
     assert "Merge conflict" in str(re.value)
 
     merge_entities(recA, recB, force=True)
-    assert recA.name == recB.name
+    assert "B" == recA.name
+    # unchanged
+    assert "B" == recB.name
 
     # description overwrite
-    recA = db.Record(name="A")
+    recA = db.Record()
     recA.description = "something"
-    recB = db.Record(name="B")
+    recB = db.Record()
     recB.description = "something else"
 
     with pytest.raises(RuntimeError) as re:
@@ -492,12 +494,14 @@ def test_force_merge():
     assert "Merge conflict" in str(re.value)
 
     merge_entities(recA, recB, force=True)
-    assert recA.description == recB.description
+    assert recA.description == "something else"
+    # unchanged
+    assert recB.description == "something else"
 
     # property overwrite
-    recA = db.Record(name="A")
+    recA = db.Record()
     recA.add_property(name="propA", value="something")
-    recB = db.Record(name="A")
+    recB = db.Record()
     recB.add_property(name="propA", value="something else")
 
     with pytest.raises(RuntimeError) as re:
@@ -505,23 +509,25 @@ def test_force_merge():
     assert "Merge conflict" in str(re.value)
 
     merge_entities(recA, recB, force=True)
-    assert recA.get_property("propA").value == recB.get_property("propA").value
+    assert recA.get_property("propA").value == "something else"
+    # unchanged
+    assert recB.get_property("propA").value == "something else"
 
-    # don't overwrite a property that's not in recB
-    recA = db.Record(name="A")
+    # don't remove a property that's not in recB
+    recA = db.Record()
     recA.add_property(name="propA", value="something")
     recA.add_property(name="propB", value=5.0)
-    recB = db.Record(name="A")
+    recB = db.Record()
     recB.add_property(name="propA", value="something else")
 
     merge_entities(recA, recB, force=True)
-    assert recA.get_property("propA").value == recB.get_property("propA").value
+    assert recA.get_property("propA").value == "something else"
     assert recA.get_property("propB").value == 5.0
 
     # also overwrite datatypes ...
-    rtA = db.RecordType(name="A")
+    rtA = db.RecordType()
     rtA.add_property(name="propA", datatype=db.INTEGER)
-    rtB = db.RecordType(name="B")
+    rtB = db.RecordType()
     rtB.add_property(name="propA", datatype=db.TEXT)
 
     with pytest.raises(RuntimeError) as re:
@@ -529,18 +535,20 @@ def test_force_merge():
     assert "Merge conflict" in str(re.value)
 
     merge_entities(rtA, rtB, force=True)
-    assert rtA.get_property(
-        "propA").datatype == rtB.get_property("propA").datatype
+    assert rtA.get_property("propA").datatype == db.TEXT
+    # unchanged
+    assert rtB.get_property("propA").datatype == db.TEXT
 
     # ... and units
-    recA = db.Record(name="A")
+    recA = db.Record()
     recA.add_property(name="propA", value=5, unit="m")
-    recB = db.Record(name="A")
-    recB.add_property(name="propA", value=500, unit="cm")
+    recB = db.Record()
+    recB.add_property(name="propA", value=5, unit="cm")
 
     with pytest.raises(RuntimeError) as re:
         merge_entities(recA, recB)
     assert "Merge conflict" in str(re.value)
     merge_entities(recA, recB, force=True)
-    assert recA.get_property("propA").value == recB.get_property("propA").value
-    assert recA.get_property("propA").unit == recB.get_property("propA").unit
+    assert recA.get_property("propA").unit == "cm"
+    # unchanged
+    assert recB.get_property("propA").unit == "cm"