diff --git a/src/cache/inmemory/__tests__/__snapshots__/writeToStore.ts.snap b/src/cache/inmemory/__tests__/__snapshots__/writeToStore.ts.snap
index f4d2f946cb6..a4b15795298 100644
--- a/src/cache/inmemory/__tests__/__snapshots__/writeToStore.ts.snap
+++ b/src/cache/inmemory/__tests__/__snapshots__/writeToStore.ts.snap
@@ -71,6 +71,64 @@ Object {
 }
 `;
 
+exports[`writing to the store root type policy merge is called before cache deep merge 1`] = `
+Array [
+  Array [
+    Object {
+      "existing": Object {
+        "__ref": "Person:123",
+      },
+      "incoming": Object {
+        "__typename": "Person",
+        "age": 28,
+        "id": 123,
+        "name": "Gaston",
+        "status": "ACTIVE",
+        "updatedAt": 100000,
+      },
+      "times": 1,
+    },
+  ],
+  Array [
+    Object {
+      "existing": undefined,
+      "incoming": Object {
+        "__ref": "Person:123",
+      },
+      "times": 2,
+    },
+  ],
+  Array [
+    Object {
+      "existing": Object {
+        "__ref": "Person:123",
+      },
+      "incoming": Object {
+        "__typename": "Person",
+        "id": 123,
+        "status": "DISABLED",
+        "updatedAt": 50,
+      },
+      "times": 3,
+    },
+  ],
+  Array [
+    Object {
+      "existing": Object {
+        "__ref": "Person:123",
+      },
+      "incoming": Object {
+        "__typename": "Person",
+        "id": 123,
+        "status": "PENDING",
+        "updatedAt": 100001,
+      },
+      "times": 4,
+    },
+  ],
+]
+`;
+
 exports[`writing to the store should not keep reference when type of mixed inlined field changes to non-inlined field 1`] = `
 [MockFunction] {
   "calls": Array [
diff --git a/src/cache/inmemory/__tests__/writeToStore.ts b/src/cache/inmemory/__tests__/writeToStore.ts
index 9e236c7ccfc..b870256366f 100644
--- a/src/cache/inmemory/__tests__/writeToStore.ts
+++ b/src/cache/inmemory/__tests__/writeToStore.ts
@@ -2937,6 +2937,157 @@ describe('writing to the store', () => {
     });
   });
 
+  it("root type policy merge is called before cache deep merge", () => {
+    const personMergeMock = jest.fn()
+
+    let times = 0
+    const cache = new InMemoryCache({
+      typePolicies: {
+        Person: {
+          merge(existing, incoming, tools) {
+            times++
+
+            personMergeMock({
+              times,
+              existing,
+              incoming,
+            })
+
+            if (tools.isReference(existing) && !tools.isReference(incoming)) {
+              const cachedData = tools.cache.data.lookup(existing.__ref)
+              const existingUpdatedAt = cachedData?.["updatedAt"]
+              const incomingUpdatedAt = incoming?.["updatedAt"]
+              if (
+                typeof existingUpdatedAt === "number" &&
+                typeof incomingUpdatedAt === "number" &&
+                existingUpdatedAt > incomingUpdatedAt
+              ) {
+                return existing
+              }
+            }
+
+            return tools.mergeObjects(existing, incoming)
+          },
+        },
+      },
+    })
+
+    expect(times).toEqual(0)
+
+    const query = gql`
+      query Person($offset: Int, $limit: Int) {
+        person {
+          id
+          name
+          age
+          status
+          updatedAt
+        }
+      }
+    `
+
+    expect(times).toEqual(0)
+
+    cache.writeQuery({
+      query,
+      data: {
+        person: {
+          __typename: "Person",
+          id: 123,
+          name: "Gaston",
+          age: 28,
+          status: "ACTIVE",
+          updatedAt: 100000,
+        },
+      },
+      variables: {},
+    })
+
+    expect(times).toEqual(2) // TODO: ideally this should only be called once here
+
+    expect(cache.extract()).toEqual({
+      ROOT_QUERY: {
+        __typename: "Query",
+        person: {
+          __ref: "Person:123",
+        },
+      },
+      "Person:123": {
+        __typename: "Person",
+        id: 123,
+        name: "Gaston",
+        age: 28,
+        status: "ACTIVE",
+        updatedAt: 100000,
+      },
+    })
+
+    cache.writeQuery({
+      query,
+      data: {
+        person: {
+          __typename: "Person",
+          id: 123,
+          status: "DISABLED",
+          updatedAt: 50,
+        },
+      },
+      variables: {},
+    })
+
+    expect(times).toEqual(3)
+
+    expect(cache.extract()).toEqual({
+      ROOT_QUERY: {
+        __typename: "Query",
+        person: {
+          __ref: "Person:123",
+        },
+      },
+      "Person:123": {
+        __typename: "Person",
+        id: 123,
+        name: "Gaston",
+        age: 28,
+        status: "ACTIVE",
+        updatedAt: 100000,
+      },
+    })
+
+    cache.writeQuery({
+      query,
+      data: {
+        person: {
+          __typename: "Person",
+          id: 123,
+          status: "PENDING",
+          updatedAt: 100001,
+        },
+      },
+      variables: {},
+    })
+
+    expect(personMergeMock.mock.calls).toMatchSnapshot()
+    expect(times).toEqual(4)
+
+    expect(cache.extract()).toEqual({
+      ROOT_QUERY: {
+        __typename: "Query",
+        person: {
+          __ref: "Person:123",
+        },
+      },
+      "Person:123": {
+        __typename: "Person",
+        id: 123,
+        name: "Gaston",
+        age: 28,
+        status: "PENDING",
+        updatedAt: 100001,
+      },
+    })
+  })
+
   describe("StoreWriter", () => {
     const writer = new StoreWriter(new InMemoryCache());
 
diff --git a/src/cache/inmemory/entityStore.ts b/src/cache/inmemory/entityStore.ts
index f5fbf610b43..d7404da70e0 100644
--- a/src/cache/inmemory/entityStore.ts
+++ b/src/cache/inmemory/entityStore.ts
@@ -75,7 +75,7 @@ export abstract class EntityStore implements NormalizedCache {
     }
   }
 
-  protected lookup(dataId: string, dependOnExistence?: boolean): StoreObject | undefined {
+  public lookup(dataId: string, dependOnExistence?: boolean): StoreObject | undefined {
     // The has method (above) calls lookup with dependOnExistence = true, so
     // that it can later be invalidated when we add or remove a StoreObject for
     // this dataId. Any consumer who cares about the contents of the StoreObject
diff --git a/src/cache/inmemory/inMemoryCache.ts b/src/cache/inmemory/inMemoryCache.ts
index 6ce2a71d677..873e2db933b 100644
--- a/src/cache/inmemory/inMemoryCache.ts
+++ b/src/cache/inmemory/inMemoryCache.ts
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ type BroadcastOptions = Pick<
 >
 
 export class InMemoryCache extends ApolloCache<NormalizedCacheObject> {
-  private data: EntityStore;
+  public data: EntityStore;
   private optimisticData: EntityStore;
 
   protected config: InMemoryCacheConfig;