diff --git a/confmap/merge.go b/confmap/merge.go
index 4bddb7bc710e..f760dd2be9e6 100644
--- a/confmap/merge.go
+++ b/confmap/merge.go
@@ -67,7 +67,7 @@ func merge(path string, src, dest map[string]any) {
 		maps.Delete(src, pathSplit)
 
 		// Note: path is a delimited by KeyDelimiter. We will call "Unflatten" later to get the final config
-		src[path] = mergeSlice(destVal, srcVal)
+		src[path] = mergeSlice(srcVal, destVal)
 	case reflect.Map:
 		// both of them are maps. Recursively call the mergeMaps
 		mergeMaps(sVal.(map[string]any), dVal.(map[string]any))
@@ -83,18 +83,18 @@ func mergeMaps(src, dest map[string]any) {
 			continue
 		}
 
-		newVal := reflect.ValueOf(sVal)
-		oldVal := reflect.ValueOf(dVal)
+		srcVal := reflect.ValueOf(sVal)
+		destVal := reflect.ValueOf(dVal)
 
-		if newVal.Kind() != oldVal.Kind() {
+		if destVal.Kind() != srcVal.Kind() {
 			// different kinds, maps.Merge will override the old config
 			continue
 		}
 
-		switch oldVal.Kind() {
+		switch srcVal.Kind() {
 		case reflect.Array, reflect.Slice:
 			// both of them are array. Merge them
-			src[dKey] = mergeSlice(oldVal, newVal)
+			src[dKey] = mergeSlice(srcVal, destVal)
 		case reflect.Map:
 			// both of them are maps. Recursively call the mergeMaps
 			mergeMaps(sVal.(map[string]any), dVal.(map[string]any))
@@ -102,23 +102,23 @@ func mergeMaps(src, dest map[string]any) {
 	}
 }
 
-func mergeSlice(old, new reflect.Value) any {
-	if old.Type() != new.Type() {
-		return new
+func mergeSlice(src, dest reflect.Value) any {
+	if src.Type() != dest.Type() {
+		return src
 	}
-	slice := reflect.MakeSlice(old.Type(), 0, old.Cap()+new.Cap())
-	for i := 0; i < old.Len(); i++ {
-		slice = reflect.Append(slice, old.Index(i))
+	slice := reflect.MakeSlice(src.Type(), 0, src.Cap()+dest.Cap())
+	for i := 0; i < dest.Len(); i++ {
+		slice = reflect.Append(slice, dest.Index(i))
 	}
 
 OUTER2:
-	for i := 0; i < new.Len(); i++ {
+	for i := 0; i < src.Len(); i++ {
 		for j := 0; j < slice.Len(); j++ {
-			if slice.Index(j).Equal(new.Index(i)) {
+			if slice.Index(j).Equal(src.Index(i)) {
 				continue OUTER2
 			}
 		}
-		slice = reflect.Append(slice, new.Index(i))
+		slice = reflect.Append(slice, src.Index(i))
 	}
 	return slice.Interface()
 }
diff --git a/confmap/resolver_test.go b/confmap/resolver_test.go
index 3c8dfd8eecc6..f55e7d94dc7d 100644
--- a/confmap/resolver_test.go
+++ b/confmap/resolver_test.go
@@ -451,7 +451,6 @@ func TestMergeFunctionality(t *testing.T) {
 	require.NoError(t, err)
 	for _, tt := range testcases {
 		t.Run(tt.Name, func(t *testing.T) {
-
 			conf := New()
 			for _, c := range tt.Configs {
 				require.NoError(t, conf.Merge(NewFromStringMap(c), WithMergePaths(tt.AppendPaths)))