diff --git a/sjsonnet/src/sjsonnet/Settings.scala b/sjsonnet/src/sjsonnet/Settings.scala
index 1f13b713..c0498427 100644
--- a/sjsonnet/src/sjsonnet/Settings.scala
+++ b/sjsonnet/src/sjsonnet/Settings.scala
@@ -11,6 +11,8 @@ class Settings(
   val strictInheritedAssertions: Boolean = false,
   val strictSetOperations: Boolean = false,
   val throwErrorForInvalidSets: Boolean = false,
+  val disableBuiltinSpecialization: Boolean = false,
+  val disableStaticApplyForBuiltinFunctions: Boolean = false
 )
 
 object Settings {
diff --git a/sjsonnet/src/sjsonnet/StaticOptimizer.scala b/sjsonnet/src/sjsonnet/StaticOptimizer.scala
index 6e1e2854..377589e6 100644
--- a/sjsonnet/src/sjsonnet/StaticOptimizer.scala
+++ b/sjsonnet/src/sjsonnet/StaticOptimizer.scala
@@ -122,7 +122,8 @@ class StaticOptimizer(
   }
 
   private def tryStaticApply(pos: Position, f: Val.Builtin, args: Array[Expr]): Expr = {
-    if(f.staticSafe && args.forall(_.isInstanceOf[Val])) {
+    if (ev.settings.disableStaticApplyForBuiltinFunctions) null
+    else if(f.staticSafe && args.forall(_.isInstanceOf[Val])) {
       val vargs = args.map(_.asInstanceOf[Val])
       try f.apply(vargs, null, pos)(ev).asInstanceOf[Expr] catch { case _: Exception => return null }
     } else null
@@ -146,9 +147,13 @@ class StaticOptimizer(
         case newArgs =>
           tryStaticApply(pos, f, newArgs) match {
             case null =>
-              val (f2, rargs) = f.specialize(newArgs) match {
-                case null => (f, newArgs)
-                case (f2, a2) => (f2, a2)
+              val (f2, rargs) = if (ev.settings.disableBuiltinSpecialization) {
+                (f, newArgs)
+              } else {
+                f.specialize(newArgs) match {
+                  case null => (f, newArgs)
+                  case (f2, a2) => (f2, a2)
+                }
               }
               val alen = rargs.length
               f2 match {
diff --git a/sjsonnet/src/sjsonnet/Std.scala b/sjsonnet/src/sjsonnet/Std.scala
index 4d594f7d..941ba1cb 100644
--- a/sjsonnet/src/sjsonnet/Std.scala
+++ b/sjsonnet/src/sjsonnet/Std.scala
@@ -254,8 +254,181 @@ class Std(private val additionalNativeFunctions: Map[String, Val.Builtin] = Map.
 
         case _ => Error.fail("Cannot call foldl on " + arr.prettyName)
       }
+    }
+
+    override def specialize(args: Array[Expr]): (Val.Builtin, Array[Expr]) = {
+      try {
+        args match {
+          // Specialize std.foldl(std.mergePatch, arr, target)
+          case Array(f: Val.Builtin, arr, target: Val.Obj) if f.functionName == "mergePatch" =>
+            (FoldlMergePatch, Array(arr, target))
+        }
+      } catch {
+        case _: Exception => null
+      }
+    }
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * Optimized equivalent of `std.foldl(std.mergePatch, arr, target)`
+   */
+  private object FoldlMergePatch extends Val.Builtin2("mergePatchAll", "array", "target") {
+
+    /**
+     * Recursively process an object by:
+     * Removing any fields explicitly set to null.
+     * Removing any non-visible fields.
+     * Stripping the `add` modifier off of any fields with it.
+     */
+    private def cleanObject(obj: Val.Obj, ev: EvalScope): Val.Obj = {
+      val visibleKeys = obj.visibleKeyNames
+      val newFields: Array[Val] = new Array(visibleKeys.length)
+      var i = 0
+      var updateNeeded: Boolean = (visibleKeys.length != obj.allKeysSize) || obj.hasAPlusField
+      while (i < visibleKeys.length) {
+        val key = visibleKeys(i)
+        val value = obj.value(key, obj.pos.noOffset, obj)(ev)
+        if (value.isInstanceOf[Val.Null]) {
+          newFields(i) = null
+          updateNeeded = true
+        } else {
+          val newValue = value match {
+            case obj: Val.Obj => cleanObject(obj, ev)
+            case _ => value
+          }
+          newFields(i) = newValue
+          if (newValue ne value) updateNeeded = true
+        }
+        i += 1
+      }
+      if (updateNeeded) {
+        val newFieldsMap = new util.LinkedHashMap[String, Val.Obj.Member](visibleKeys.length)
+        i = 0
+        while (i < visibleKeys.length) {
+          val key = visibleKeys(i)
+          val value = newFields(i)
+          if (value != null) {
+            newFieldsMap.put(key, createMember(value))
+          }
+          i += 1
+        }
+        new Val.Obj(obj.pos, newFieldsMap, false, null, null)
+      } else {
+        obj
+      }
+    }
 
+    private def createMember(v: Val) = new Val.Obj.Member(false, Visibility.Unhide) {
+      def invoke(self: Val.Obj, sup: Val.Obj, fs: FileScope, ev: EvalScope): Val = v
+    }
+
+    // Placeholder to represent absence of a value. We use this instead of `null` because
+    // LinkedHashMap.putIfAbsent still affects insertion order if the existing value is null.
+    private[this] val nullCanary = new Val.Obj.ConstMember(false, Visibility.Normal, Val.Null(pos))
+
+    def evalRhs(arr: Val, target: Val, ev: EvalScope, pos: Position): Val = {
+      // Here, `objectSize` is the number of valid entries in the `objects` array.
+      // This is an optimization to avoid having to trim or resize intermediate arrays.
+      def recMerge(target: Val, objects: Array[Val.Obj], objectsSize: Int): Val.Obj = {
+        // Determine an upper bound of the final key set (only a bound because a key
+        // might end up being removed and we can only know that after further processing).
+        // We need an `outputFields` LinkedHashMap anyways, so we'll first use it to
+        // collect the distinct fields and then will update it to either populate the members
+        // or remove fields that were later determined to be unused.
+        val outputFields = new util.LinkedHashMap[String, Val.Obj.Member]()
+        target match {
+          case t: Val.Obj =>
+            t.visibleKeyNames.foreach(k => outputFields.putIfAbsent(k, nullCanary))
+          case _ =>
+        }
+        var idx = 0
+        while (idx < objectsSize) {
+          objects(idx).visibleKeyNames.foreach(k => outputFields.putIfAbsent(k, nullCanary))
+          idx += 1
+        }
+
+        // Perform the merge for each key:
+        val keysIter = outputFields.keySet().iterator()
+        val objValues = new Array[Val.Obj](objectsSize)
+        while (keysIter.hasNext) {
+          val key = keysIter.next()
+          val targetValue: Val = target match {
+            case targetObj: Val.Obj if targetObj.containsVisibleKey(key) =>
+              targetObj.valueRaw(key, targetObj, pos)(ev)
+            case _ =>
+              null
+          }
+
+          var lastValue: Val = null
+          var objCount = 0
+          var i = 0
 
+          // Loop over the patches, determining either the final non-object
+          // value which overwrites the target key or determining the subset
+          // of patches which contribute to the final value.
+          while (i < objectsSize) {
+            val obj = objects(i)
+            if (obj.containsVisibleKey(key)) {
+              lastValue = obj.valueRaw(key, obj, pos)(ev)
+              lastValue match {
+                case _: Val.Obj =>
+                  objValues(objCount) = lastValue.asInstanceOf[Val.Obj]
+                  objCount += 1
+                case _ =>
+                  // Got either a Null or a non-Obj, but in either case we
+                  // won't use any of the earlier values for this key in the
+                  // merged result since they would be overwritten and discarded
+                  // at this step.
+                  objCount = 0
+              }
+            }
+            i += 1
+          }
+          val removeField = lastValue.isInstanceOf[Val.Null]
+          if (removeField) {
+            keysIter.remove()
+          } else {
+            val finalValue = {
+              if (objCount > 1) recMerge(targetValue, objValues, objCount)
+              else if (objCount == 1) cleanObject(objValues(0), ev)
+              else if (lastValue != null) lastValue
+              else targetValue
+            }
+            outputFields.replace(key, createMember(finalValue))
+          }
+        }
+        new Val.Obj(pos, outputFields, false, null, null)
+      }
+
+      arr match {
+        case arr: Val.Arr =>
+          val length = arr.length
+          if (length == 0) {
+            target
+          } else {
+            val objects = new Array[Val.Obj](length)
+            var arrIdx = 0
+            var objectsIdx = 0
+            while (arrIdx < length) {
+              arr.force(arrIdx) match {
+                case obj: Val.Obj =>
+                  objects(objectsIdx) = obj
+                  objectsIdx += 1
+                case _ =>
+                  objectsIdx = 0
+              }
+              arrIdx += 1
+            }
+            if (objectsIdx == 0) {
+              // The last element is a non-object, so it overwrites everything.
+              arr.force(length - 1)
+            } else {
+              recMerge(target, objects, objectsIdx)
+            }
+          }
+
+        case v => Error.fail(s"Expected array, got ${v.prettyName}", pos)(ev)
+      }
     }
   }
 
diff --git a/sjsonnet/src/sjsonnet/Val.scala b/sjsonnet/src/sjsonnet/Val.scala
index 9e02311d..cb8a5efd 100644
--- a/sjsonnet/src/sjsonnet/Val.scala
+++ b/sjsonnet/src/sjsonnet/Val.scala
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ import sjsonnet.Expr.Params
 import scala.annotation.tailrec
 import scala.collection.mutable
 import scala.collection.mutable.ArrayBuffer
+import scala.collection.JavaConverters._
 import scala.reflect.ClassTag
 
 /**
@@ -227,6 +228,9 @@ object Val{
 
     @inline def containsVisibleKey(k: String): Boolean = getAllKeys.get(k) == java.lang.Boolean.FALSE
 
+    def allKeysSize: Int = getAllKeys.size()
+    def hasAPlusField: Boolean = getValue0.values().asScala.exists(_.add)
+
     lazy val allKeyNames: Array[String] = getAllKeys.keySet().toArray(new Array[String](getAllKeys.size()))
 
     lazy val visibleKeyNames: Array[String] = if(static) allKeyNames else {
diff --git a/sjsonnet/test/src/sjsonnet/FoldlMergePatchSpecializationTests.scala b/sjsonnet/test/src/sjsonnet/FoldlMergePatchSpecializationTests.scala
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..73770c16
--- /dev/null
+++ b/sjsonnet/test/src/sjsonnet/FoldlMergePatchSpecializationTests.scala
@@ -0,0 +1,151 @@
+package sjsonnet
+
+import utest._
+import TestUtils.{assertSameEvalWithAndWithoutSpecialization, evalErr}
+
+object FoldlMergePatchSpecializationTests extends TestSuite {
+
+  @noinline
+  private def check(s: String): Unit = {
+    assertSameEvalWithAndWithoutSpecialization(s)
+  }
+
+  def tests = Tests {
+    test("empty array handling") {
+      check("""std.foldl(std.mergePatch, [], {})""")
+      check("""std.foldl(std.mergePatch, [{}], {})""")
+    }
+
+    test("single patch to empty object") {
+      check("""std.foldl(std.mergePatch, [1], {})""")
+      check("""std.foldl(std.mergePatch, [null], {})""")
+      check("""std.foldl(std.mergePatch, [{}], {})""")
+      check("""std.foldl(std.mergePatch, [{a: 1}], {})""")
+      check("""std.foldl(std.mergePatch, [{a: null}], {})""")
+      check("""std.foldl(std.mergePatch, [{a: {b: null}}], {})""")
+      check("""std.foldl(std.mergePatch, [{a: {b: {c: null}}}], {})""")
+      check("""std.objectFieldsAll(std.foldl(std.mergePatch, [{a: 1, b:: 1}], {}))""")
+      check("""std.objectFieldsAll(std.foldl(std.mergePatch, [{a: {b: { c:: 1, d: 2}}}], {}).a.b)""")
+    }
+
+    test("basic non-nested merging") {
+      check("""std.foldl(std.mergePatch, [{a: 1}, {b: 2}], {})""")
+      check("""std.foldl(std.mergePatch, [{b: 2}], {a: 1})""")
+
+      check("""std.foldl(std.mergePatch, [{a: 1}, {b: 2}, {c: 3}], {})""")
+      check("""std.foldl(std.mergePatch, [{b: 2}, {c: 3}], {a: 1})""")
+
+      check("""std.foldl(std.mergePatch, [{a: 1}, {a: 2}, {a: 3}], {})""")
+      check("""std.foldl(std.mergePatch, [{a: 2}, {a: 3}], {a: 1})""")
+
+      check("""std.foldl(std.mergePatch, [{a: 1, b: 1}, {b: 2, c: 2}, {c: 3, d: 3}], {})""")
+      check("""std.foldl(std.mergePatch, [{b: 2, c: 2}, {c: 3, d: 3}], {a: 1, b: 1})""")
+    }
+
+    test("merging of non-object patches") {
+      check("""std.foldl(std.mergePatch, [{a: 1}, 1, 2, {a: 3}], {})""")
+      check("""std.foldl(std.mergePatch, [1, 2, 3, 4], {})""")
+      check("""std.foldl(std.mergePatch, [1, {a: 1}], {})""")
+    }
+
+    test("nested object merging") {
+      check("""std.foldl(std.mergePatch, [{a: {x: 1}}, {a: {y: 2}}], {})""")
+      check("""std.foldl(std.mergePatch, [{a: {x: 1, y: 1}}, {a: {y: 2}}], {})""")
+      check("""std.foldl(std.mergePatch, [{a: {b: {x: 1}}}, {a: {b: {y: 2}}}], {})""")
+      check("""std.foldl(std.mergePatch, [{a: {x: 1}, b: 1}, {a: {y: 2}, c: 2}], {})""")
+    }
+
+    test("null handling") {
+      check("""std.foldl(std.mergePatch, [{a: {x: 1, y: 1}}, {a: {y: null}}], {})""")
+      check("""std.foldl(std.mergePatch, [{a: 1, b: 1}, {a: null}], {})""")
+      check("""std.foldl(std.mergePatch, [{a: 1}, {a: null}, {a: 2}], {})""")
+
+      check("""
+        local arr = [
+          {a: {x: 1, y: 1}, b: 1},
+          {a: {y: null}, b: null},
+          {a: {z: 3}}
+        ];
+        std.foldl(std.mergePatch, arr, {})
+      """)
+    }
+
+    test("hidden field handling") {
+      // Hidden fields should always be dropped
+      check("""std.foldl(std.mergePatch, [{a:: 1}, {b: 2}], {})""")
+      check("""std.objectFieldsAll(std.foldl(std.mergePatch, [{a:: 1}, {b: 2}], {}))""")
+      check("""std.foldl(std.mergePatch, [{b: 2}], {a:: 1})""")
+      check("""std.objectFieldsAll(std.foldl(std.mergePatch, [{b: 2}], {a:: 1}))""")
+
+      check("""std.foldl(std.mergePatch, [], {a:: 1})""")
+      check("""std.objectFieldsAll(std.foldl(std.mergePatch, [], {a:: 1}))""")
+
+      check("""std.foldl(std.mergePatch, [{b: 2}], {a:: 1})""")
+      check("""std.objectFieldsAll(std.foldl(std.mergePatch, [{b: 2}], {a:: 1}))""")
+
+      check("""std.foldl(std.mergePatch, [{a: 1}, {b:: 2}], {})""")
+      check("""std.objectFieldsAll(std.foldl(std.mergePatch, [{a: 1}, {b:: 2}], {}))""")
+
+      // Nested hidden fields should also be dropped
+      check("""
+        local arr = [{a: {h:: 1, v: 1}}, {b: 2}];
+        std.foldl(std.mergePatch, arr, {})
+      """)
+      check(
+        """
+        local arr = [{a: {h:: 1, v: 1}}, {b: 2}];
+        std.objectFieldsAll(std.foldl(std.mergePatch, arr, {}).a)
+      """)
+
+      // Hidden fields do not merge with non-hidden fields
+      check("""std.foldl(std.mergePatch, [{a: {b: 1}}, {a:: {c: 1}}], {})""")
+    }
+
+    test("ordering preservation") {
+      check("""std.foldl(std.mergePatch, [{b: 1, a: 1}, {c: 1, d: 1}], {})""")
+      check("""std.foldl(std.mergePatch, [{a: 2, b: 2}], {b: 1, a: 1})""")
+    }
+
+    test("plus operator handling") {
+      // The +: operator should be ignored during merging
+      check("""std.foldl(std.mergePatch, [{a: 1}, {a+: 2}], {})""")
+      check("""std.foldl(std.mergePatch, [{a+: 2}], {a: 1})""")
+
+      // The resulting field should not be treated as +: in future merges
+      check("""
+        local result = std.foldl(std.mergePatch, [{}, {a+: 2}], {});
+        {a: 1} + result
+      """)
+      check(
+        """
+        local result = std.foldl(std.mergePatch, [{}, {a+: 2}], {});
+        {a: 1} + result
+      """)
+
+      // +: in first object should also be ignored
+      check("""
+        local result = std.foldl(std.mergePatch, [{}], {a+: 2});
+        {a: 1} + result
+      """)
+
+      // Should work the same for nested fields
+      check("""
+        local result = std.foldl(std.mergePatch, [{a: {b+: 2}}, {}], {});
+        {a: {b: 1}} + result
+      """)
+    }
+
+    test("error handling") {
+      assert(evalErr(
+        """std.foldl(std.mergePatch, null, {})""",
+        disableStaticApplyForBuiltinFunctions = true,
+        disableBuiltinSpecialization = true
+      ).startsWith("sjsonnet.Error: Cannot call foldl on null"))
+      assert(evalErr(
+        """std.foldl(std.mergePatch, null, {})""",
+        disableStaticApplyForBuiltinFunctions = true,
+        disableBuiltinSpecialization = false
+      ).startsWith("sjsonnet.Error: Expected array, got null"))
+    }
+  }
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/sjsonnet/test/src/sjsonnet/TestUtils.scala b/sjsonnet/test/src/sjsonnet/TestUtils.scala
index 298f7e6c..064cf159 100644
--- a/sjsonnet/test/src/sjsonnet/TestUtils.scala
+++ b/sjsonnet/test/src/sjsonnet/TestUtils.scala
@@ -8,7 +8,9 @@ object TestUtils {
             strict: Boolean = false,
             noDuplicateKeysInComprehension: Boolean = false,
             strictInheritedAssertions: Boolean = false,
-            strictSetOperations: Boolean = true): Either[String, Value] = {
+            strictSetOperations: Boolean = true,
+            disableBuiltinSpecialization: Boolean = false,
+            disableStaticApplyForBuiltinFunctions: Boolean = false): Either[String, Value] = {
     new Interpreter(
       Map(),
       Map(),
@@ -21,6 +23,8 @@ object TestUtils {
         noDuplicateKeysInComprehension = noDuplicateKeysInComprehension,
         strictInheritedAssertions = strictInheritedAssertions,
         strictSetOperations = strictSetOperations,
+        disableBuiltinSpecialization = disableBuiltinSpecialization,
+        disableStaticApplyForBuiltinFunctions = disableStaticApplyForBuiltinFunctions,
         throwErrorForInvalidSets = true
       )
     ).interpret(s, DummyPath("(memory)"))
@@ -31,8 +35,18 @@ object TestUtils {
            strict: Boolean = false,
            noDuplicateKeysInComprehension: Boolean = false,
            strictInheritedAssertions: Boolean = false,
-           strictSetOperations: Boolean = true): Value = {
-    eval0(s, preserveOrder, strict, noDuplicateKeysInComprehension, strictInheritedAssertions, strictSetOperations) match {
+           strictSetOperations: Boolean = true,
+           disableBuiltinSpecialization: Boolean = false,
+           disableStaticApplyForBuiltinFunctions: Boolean = false): Value = {
+    eval0(
+        s,
+        preserveOrder,
+        strict,
+        noDuplicateKeysInComprehension,
+        strictInheritedAssertions,
+        strictSetOperations,
+        disableBuiltinSpecialization,
+        disableStaticApplyForBuiltinFunctions) match {
       case Right(x) => x
       case Left(e) => throw new Exception(e)
     }
@@ -43,10 +57,48 @@ object TestUtils {
               strict: Boolean = false,
               noDuplicateKeysInComprehension: Boolean = false,
               strictInheritedAssertions: Boolean = false,
-              strictSetOperations: Boolean = true): String = {
-    eval0(s, preserveOrder, strict, noDuplicateKeysInComprehension, strictInheritedAssertions, strictSetOperations) match{
+              strictSetOperations: Boolean = true,
+              disableBuiltinSpecialization: Boolean = false,
+              disableStaticApplyForBuiltinFunctions: Boolean = false): String = {
+    eval0(
+        s,
+        preserveOrder,
+        strict,
+        noDuplicateKeysInComprehension,
+        strictInheritedAssertions,
+        strictSetOperations,
+        disableBuiltinSpecialization,
+        disableStaticApplyForBuiltinFunctions) match {
       case Left(err) => err.split('\n').map(_.trim).mkString("\n")  // normalize inconsistent indenation on JVM vs JS
       case Right(r) => throw new Exception(s"Expected exception, got result: $r")
     }
   }
+
+  def assertSameEvalWithAndWithoutSpecialization(s: String): Unit = {
+    // We have to disable static application of built-in functions, otherwise
+    // it will be folded in the static optimizer before we even have a chance to
+    // perform specialization.
+    val noSpecialization = eval(
+      s,
+      preserveOrder = true,
+      disableStaticApplyForBuiltinFunctions = true,
+      disableBuiltinSpecialization = true)
+    val withSpecialization = eval(
+      s,
+      preserveOrder = true,
+      disableStaticApplyForBuiltinFunctions = true,
+      disableBuiltinSpecialization = false)
+    // For better error messages, convert to string representation first
+    val specializedStr = noSpecialization.toString()
+    val unspecializedStr = withSpecialization.toString()
+
+    assert(
+      specializedStr == unspecializedStr,
+      s"""Specialization mismatch for expression: $s
+         |
+         |Specialized result:   $specializedStr
+         |Unspecialized result: $unspecializedStr
+         |""".stripMargin
+    )
+  }
 }