diff --git a/go.mod b/go.mod
index f33bf0ebec9f..fe46d34708e3 100644
--- a/go.mod
+++ b/go.mod
@@ -55,6 +55,7 @@ require (
 	google.golang.org/appengine v1.6.5 // indirect
 	gopkg.in/ini.v1 v1.56.0 // indirect
 	gopkg.in/yaml.v2 v2.3.0
+	gopkg.in/yaml.v3 v3.0.0-20200506231410-2ff61e1afc86
 )
 
 replace github.com/go-git/go-git/v5 => github.com/twpayne/go-git/v5 v5.0.1-0.20200517130039-70111361e674
diff --git a/go.sum b/go.sum
index 00dd8317d6e0..87ff33e57c5e 100644
--- a/go.sum
+++ b/go.sum
@@ -556,6 +556,8 @@ gopkg.in/yaml.v2 v2.2.8 h1:obN1ZagJSUGI0Ek/LBmuj4SNLPfIny3KsKFopxRdj10=
 gopkg.in/yaml.v2 v2.2.8/go.mod h1:hI93XBmqTisBFMUTm0b8Fm+jr3Dg1NNxqwp+5A1VGuI=
 gopkg.in/yaml.v2 v2.3.0 h1:clyUAQHOM3G0M3f5vQj7LuJrETvjVot3Z5el9nffUtU=
 gopkg.in/yaml.v2 v2.3.0/go.mod h1:hI93XBmqTisBFMUTm0b8Fm+jr3Dg1NNxqwp+5A1VGuI=
+gopkg.in/yaml.v3 v3.0.0-20200506231410-2ff61e1afc86 h1:OfFoIUYv/me30yv7XlMy4F9RJw8DEm8WQ6QG1Ph4bH0=
+gopkg.in/yaml.v3 v3.0.0-20200506231410-2ff61e1afc86/go.mod h1:K4uyk7z7BCEPqu6E+C64Yfv1cQ7kz7rIZviUmN+EgEM=
 honnef.co/go/tools v0.0.0-20190102054323-c2f93a96b099/go.mod h1:rf3lG4BRIbNafJWhAfAdb/ePZxsR/4RtNHQocxwk9r4=
 honnef.co/go/tools v0.0.0-20190106161140-3f1c8253044a/go.mod h1:rf3lG4BRIbNafJWhAfAdb/ePZxsR/4RtNHQocxwk9r4=
 honnef.co/go/tools v0.0.0-20190418001031-e561f6794a2a/go.mod h1:rf3lG4BRIbNafJWhAfAdb/ePZxsR/4RtNHQocxwk9r4=
diff --git a/next/internal/chezmoi/recursivemerge.go b/next/internal/chezmoi/recursivemerge.go
index 6c25ceb69e62..5be5e7011a70 100644
--- a/next/internal/chezmoi/recursivemerge.go
+++ b/next/internal/chezmoi/recursivemerge.go
@@ -1,21 +1,46 @@
 package chezmoi
 
+import (
+	"fmt"
+	"os"
+)
+
+// recursiveCopy returns a recursive copy of v.
+func recursiveCopy(v interface{}) interface{} {
+	m, ok := v.(map[string]interface{})
+	if !ok {
+		return v
+	}
+	c := make(map[string]interface{})
+	for key, value := range m {
+		if mapValue, ok := value.(map[string]interface{}); ok {
+			c[key] = recursiveCopy(mapValue)
+		} else {
+			c[key] = value
+		}
+	}
+	return c
+}
+
 // recursiveMerge recursively merges maps in source into dest.
 func recursiveMerge(dest, source map[string]interface{}) {
 	for key, sourceValue := range source {
+		if key == "global" {
+			fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, "global: dest=%v source=%v\n", dest[key], sourceValue)
+		}
 		destValue, ok := dest[key]
 		if !ok {
-			dest[key] = sourceValue
+			dest[key] = recursiveCopy(sourceValue)
 			continue
 		}
 		destMap, ok := destValue.(map[string]interface{})
 		if !ok || destMap == nil {
-			dest[key] = sourceValue
+			dest[key] = recursiveCopy(sourceValue)
 			continue
 		}
 		sourceMap, ok := sourceValue.(map[string]interface{})
 		if !ok {
-			dest[key] = sourceValue
+			dest[key] = recursiveCopy(sourceValue)
 			continue
 		}
 		recursiveMerge(destMap, sourceMap)
diff --git a/next/internal/chezmoi/recursivemerge_test.go b/next/internal/chezmoi/recursivemerge_test.go
index f2683d9e34d4..4c07fc48e9f7 100644
--- a/next/internal/chezmoi/recursivemerge_test.go
+++ b/next/internal/chezmoi/recursivemerge_test.go
@@ -53,3 +53,16 @@ func TestRecursiveMerge(t *testing.T) {
 		assert.Equal(t, tc.expectedDest, tc.dest)
 	}
 }
+
+func TestRecursiveMergeCopies(t *testing.T) {
+	original := map[string]interface{}{
+		"key": "initialValue",
+	}
+	dest := make(map[string]interface{})
+	recursiveMerge(dest, original)
+	recursiveMerge(dest, map[string]interface{}{
+		"key": "mergedValue",
+	})
+	assert.Equal(t, "mergedValue", dest["key"])
+	assert.Equal(t, "initialValue", original["key"])
+}
diff --git a/next/internal/chezmoi/sourcestate.go b/next/internal/chezmoi/sourcestate.go
index 9ce8b0ee7bd4..88922488ad5a 100644
--- a/next/internal/chezmoi/sourcestate.go
+++ b/next/internal/chezmoi/sourcestate.go
@@ -468,7 +468,9 @@ func (s *SourceState) addTemplateData(sourcePath string) error {
 	if err := format.Decode(data, &templateData); err != nil {
 		return fmt.Errorf("%s: %w", sourcePath, err)
 	}
+	fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, "TEMPLATE DATA ")
 	recursiveMerge(s.templateData, templateData)
+	fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, "PRIORITY      ")
 	recursiveMerge(s.templateData, s.priorityTemplateData)
 	return nil
 }
diff --git a/next/internal/chezmoi/yamlformat.go b/next/internal/chezmoi/yamlformat.go
index 6775f069badf..51b4f63b1921 100644
--- a/next/internal/chezmoi/yamlformat.go
+++ b/next/internal/chezmoi/yamlformat.go
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ package chezmoi
 import (
 	"bytes"
 
-	"gopkg.in/yaml.v2"
+	"gopkg.in/yaml.v3"
 )
 
 type yamlFormat struct{}
diff --git a/next/testdata/scripts/dump.txt b/next/testdata/scripts/dump.txt
index 3a966638775e..bc9db5431cd1 100644
--- a/next/testdata/scripts/dump.txt
+++ b/next/testdata/scripts/dump.txt
@@ -99,46 +99,46 @@ stderr 'not in source state'
 }
 -- golden/dump.yaml --
 .bashrc:
-  type: file
-  name: .bashrc
-  contents: |
-    # contents of .bashrc
-  perm: 420
+    type: file
+    name: .bashrc
+    contents: |
+        # contents of .bashrc
+    perm: 420
 .binary:
-  type: file
-  name: .binary
-  contents: |
-    #!/bin/sh
-  perm: 493
+    type: file
+    name: .binary
+    contents: |
+        #!/bin/sh
+    perm: 493
 .gitconfig:
-  type: file
-  name: .gitconfig
-  contents: |
-    [user]
-      email = user@home.org
-  perm: 420
+    type: file
+    name: .gitconfig
+    contents: |
+        [user]
+          email = user@home.org
+    perm: 420
 .hushlogin:
-  type: file
-  name: .hushlogin
-  contents: ""
-  perm: 420
+    type: file
+    name: .hushlogin
+    contents: ""
+    perm: 420
 .ssh:
-  type: dir
-  name: .ssh
-  perm: 448
+    type: dir
+    name: .ssh
+    perm: 448
 .ssh/config:
-  type: file
-  name: .ssh/config
-  contents: |
-    # contents of .ssh/config
-  perm: 420
+    type: file
+    name: .ssh/config
+    contents: |
+        # contents of .ssh/config
+    perm: 420
 .symlink:
-  type: symlink
-  name: .symlink
-  linkname: .bashrc
+    type: symlink
+    name: .symlink
+    linkname: .bashrc
 script:
-  type: script
-  name: script
-  contents: |
-    #!/bin/sh
-    echo script
+    type: script
+    name: script
+    contents: |
+        #!/bin/sh
+        echo script
diff --git a/next/testdata/scripts/editconfig.txt b/next/testdata/scripts/editconfig.txt
index c28bc2d15066..495c85d0daa1 100644
--- a/next/testdata/scripts/editconfig.txt
+++ b/next/testdata/scripts/editconfig.txt
@@ -22,6 +22,6 @@ grep -count=1 '# edited' $CHEZMOICONFIGDIR/chezmoi.json
 
 -- home2/user/.config/chezmoi/chezmoi.yaml --
 data:
-  email: "user@home.org"
+    email: "user@home.org"
 -- home3/user/.config/chezmoi/chezmoi.json --
 {"data":{"email":"user@home.org"}}
diff --git a/next/testdata/scripts/executetemplate.txt b/next/testdata/scripts/executetemplate.txt
index fbfa17f89585..f19d3a4967a7 100644
--- a/next/testdata/scripts/executetemplate.txt
+++ b/next/testdata/scripts/executetemplate.txt
@@ -13,24 +13,29 @@ stdout stdin-template
 chezmoi execute-template '{{ template "partial" }}'
 stdout partial-template
 
+# FIXME merge the following tests into a single test
+
+chezmoi execute-template '{{ .last.config }}'
+stdout 'chezmoi\.toml'
+
 # test that template data are read from .chezmoidata.json
-chezmoi execute-template '{{ .json.key }}'
-stdout json
+chezmoi execute-template '{{ .last.json }}'
+stdout '\.chezmoidata\.json'
 
 # test that template data are read from .chezmoidata.toml
-chezmoi execute-template '{{ .toml.key }}'
-stdout toml
+chezmoi execute-template '{{ .last.toml }}'
+stdout '\.chezmoidata\.toml'
 
 # test that template data are read from .chezmoidata.yaml
-chezmoi execute-template '{{ .yaml.key }}'
-stdout yaml
+chezmoi execute-template '{{ .last.yaml }}'
+stdout '\.chezmoidata\.yaml'
 
 # test that the last .chezmoidata.<format> file read wins
-chezmoi execute-template '{{ .chezmoidata.last }}'
-stdout yaml
+chezmoi execute-template '{{ .last.format }}'
+stdout '\.chezmoidata\.yaml'
 
 # test that the config file wins over .chezmoidata.<format>
-chezmoi execute-template '{{ .global.last }}'
+chezmoi execute-template '{{ .last.global }}'
 stdout chezmoi.toml
 
 # test --init --promptString
@@ -40,33 +45,26 @@ stdout 'user@home\.org'
 -- golden/stdin.tmpl --
 {{ "stdin-template" }}
 -- home/user/.config/chezmoi/chezmoi.toml --
-[data.global]
-  last = "chezmoi.toml"
+[data.last]
+  config = "chezmoi.toml"
+  global = "chezmoi.toml"
 -- home/user/.local/share/chezmoi/.chezmoidata.json --
 {
-  "chezmoidata": {
-    "last": "json"
-  },
-  "global": {
-    "last": ".chezmoidata.json"
-  },
-  "json": {
-    "key": "json"
+  "last": {
+    "format": ".chezmoidata.json",
+    "global": ".chezmoidata.json",
+    "json": ".chezmoidata.json"
   }
 }
 -- home/user/.local/share/chezmoi/.chezmoidata.toml --
-[chezmoidata]
-  last = "toml"
-[global]
-  last = ".chezmoidata.toml"
-[toml]
-  key = "toml"
+[last]
+  format = ".chezmoidata.toml"
+  global = ".chezmoidata.toml"
+  toml = ".chezmoidata.toml"
 -- home/user/.local/share/chezmoi/.chezmoidata.yaml --
-chezmoidata:
-  last: yaml
-global:
-  last: .chezmoidata.yaml
-yaml:
-  key: yaml
+last:
+    format: ".chezmoidata.yaml"
+    global: ".chezmoidata.yaml"
+    yaml: ".chezmoidata.yaml"
 -- home/user/.local/share/chezmoi/.chezmoitemplates/partial --
 partial-template