diff --git a/api/src/main/java/org/openmrs/api/impl/PatientServiceImpl.java b/api/src/main/java/org/openmrs/api/impl/PatientServiceImpl.java
index af1f5d203875..e0f2a0399f21 100644
--- a/api/src/main/java/org/openmrs/api/impl/PatientServiceImpl.java
+++ b/api/src/main/java/org/openmrs/api/impl/PatientServiceImpl.java
@@ -630,11 +630,10 @@ private void mergeProgramEnrolments(Patient preferred, Patient notPreferred, Per
 		ProgramWorkflowService programService = Context.getProgramWorkflowService();
 		for (PatientProgram pp : programService.getPatientPrograms(notPreferred, null, null, null, null, null, false)) {
 			if (!pp.getVoided()) {
-				PatientProgram enroll = pp.copy();
-				enroll.setPatient(preferred);
-				log.debug("Copying patientProgram {} to {}", pp.getPatientProgramId(), preferred.getPatientId());
-				PatientProgram persisted = programService.savePatientProgram(enroll);
-				mergedData.addCreatedProgram(persisted.getUuid());
+				pp.setPatient(preferred);
+				log.debug("Moving patientProgram {} to {}", pp.getPatientProgramId(), preferred.getPatientId());
+				PatientProgram persisted = programService.savePatientProgram(pp);
+				mergedData.addMovedProgram(persisted.getUuid());
 			}
 		}
 	}
diff --git a/api/src/main/java/org/openmrs/person/PersonMergeLogData.java b/api/src/main/java/org/openmrs/person/PersonMergeLogData.java
index f53efe1f5408..bacffb0cd08d 100644
--- a/api/src/main/java/org/openmrs/person/PersonMergeLogData.java
+++ b/api/src/main/java/org/openmrs/person/PersonMergeLogData.java
@@ -39,8 +39,15 @@ public class PersonMergeLogData {
 	
 	/**
 	 * List of UUIDs of patient programs copied from non-preferred to preferred
+	 * (Deprecated in 2.6.8 and 2.7.0+, as we now move programs)
 	 */
+	@Deprecated
 	private List<String> createdPrograms;
+
+	/**
+	 * List of UUIDs of patient programs moved from non-preferred to preferred
+	 */
+	private List<String> movedPrograms;
 	
 	/**
 	 * List of UUIDs of voided relationships
@@ -143,16 +150,29 @@ public void addMovedEncounter(String uuid) {
 		movedEncounters.add(uuid);
 	}
 	
+	@Deprecated
 	public List<String> getCreatedPrograms() {
 		return createdPrograms;
 	}
 	
+	@Deprecated
 	public void addCreatedProgram(String uuid) {
 		if (createdPrograms == null) {
 			createdPrograms = new ArrayList<>();
 		}
 		createdPrograms.add(uuid);
 	}
+
+	public List<String> getMovedPrograms() {
+		return movedPrograms;
+	}
+
+	public void addMovedProgram(String uuid) {
+		if (movedPrograms == null) {
+			movedPrograms = new ArrayList<>();
+		}
+		movedPrograms.add(uuid);
+	}
 	
 	public List<String> getVoidedRelationships() {
 		return voidedRelationships;
@@ -326,6 +346,9 @@ public int computeHashValue() {
 		if (getCreatedPrograms() != null) {
 			str += getCreatedPrograms().toString();
 		}
+		if (getMovedPrograms() != null) {
+			str += getMovedPrograms().toString();
+		}
 		if (getCreatedRelationships() != null) {
 			str += getCreatedRelationships().toString();
 		}
diff --git a/api/src/test/java/org/openmrs/api/PatientServiceTest.java b/api/src/test/java/org/openmrs/api/PatientServiceTest.java
index ced6ec5e5e26..45ef5c0ee78e 100644
--- a/api/src/test/java/org/openmrs/api/PatientServiceTest.java
+++ b/api/src/test/java/org/openmrs/api/PatientServiceTest.java
@@ -2350,32 +2350,44 @@ public void mergePatients_shouldAuditCreatedNames() throws Exception {
 	/**
 	 * @see PatientService#mergePatients(Patient,Patient)
 	 */
+
 	@Test
-	public void mergePatients_shouldAuditCreatedPatientPrograms() throws Exception {
+	public void mergePatients_shouldCopyProgramsFromNonPreferredPatient() throws Exception {
 		//retrieve preferred  and notPreferredPatient patient
 		Patient preferred = patientService.getPatient(999);
 		Patient notPreferred = patientService.getPatient(2);
 		voidOrders(Collections.singleton(notPreferred));
-		
+
 		//retrieve program for notProferred patient
-		PatientProgram program = Context.getProgramWorkflowService()
-		        .getPatientPrograms(notPreferred, null, null, null, null, null, false).get(0);
+		List<PatientProgram> nonPreferredPrograms = Context.getProgramWorkflowService()
+			.getPatientPrograms(notPreferred, null, null, null, null, null, false);
+
+		//retrieve program for preferred patient
+		List<PatientProgram> preferredPrograms = Context.getProgramWorkflowService()
+			.getPatientPrograms(preferred, null, null, null, null, null, false);
+
 		
-		//merge the two patients and retrieve the audit object
+		assertEquals(2, nonPreferredPrograms.size());  // sanity check, non preferred patient had 2 programs at time of writing test
+		assertEquals(0, preferredPrograms.size());  // sanity check, preferred patient had 0 programs at time of writing test
+		
+		List<String> programUuids =  nonPreferredPrograms.stream().map(PatientProgram::getUuid).collect(Collectors.toList());
+
 		PersonMergeLog audit = mergeAndRetrieveAudit(preferred, notPreferred);
+
+		//retrieve updated program for notProferred patient
+		List<PatientProgram> updatedNonPreferredPrograms = Context.getProgramWorkflowService()
+			.getPatientPrograms(notPreferred, null, null, null, null, null, false);
+
+		//retrieve program for preferred patient
+		List<PatientProgram> updatedPreferredPrograms = Context.getProgramWorkflowService()
+			.getPatientPrograms(preferred, null, null, null, null, null, false);
 		
-		//find the UUID of the program to which the preferred patient was enrolled as a result of the merge
-		String enrolledProgramUuid = null;
-		List<PatientProgram> programs = Context.getProgramWorkflowService().getPatientPrograms(preferred, null, null, null,
-		    null, null, false);
-		for (PatientProgram p : programs) {
-			if (p.getDateCreated().equals(program.getDateCreated())) {
-				enrolledProgramUuid = p.getUuid();
-			}
-		}
-		assertNotNull("expected enrolled program was not found for the preferred patient after the merge",
-			enrolledProgramUuid);
-		assertTrue(isValueInList(enrolledProgramUuid, audit.getPersonMergeLogData().getCreatedPrograms()), "program enrollment not audited");
+		// programs should be copied from nonPreferred to preferred
+		assertEquals(0, updatedNonPreferredPrograms.size());  
+		assertEquals(2, updatedPreferredPrograms.size()); 
+		
+		assertTrue(updatedPreferredPrograms.stream().map(PatientProgram::getUuid).allMatch(programUuids::contains));
+		assertTrue(audit.getPersonMergeLogData().getMovedPrograms().stream().allMatch(programUuids::contains));
 	}
 	
 	/**
diff --git a/api/src/test/java/org/openmrs/api/PersonServiceTest.java b/api/src/test/java/org/openmrs/api/PersonServiceTest.java
index 7c5caa422fce..d0359500a066 100644
--- a/api/src/test/java/org/openmrs/api/PersonServiceTest.java
+++ b/api/src/test/java/org/openmrs/api/PersonServiceTest.java
@@ -1454,7 +1454,7 @@ private PersonMergeLog getTestPersonMergeLog() {
 		data.addCreatedIdentifier("3");
 		data.addCreatedName("4");
 		data.addCreatedOrder("5");
-		data.addCreatedProgram("6");
+		data.addMovedProgram("6");
 		data.addCreatedRelationship("7");
 		data.addMovedEncounter("8");
 		data.addMovedIndependentObservation("9");