diff --git a/modules/@angular/http/src/base_request_options.ts b/modules/@angular/http/src/base_request_options.ts
index b844a6c308..2418627f5e 100644
--- a/modules/@angular/http/src/base_request_options.ts
+++ b/modules/@angular/http/src/base_request_options.ts
@@ -121,7 +121,7 @@ export class RequestOptions {
   merge(options?: RequestOptionsArgs): RequestOptions {
     return new RequestOptions({
       method: options && options.method != null ? options.method : this.method,
-      headers: options && options.headers != null ? options.headers : this.headers,
+      headers: options && options.headers != null ? options.headers : new Headers(this.headers),
       body: options && options.body != null ? options.body : this.body,
       url: options && options.url != null ? options.url : this.url,
       params: options && this._mergeSearchParams(options.params || options.search),
diff --git a/modules/@angular/http/test/base_request_options_spec.ts b/modules/@angular/http/test/base_request_options_spec.ts
index 4f70e04fc7..195e63f277 100644
--- a/modules/@angular/http/test/base_request_options_spec.ts
+++ b/modules/@angular/http/test/base_request_options_spec.ts
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@
 import {describe, expect, it} from '@angular/core/testing/testing_internal';
 import {BaseRequestOptions, RequestOptions} from '../src/base_request_options';
 import {RequestMethod} from '../src/enums';
+import {Headers} from '../src/headers';
 
 export function main() {
   describe('BaseRequestOptions', () => {
@@ -45,5 +46,11 @@ export function main() {
       expect(options2.params.paramsMap.get('b')).toEqual(['text']);
       expect(options2.params.paramsMap.get('c')).toEqual(['1', '2', '3']);
     });
+
+    it('should create a new headers object when calling merge', () => {
+      const options1 = new RequestOptions({headers: new Headers()});
+      const options2 = options1.merge();
+      expect(options2.headers).not.toBe(options1.headers);
+    });
   });
 }