diff --git a/kogito-codegen-modules/kogito-codegen-processes/src/main/java/org/kie/kogito/codegen/json/JsonSchemaGenerator.java b/kogito-codegen-modules/kogito-codegen-processes/src/main/java/org/kie/kogito/codegen/json/JsonSchemaGenerator.java
index aac1aad4fbb..e101099eaf3 100644
--- a/kogito-codegen-modules/kogito-codegen-processes/src/main/java/org/kie/kogito/codegen/json/JsonSchemaGenerator.java
+++ b/kogito-codegen-modules/kogito-codegen-processes/src/main/java/org/kie/kogito/codegen/json/JsonSchemaGenerator.java
@@ -125,7 +125,7 @@ public Collection<GeneratedFile> generate() throws IOException {
                 if (merged == null) {
                     merged = read;
                 } else {
-                    JsonUtils.merge(read, merged);
+                    merged = (ObjectNode) JsonUtils.merge(read, merged);
                 }
             }
             try (ByteArrayOutputStream outputStream = new ByteArrayOutputStream()) {
diff --git a/kogito-codegen-modules/kogito-codegen-processes/src/main/java/org/kie/kogito/codegen/json/JsonUtils.java b/kogito-codegen-modules/kogito-codegen-processes/src/main/java/org/kie/kogito/codegen/json/JsonUtils.java
index 7c3bba18877..624974f5f30 100644
--- a/kogito-codegen-modules/kogito-codegen-processes/src/main/java/org/kie/kogito/codegen/json/JsonUtils.java
+++ b/kogito-codegen-modules/kogito-codegen-processes/src/main/java/org/kie/kogito/codegen/json/JsonUtils.java
@@ -34,8 +34,8 @@ private JsonUtils() {
      * @param src JsonNode to be merged
      * @param target JsonNode to merge to
      */
-    public static void merge(JsonNode src, JsonNode target) {
-        MergeUtils.merge(src, target, true);
+    public static JsonNode merge(JsonNode src, JsonNode target) {
+        return MergeUtils.merge(src, target, true);
     }
 
 }
diff --git a/kogito-codegen-modules/kogito-codegen-processes/src/test/java/org/kie/kogito/codegen/json/JsonUtilsTest.java b/kogito-codegen-modules/kogito-codegen-processes/src/test/java/org/kie/kogito/codegen/json/JsonUtilsTest.java
index 69b4124c684..f1677616f88 100644
--- a/kogito-codegen-modules/kogito-codegen-processes/src/test/java/org/kie/kogito/codegen/json/JsonUtilsTest.java
+++ b/kogito-codegen-modules/kogito-codegen-processes/src/test/java/org/kie/kogito/codegen/json/JsonUtilsTest.java
@@ -42,11 +42,11 @@ public void testFullMerge() {
         JsonNode node5 = createJson(mapper, mapper.createObjectNode().put("string", "javier"));
 
         JsonNode result = mapper.createObjectNode();
-        JsonUtils.merge(node1, result);
-        JsonUtils.merge(node2, result);
-        JsonUtils.merge(node3, result);
-        JsonUtils.merge(node4, result);
-        JsonUtils.merge(node5, result);
+        result = JsonUtils.merge(node1, result);
+        result = JsonUtils.merge(node2, result);
+        result = JsonUtils.merge(node3, result);
+        result = JsonUtils.merge(node4, result);
+        result = JsonUtils.merge(node5, result);
 
         assertThat(result.size()).isOne();
         JsonNode merged = result.get("merged");
@@ -73,7 +73,7 @@ public void testArrayIntoObjectMerge() {
         JsonNode src = createJson(mapper, createJson(mapper, "property", Arrays.asList(1, 2, 3)));
         JsonNode target = createJson(mapper, mapper.createObjectNode().put("property", 4));
 
-        JsonUtils.merge(src, target);
+        target = JsonUtils.merge(src, target);
 
         assertThat(target.size()).isOne();
         JsonNode merged = target.get("merged");
@@ -95,7 +95,7 @@ public void testArrayIntoNewPropertyMerge() {
         JsonNode src = createJson(mapper, createJson(mapper, "property", Arrays.asList(1, 2, 3)));
         JsonNode target = createJson(mapper, mapper.createObjectNode());
 
-        JsonUtils.merge(src, target);
+        target = JsonUtils.merge(src, target);
 
         assertThat(target.size()).isOne();
         JsonNode merged = target.get("merged");
diff --git a/kogito-serverless-workflow/kogito-serverless-workflow-executor-core/src/test/java/org/kie/kogito/serverless/workflow/executor/StaticFluentWorkflowApplicationTest.java b/kogito-serverless-workflow/kogito-serverless-workflow-executor-core/src/test/java/org/kie/kogito/serverless/workflow/executor/StaticFluentWorkflowApplicationTest.java
index 81de083a09a..dcd49e1bc9a 100644
--- a/kogito-serverless-workflow/kogito-serverless-workflow-executor-core/src/test/java/org/kie/kogito/serverless/workflow/executor/StaticFluentWorkflowApplicationTest.java
+++ b/kogito-serverless-workflow/kogito-serverless-workflow-executor-core/src/test/java/org/kie/kogito/serverless/workflow/executor/StaticFluentWorkflowApplicationTest.java
@@ -77,7 +77,7 @@ public void afterProcessCompleted(ProcessCompletedEvent event) {
             }
         }).build()) {
             Workflow workflow = workflow("HelloWorld").start(inject(new TextNode(GREETING_STRING))).end().build();
-            assertThat(application.execute(workflow, Collections.emptyMap()).getWorkflowdata()).contains(new TextNode(GREETING_STRING));
+            assertThat(application.execute(workflow, Collections.emptyMap()).getWorkflowdata().asText()).isEqualTo(GREETING_STRING);
             assertThat(completed.get()).isTrue();
         }
     }
@@ -222,7 +222,7 @@ void testConstantConcatenation() {
         try (StaticWorkflowApplication application = StaticWorkflowApplication.create()) {
             Workflow workflow = workflow("PlayingWithExpression").constant("name", "Javierito").function(expr(INTERPOLATION, "\"My name is \"+$CONST.name"))
                     .start(operation().action(call(INTERPOLATION))).end().build();
-            assertThat(application.execute(workflow, Collections.emptyMap()).getWorkflowdata().get("response").asText()).isEqualTo("My name is Javierito");
+            assertThat(application.execute(workflow, Collections.emptyMap()).getWorkflowdata().asText()).isEqualTo("My name is Javierito");
         }
     }
 
@@ -280,7 +280,7 @@ void testConstantInterpolation() {
         try (StaticWorkflowApplication application = StaticWorkflowApplication.create()) {
             Workflow workflow = workflow("PlayingWithExpression").constant("name", "Javierito").function(expr(INTERPOLATION, "\"My name is \\($CONST.name)\""))
                     .start(operation().action(call(INTERPOLATION))).end().build();
-            assertThat(application.execute(workflow, Collections.emptyMap()).getWorkflowdata().get("response").asText()).isEqualTo("My name is Javierito");
+            assertThat(application.execute(workflow, Collections.emptyMap()).getWorkflowdata().asText()).isEqualTo("My name is Javierito");
         }
     }
 }
diff --git a/kogito-serverless-workflow/kogito-serverless-workflow-executor-core/src/test/java/org/kie/kogito/serverless/workflow/executor/StaticWorkflowApplicationTest.java b/kogito-serverless-workflow/kogito-serverless-workflow-executor-core/src/test/java/org/kie/kogito/serverless/workflow/executor/StaticWorkflowApplicationTest.java
index 5da4db34d09..4309f18156c 100644
--- a/kogito-serverless-workflow/kogito-serverless-workflow-executor-core/src/test/java/org/kie/kogito/serverless/workflow/executor/StaticWorkflowApplicationTest.java
+++ b/kogito-serverless-workflow/kogito-serverless-workflow-executor-core/src/test/java/org/kie/kogito/serverless/workflow/executor/StaticWorkflowApplicationTest.java
@@ -62,7 +62,7 @@ class StaticWorkflowApplicationTest {
     void helloWorld() {
         Workflow workflow = helloWorldDef();
         try (StaticWorkflowApplication application = StaticWorkflowApplication.create()) {
-            assertThat(application.execute(workflow, Collections.emptyMap()).getWorkflowdata()).contains(new TextNode(GREETING_STRING));
+            assertThat(application.execute(workflow, Collections.emptyMap()).getWorkflowdata().asText()).isEqualTo(GREETING_STRING);
         }
     }
 
@@ -74,7 +74,7 @@ void helloWorldFile() throws IOException {
         CharArrayReader reader = new CharArrayReader(writer.toCharArray());
         workflow = getWorkflow(reader, WorkflowFormat.JSON);
         try (StaticWorkflowApplication application = StaticWorkflowApplication.create()) {
-            assertThat(application.execute(workflow, Collections.emptyMap()).getWorkflowdata()).contains(new TextNode(GREETING_STRING));
+            assertThat(application.execute(workflow, Collections.emptyMap()).getWorkflowdata().asText()).isEqualTo(GREETING_STRING);
         }
     }
 
diff --git a/kogito-serverless-workflow/kogito-serverless-workflow-runtime/src/main/java/org/kie/kogito/serverless/workflow/actions/MergeAction.java b/kogito-serverless-workflow/kogito-serverless-workflow-runtime/src/main/java/org/kie/kogito/serverless/workflow/actions/MergeAction.java
index e4b5c396658..62551321e27 100644
--- a/kogito-serverless-workflow/kogito-serverless-workflow-runtime/src/main/java/org/kie/kogito/serverless/workflow/actions/MergeAction.java
+++ b/kogito-serverless-workflow/kogito-serverless-workflow-runtime/src/main/java/org/kie/kogito/serverless/workflow/actions/MergeAction.java
@@ -34,6 +34,6 @@ public MergeAction(String inputName, String outputName) {
 
     @Override
     public void execute(KogitoProcessContext context) throws Exception {
-        MergeUtils.merge(ActionUtils.getJsonNode(context, inputName), ActionUtils.getJsonNode(context, outputName));
+        context.setVariable(outputName, MergeUtils.merge(ActionUtils.getJsonNode(context, inputName), ActionUtils.getJsonNode(context, outputName)));
     }
 }
diff --git a/kogito-workitems/kogito-jackson-utils/src/main/java/org/kie/kogito/jackson/utils/MergeUtils.java b/kogito-workitems/kogito-jackson-utils/src/main/java/org/kie/kogito/jackson/utils/MergeUtils.java
index 1f946002499..1ddcf12c8c0 100644
--- a/kogito-workitems/kogito-jackson-utils/src/main/java/org/kie/kogito/jackson/utils/MergeUtils.java
+++ b/kogito-workitems/kogito-jackson-utils/src/main/java/org/kie/kogito/jackson/utils/MergeUtils.java
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ public static JsonNode merge(JsonNode src, JsonNode target) {
     }
 
     public static JsonNode merge(JsonNode src, JsonNode target, boolean mergeArray) {
-        if (target == null || target.isNull()) {
+        if (target == null || target.isNull() || target.isObject() && target.isEmpty() && src != null && !src.isNull()) {
             return src;
         } else if (target.isArray()) {
             return mergeArray(src, (ArrayNode) target, mergeArray);
diff --git a/kogito-workitems/kogito-jackson-utils/src/test/java/org/kie/kogito/jackson/utils/MergeUtilsTest.java b/kogito-workitems/kogito-jackson-utils/src/test/java/org/kie/kogito/jackson/utils/MergeUtilsTest.java
index d9d789dadd5..c7f034393ed 100644
--- a/kogito-workitems/kogito-jackson-utils/src/test/java/org/kie/kogito/jackson/utils/MergeUtilsTest.java
+++ b/kogito-workitems/kogito-jackson-utils/src/test/java/org/kie/kogito/jackson/utils/MergeUtilsTest.java
@@ -52,13 +52,13 @@ void testTargetIntSrcArray() {
 
     @Test
     void testTargetObjectSrcInt() {
-        assertThat(JsonObjectUtils.toJavaValue(MergeUtils.merge(new IntNode(3), ObjectMapperFactory.get().createObjectNode(), false))).isEqualTo(Collections.singletonMap("response", 3));
+        assertThat(JsonObjectUtils.toJavaValue(MergeUtils.merge(new IntNode(3), ObjectMapperFactory.get().createObjectNode(), false))).isEqualTo(3);
     }
 
     @Test
     void testTargetObjectSrcArray() {
         assertThat(JsonObjectUtils.toJavaValue(MergeUtils.merge(ObjectMapperFactory.get().createArrayNode().add(1).add(2).add(3), ObjectMapperFactory.get().createObjectNode(), false)))
-                .isEqualTo(Collections.singletonMap("response", Arrays.asList(1, 2, 3)));
+                .isEqualTo(Arrays.asList(1, 2, 3));
     }
 
     @Test