diff --git a/server/channels/utils/merge.go b/server/channels/utils/merge.go
index cdeaa6e908..8071ec59ec 100644
--- a/server/channels/utils/merge.go
+++ b/server/channels/utils/merge.go
@@ -36,31 +36,27 @@ type MergeConfig struct {
 //	    retTS := ret.(testStruct)
 //	    return &retTS, nil
 //	}
-func Merge(base any, patch any, mergeConfig *MergeConfig) (any, error) {
-	if reflect.TypeOf(base) != reflect.TypeOf(patch) {
-		return nil, fmt.Errorf(
-			"cannot merge different types. base type: %s, patch type: %s",
-			reflect.TypeOf(base),
-			reflect.TypeOf(patch),
-		)
-	}
-
+func Merge[T any](base T, patch T, mergeConfig *MergeConfig) (T, error) {
 	commonType := reflect.TypeOf(base)
 	baseVal := reflect.ValueOf(base)
 	patchVal := reflect.ValueOf(patch)
-	if commonType.Kind() == reflect.Ptr {
-		commonType = commonType.Elem()
-		baseVal = baseVal.Elem()
-		patchVal = patchVal.Elem()
-	}
-
 	ret := reflect.New(commonType)
 
 	val, ok := merge(baseVal, patchVal, mergeConfig)
 	if ok {
 		ret.Elem().Set(val)
 	}
-	return ret.Elem().Interface(), nil
+
+	r, ok := ret.Elem().Interface().(T)
+	if !ok {
+		return r, fmt.Errorf(
+			"Unexpected type of return element, expected %s, is %s",
+			commonType,
+			reflect.TypeOf(r),
+		)
+	}
+
+	return r, nil
 }
 
 // merge recursively merges patch into base and returns the new struct, ptr, slice/map, or value
diff --git a/server/channels/utils/merge_test.go b/server/channels/utils/merge_test.go
index d900658bd6..17b6ebe0e9 100644
--- a/server/channels/utils/merge_test.go
+++ b/server/channels/utils/merge_test.go
@@ -1549,8 +1549,8 @@ func mergeSimple(base, patch simple) (*simple, error) {
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
-	retS := ret.(simple)
-	return &retS, nil
+
+	return &ret, nil
 }
 
 func mergeEvenSimpler(base, patch evenSimpler) (*evenSimpler, error) {
@@ -1558,8 +1558,8 @@ func mergeEvenSimpler(base, patch evenSimpler) (*evenSimpler, error) {
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
-	retTS := ret.(evenSimpler)
-	return &retTS, nil
+
+	return &ret, nil
 }
 
 func mergeEvenSimplerWithConfig(base, patch evenSimpler, mergeConfig *utils.MergeConfig) (*evenSimpler, error) {
@@ -1567,8 +1567,8 @@ func mergeEvenSimplerWithConfig(base, patch evenSimpler, mergeConfig *utils.Merg
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
-	retTS := ret.(evenSimpler)
-	return &retTS, nil
+
+	return &ret, nil
 }
 
 func mergeSliceStruct(base, patch sliceStruct) (*sliceStruct, error) {
@@ -1576,8 +1576,8 @@ func mergeSliceStruct(base, patch sliceStruct) (*sliceStruct, error) {
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
-	retTS := ret.(sliceStruct)
-	return &retTS, nil
+
+	return &ret, nil
 }
 
 func mergeMapPtr(base, patch mapPtr) (*mapPtr, error) {
@@ -1585,8 +1585,8 @@ func mergeMapPtr(base, patch mapPtr) (*mapPtr, error) {
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
-	retTS := ret.(mapPtr)
-	return &retTS, nil
+
+	return &ret, nil
 }
 
 func mergeMapPtrState(base, patch mapPtrState) (*mapPtrState, error) {
@@ -1594,8 +1594,8 @@ func mergeMapPtrState(base, patch mapPtrState) (*mapPtrState, error) {
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
-	retTS := ret.(mapPtrState)
-	return &retTS, nil
+
+	return &ret, nil
 }
 
 func mergeMapPtrState2(base, patch mapPtrState2) (*mapPtrState2, error) {
@@ -1603,8 +1603,8 @@ func mergeMapPtrState2(base, patch mapPtrState2) (*mapPtrState2, error) {
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
-	retTS := ret.(mapPtrState2)
-	return &retTS, nil
+
+	return &ret, nil
 }
 
 func mergeTestStructs(base, patch testStruct) (*testStruct, error) {
@@ -1612,71 +1612,36 @@ func mergeTestStructs(base, patch testStruct) (*testStruct, error) {
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
-	retTS := ret.(testStruct)
-	return &retTS, nil
+
+	return &ret, nil
 }
 
 func mergeStringIntMap(base, patch map[string]int) (map[string]int, error) {
-	ret, err := utils.Merge(base, patch, nil)
-	if err != nil {
-		return nil, err
-	}
-	retTS := ret.(map[string]int)
-	return retTS, nil
+	return utils.Merge(base, patch, nil)
 }
 
 func mergeStringPtrIntMap(base, patch map[string]*int) (map[string]*int, error) {
-	ret, err := utils.Merge(base, patch, nil)
-	if err != nil {
-		return nil, err
-	}
-	retTS := ret.(map[string]*int)
-	return retTS, nil
+	return utils.Merge(base, patch, nil)
 }
 
 func mergeStringSliceIntMap(base, patch map[string][]int) (map[string][]int, error) {
-	ret, err := utils.Merge(base, patch, nil)
-	if err != nil {
-		return nil, err
-	}
-	retTS := ret.(map[string][]int)
-	return retTS, nil
+	return utils.Merge(base, patch, nil)
 }
 
 func mergeMapOfMap(base, patch map[string]map[string]*int) (map[string]map[string]*int, error) {
-	ret, err := utils.Merge(base, patch, nil)
-	if err != nil {
-		return nil, err
-	}
-	retTS := ret.(map[string]map[string]*int)
-	return retTS, nil
+	return utils.Merge(base, patch, nil)
 }
 
 func mergeInterfaceMap(base, patch map[string]any) (map[string]any, error) {
-	ret, err := utils.Merge(base, patch, nil)
-	if err != nil {
-		return nil, err
-	}
-	retTS := ret.(map[string]any)
-	return retTS, nil
+	return utils.Merge(base, patch, nil)
 }
 
 func mergeStringSlices(base, patch []string) ([]string, error) {
-	ret, err := utils.Merge(base, patch, nil)
-	if err != nil {
-		return nil, err
-	}
-	retTS := ret.([]string)
-	return retTS, nil
+	return utils.Merge(base, patch, nil)
 }
 
 func mergeTestStructsPtrs(base, patch *testStruct) (*testStruct, error) {
-	ret, err := utils.Merge(base, patch, nil)
-	if err != nil {
-		return nil, err
-	}
-	retTS := ret.(testStruct)
-	return &retTS, nil
+	return utils.Merge(base, patch, nil)
 }
 
 func newBool(b bool) *bool          { return &b }
diff --git a/server/config/utils.go b/server/config/utils.go
index ba8de8de95..53a74c9f19 100644
--- a/server/config/utils.go
+++ b/server/config/utils.go
@@ -164,13 +164,7 @@ func FixInvalidLocales(cfg *model.Config) bool {
 // Merge merges two configs together. The receiver's values are overwritten with the patch's
 // values except when the patch's values are nil.
 func Merge(cfg *model.Config, patch *model.Config, mergeConfig *utils.MergeConfig) (*model.Config, error) {
-	ret, err := utils.Merge(cfg, patch, mergeConfig)
-	if err != nil {
-		return nil, err
-	}
-
-	retCfg := ret.(model.Config)
-	return &retCfg, nil
+	return utils.Merge(cfg, patch, mergeConfig)
 }
 
 func IsDatabaseDSN(dsn string) bool {