diff --git a/Build.PL b/Build.PL
index 06e57ab..c21d767 100644
--- a/Build.PL
+++ b/Build.PL
@@ -60,8 +60,6 @@ my $build = Module::Build->new(
         'perl'        => '5.006',
         'Carp'        => 0,
         'IO::File'    => 0,
-        'Hash::Merge' => 0,
-        'Clone'       => 0,
     },
     script_files => [ 'bin/stow', 'bin/chkstow' ],
     all_from => 'lib/Stow.pm.in',
diff --git a/META.json b/META.json
index a789f64..7eb963b 100644
--- a/META.json
+++ b/META.json
@@ -29,8 +29,6 @@
       "runtime" : {
          "requires" : {
             "Carp" : "0",
-            "Clone" : "0",
-            "Hash::Merge" : "0",
             "IO::File" : "0",
             "perl" : "5.006"
          }
diff --git a/META.yml b/META.yml
index a11b693..e7ae3a4 100644
--- a/META.yml
+++ b/META.yml
@@ -24,8 +24,6 @@ provides:
     version: v2.3.1
 requires:
   Carp: '0'
-  Clone: '0'
-  Hash::Merge: '0'
   IO::File: '0'
   perl: '5.006'
 resources:
diff --git a/NEWS b/NEWS
index 6722a28..79ca76e 100644
--- a/NEWS
+++ b/NEWS
@@ -2,6 +2,25 @@ News file for Stow.
 
 * Changes in version 2.3.1
 
+*** Remove dependencies on Hash::Merge and Clone::Choose
+
+    stow 2.3.0 added external runtime dependencies on Hash::Merge and
+    Clone::Choose. Historically stow hasn't had runtime dependencies
+    other than Perl itself, which is a useful property if you're
+    managing the installation of Perl using stow; the bootstrapping
+    instructions in stow's manual would need updating to describe how
+    to install these two modules (and any dependencies they have now
+    or in the future) as well.
+
+    However, Hash::Merge is much more general than stow actually
+    needs, so replace the merge() call with a few lines of equivalent
+    code -- this avoids the external dependencies, and is clearer than
+    the merge() call.
+
+    Many thanks to Adam Sampson for this patch!
+
+    https://lists.gnu.org/archive/html/bug-stow/2019-06/msg00001.html
+
 * Changes in version 2.3.0
 
 *** New features / changes in behaviour
diff --git a/bin/stow.in b/bin/stow.in
index 355bbc9..4faa451 100755
--- a/bin/stow.in
+++ b/bin/stow.in
@@ -457,16 +457,12 @@ require 5.006_001;
 
 use POSIX qw(getcwd);
 use Getopt::Long qw(GetOptionsFromArray);
+use Scalar::Util qw(reftype);
 
 @USE_LIB_PMDIR@
 use Stow;
 use Stow::Util qw(parent error);
 
-# Need to avoid Storable backend, since it can't deal with regexps:
-# https://rt.perl.org/Public/Bug/Display.html?id=50608
-use Clone::Choose qw(:Clone);
-use Hash::Merge qw(merge);
-
 my $ProgramName = $0;
 $ProgramName =~ s{.*/}{};
 
@@ -530,17 +526,27 @@ sub process_options {
 
     # Merge .stowrc and command line options.
     # Preference is given to cli options.
-    # rc options come first in merged arrays.
-    # cli options overwrite conflicting rc options.
-    Hash::Merge::set_behavior('RIGHT_PRECEDENT');
-    my $options = merge($rc_options, $cli_options);
+    my %options = %$rc_options;
+    foreach my $option (keys %$cli_options) {
+        my $rc_value = $rc_options->{$option};
+        my $cli_value = $cli_options->{$option};
+        my $type = reftype($cli_value);
+
+        if (defined $type && $type eq 'ARRAY' && defined $rc_value) {
+            # rc options come first in merged arrays.
+            $options{$option} = [@{$rc_value}, @{$cli_value}];
+        } else {
+            # cli options overwrite conflicting rc options.
+            $options{$option} = $cli_value;
+        }
+    }
 
     # Run checks on the merged options.
-    sanitize_path_options($options);
+    sanitize_path_options(\%options);
     check_packages($pkgs_to_unstow, $pkgs_to_stow);
 
     # Return merged and processed options.
-    return ($options, $pkgs_to_unstow, $pkgs_to_stow);
+    return (\%options, $pkgs_to_unstow, $pkgs_to_stow);
 }
 
 #===== SUBROUTINE ===========================================================
diff --git a/t/rc_options.t b/t/rc_options.t
index 593ff11..cbbbee2 100755
--- a/t/rc_options.t
+++ b/t/rc_options.t
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@
 use strict;
 use warnings;
 
-use Test::More tests => 33;
+use Test::More tests => 34;
 
 use testutil;
 
@@ -120,16 +120,19 @@ is($options->{dir}, "$ABS_TEST_DIR/stow"
    => "-d from \$HOME/.stowrc");
 
 #
-# Test ~/.stowrc file is overridden by .stowrc in cwd.
+# Test that some but not all options ~/.stowrc file are overridden by
+# .stowrc in cwd.
 #
 local @ARGV = ('dummy');
 make_file($HOME_RC_FILE, <<HERE);
     -d $ABS_TEST_DIR/stow-will-be-overridden
     --target $ABS_TEST_DIR/target-will-be-overridden
+    --defer=info
 HERE
 make_file($CWD_RC_FILE, <<HERE);
     -d $ABS_TEST_DIR/stow
     --target $ABS_TEST_DIR/target
+    --defer=man
 HERE
 
 ($options, $pkgs_to_delete, $pkgs_to_stow) = process_options();
@@ -137,6 +140,8 @@ is($options->{target},  "$ABS_TEST_DIR/target"
    => "--target overridden by \$PWD/.stowrc");
 is($options->{dir}, "$ABS_TEST_DIR/stow"
    => "-d overridden \$PWD/.stowrc");
+is_deeply($options->{defer}, [qr(\Ainfo), qr(\Aman)],
+          'defer man and info');
 unlink($CWD_RC_FILE) or die "Failed to unlink $CWD_RC_FILE";
 
 #