diff --git a/pkg/aa/all.go b/pkg/aa/all.go
index 5351afb7d..b3acb5d96 100644
--- a/pkg/aa/all.go
+++ b/pkg/aa/all.go
@@ -26,7 +26,8 @@ func (r *All) Compare(other Rule) int {
 
 func (r *All) Merge(other Rule) bool {
 	o, _ := other.(*All)
-	return r.RuleBase.merge(o.RuleBase)
+	b := &r.RuleBase
+	return b.merge(o.RuleBase)
 }
 
 func (r *All) String() string {
diff --git a/pkg/aa/base.go b/pkg/aa/base.go
index 92aa76f85..c05954267 100644
--- a/pkg/aa/base.go
+++ b/pkg/aa/base.go
@@ -83,8 +83,10 @@ func (r RuleBase) Merge(other Rule) bool {
 	return false
 }
 
-func (r RuleBase) merge(other RuleBase) bool {
-	r.Comment += " " + other.Comment
+func (r *RuleBase) merge(other RuleBase) bool {
+	if other.Comment != "" {
+		r.Comment += " " + other.Comment
+	}
 	return true
 }
 
diff --git a/pkg/aa/dbus.go b/pkg/aa/dbus.go
index 8602e93dd..f34b8e09c 100644
--- a/pkg/aa/dbus.go
+++ b/pkg/aa/dbus.go
@@ -120,7 +120,8 @@ func (r *Dbus) Merge(other Rule) bool {
 		r.Interface == o.Interface && r.Member == o.Member &&
 		r.PeerName == o.PeerName && r.PeerLabel == o.PeerLabel {
 		r.Access = merge(r.Kind(), "access", r.Access, o.Access)
-		return r.RuleBase.merge(o.RuleBase)
+		b := &r.RuleBase
+		return b.merge(o.RuleBase)
 	}
 	return false
 }
diff --git a/pkg/aa/file.go b/pkg/aa/file.go
index 928e897c8..56ae9c499 100644
--- a/pkg/aa/file.go
+++ b/pkg/aa/file.go
@@ -138,7 +138,8 @@ func (r *File) Merge(other Rule) bool {
 	}
 	if r.Owner == o.Owner && r.Path == o.Path && r.Target == o.Target {
 		r.Access = merge(r.Kind(), "access", r.Access, o.Access)
-		return r.RuleBase.merge(o.RuleBase)
+		b := &r.RuleBase
+		return b.merge(o.RuleBase)
 	}
 	return false
 }
diff --git a/pkg/aa/io_uring.go b/pkg/aa/io_uring.go
index 06c33ad3d..4402f07a9 100644
--- a/pkg/aa/io_uring.go
+++ b/pkg/aa/io_uring.go
@@ -71,7 +71,8 @@ func (r *IOUring) Merge(other Rule) bool {
 	}
 	if r.Label == o.Label {
 		r.Access = merge(r.Kind(), "access", r.Access, o.Access)
-		return r.RuleBase.merge(o.RuleBase)
+		b := &r.RuleBase
+		return b.merge(o.RuleBase)
 	}
 	return false
 }
diff --git a/pkg/aa/mount.go b/pkg/aa/mount.go
index 480afa2fc..272076d07 100644
--- a/pkg/aa/mount.go
+++ b/pkg/aa/mount.go
@@ -65,7 +65,7 @@ func (m MountConditions) Compare(other MountConditions) int {
 	return compare(m.Options, other.Options)
 }
 
-func (m MountConditions) Merge(other MountConditions) bool {
+func (m *MountConditions) Merge(other MountConditions) bool {
 	if m.FsType == other.FsType {
 		m.Options = merge(MOUNT, "flags", m.Options, other.Options)
 		return true
@@ -143,13 +143,15 @@ func (r *Mount) Compare(other Rule) int {
 
 func (r *Mount) Merge(other Rule) bool {
 	o, _ := other.(*Mount)
+	mc := &r.MountConditions
 
 	if !r.Qualifier.Equal(o.Qualifier) {
 		return false
 	}
 	if r.Source == o.Source && r.MountPoint == o.MountPoint &&
-		r.MountConditions.Merge(o.MountConditions) {
-		return r.RuleBase.merge(o.RuleBase)
+		mc.Merge(o.MountConditions) {
+		b := &r.RuleBase
+		return b.merge(o.RuleBase)
 	}
 	return false
 }
@@ -220,12 +222,14 @@ func (r *Umount) Compare(other Rule) int {
 
 func (r *Umount) Merge(other Rule) bool {
 	o, _ := other.(*Umount)
+	mc := &r.MountConditions
 
 	if !r.Qualifier.Equal(o.Qualifier) {
 		return false
 	}
-	if r.MountPoint == o.MountPoint && r.MountConditions.Merge(o.MountConditions) {
-		return r.RuleBase.merge(o.RuleBase)
+	if r.MountPoint == o.MountPoint && mc.Merge(o.MountConditions) {
+		b := &r.RuleBase
+		return b.merge(o.RuleBase)
 	}
 	return false
 }
@@ -297,12 +301,14 @@ func (r *Remount) Compare(other Rule) int {
 
 func (r *Remount) Merge(other Rule) bool {
 	o, _ := other.(*Remount)
+	mc := &r.MountConditions
 
 	if !r.Qualifier.Equal(o.Qualifier) {
 		return false
 	}
-	if r.MountPoint == o.MountPoint && r.MountConditions.Merge(o.MountConditions) {
-		return r.RuleBase.merge(o.RuleBase)
+	if r.MountPoint == o.MountPoint && mc.Merge(o.MountConditions) {
+		b := &r.RuleBase
+		return b.merge(o.RuleBase)
 	}
 	return false
 }
diff --git a/pkg/aa/mqueue.go b/pkg/aa/mqueue.go
index 7edd9358d..889dcde6c 100644
--- a/pkg/aa/mqueue.go
+++ b/pkg/aa/mqueue.go
@@ -105,7 +105,8 @@ func (r *Mqueue) Merge(other Rule) bool {
 	}
 	if r.Type == o.Type && r.Label == o.Label && r.Name == o.Name {
 		r.Access = merge(r.Kind(), "access", r.Access, o.Access)
-		return r.RuleBase.merge(o.RuleBase)
+		b := &r.RuleBase
+		return b.merge(o.RuleBase)
 	}
 	return false
 }
diff --git a/pkg/aa/preamble.go b/pkg/aa/preamble.go
index e628417b9..4ad65fe97 100644
--- a/pkg/aa/preamble.go
+++ b/pkg/aa/preamble.go
@@ -261,7 +261,8 @@ func (r *Variable) Merge(other Rule) bool {
 
 	if r.Name == o.Name && r.Define == o.Define {
 		r.Values = merge(r.Kind(), "access", r.Values, o.Values)
-		return r.RuleBase.merge(o.RuleBase)
+		b := &r.RuleBase
+		return b.merge(o.RuleBase)
 	}
 	return false
 }
diff --git a/pkg/aa/ptrace.go b/pkg/aa/ptrace.go
index 1ecec49a7..2c7f9f225 100644
--- a/pkg/aa/ptrace.go
+++ b/pkg/aa/ptrace.go
@@ -62,7 +62,8 @@ func (r *Ptrace) Merge(other Rule) bool {
 	}
 	if r.Peer == o.Peer {
 		r.Access = merge(r.Kind(), "access", r.Access, o.Access)
-		return r.RuleBase.merge(o.RuleBase)
+		b := &r.RuleBase
+		return b.merge(o.RuleBase)
 	}
 	return false
 }
diff --git a/pkg/aa/signal.go b/pkg/aa/signal.go
index 6d590b103..097e8b827 100644
--- a/pkg/aa/signal.go
+++ b/pkg/aa/signal.go
@@ -86,10 +86,12 @@ func (r *Signal) Merge(other Rule) bool {
 	switch {
 	case r.Peer == o.Peer && compare(r.Set, o.Set) == 0:
 		r.Access = merge(r.Kind(), "access", r.Access, o.Access)
-		return r.RuleBase.merge(o.RuleBase)
+		b := &r.RuleBase
+		return b.merge(o.RuleBase)
 	case r.Peer == o.Peer && compare(r.Access, o.Access) == 0:
 		r.Set = merge(r.Kind(), "set", r.Set, o.Set)
-		return r.RuleBase.merge(o.RuleBase)
+		b := &r.RuleBase
+		return b.merge(o.RuleBase)
 	}
 	return false
 }
diff --git a/pkg/aa/unix.go b/pkg/aa/unix.go
index 5ccae9714..677330ecb 100644
--- a/pkg/aa/unix.go
+++ b/pkg/aa/unix.go
@@ -119,7 +119,8 @@ func (r *Unix) Merge(other Rule) bool {
 		r.Label == o.Label && r.Attr == o.Attr && r.Opt == o.Opt &&
 		r.PeerLabel == o.PeerLabel && r.PeerAddr == o.PeerAddr {
 		r.Access = merge(r.Kind(), "access", r.Access, o.Access)
-		return r.RuleBase.merge(o.RuleBase)
+		b := &r.RuleBase
+		return b.merge(o.RuleBase)
 	}
 	return false
 }
diff --git a/pkg/aa/userns.go b/pkg/aa/userns.go
index 6770106b4..424911f08 100644
--- a/pkg/aa/userns.go
+++ b/pkg/aa/userns.go
@@ -56,7 +56,8 @@ func (r *Userns) Compare(other Rule) int {
 
 func (r *Userns) Merge(other Rule) bool {
 	o, _ := other.(*Userns)
-	return r.RuleBase.merge(o.RuleBase)
+	b := &r.RuleBase
+	return b.merge(o.RuleBase)
 }
 
 func (r *Userns) String() string {