diff --git a/akka-stream-tests/src/test/scala/akka/stream/scaladsl/GraphFlexiMergeSpec.scala b/akka-stream-tests/src/test/scala/akka/stream/scaladsl/GraphFlexiMergeSpec.scala
index 27d9544116..70f4bc68be 100644
--- a/akka-stream-tests/src/test/scala/akka/stream/scaladsl/GraphFlexiMergeSpec.scala
+++ b/akka-stream-tests/src/test/scala/akka/stream/scaladsl/GraphFlexiMergeSpec.scala
@@ -172,6 +172,23 @@ object GraphFlexiMergeSpec {
     }
   }
 
+  class PreferringMerge extends FlexiMerge[Int] {
+    import FlexiMerge._
+    val preferred = createInputPort[Int]()
+    val secondary1 = createInputPort[Int]()
+    val secondary2 = createInputPort[Int]()
+
+    def createMergeLogic = new MergeLogic[Int] {
+      override def inputHandles(inputCount: Int) = Vector(preferred, secondary1, secondary2)
+
+      override def initialState = State[Int](ReadPreferred(preferred)(secondary1, secondary2)) {
+        (ctx, input, element) ⇒
+          ctx.emit(element)
+          SameState
+      }
+    }
+  }
+
   class TestMerge extends FlexiMerge[String]("testMerge") {
     import FlexiMerge._
     val input1 = createInputPort[String]()
@@ -298,8 +315,9 @@ class GraphFlexiMergeSpec extends AkkaSpec {
       p.subscribe(s)
       val sub = s.expectSubscription()
       sub.request(100)
-      for (n ← 1 to 9)
+      for (n ← 1 to 9) {
         s.expectNext(n)
+      }
       s.expectComplete()
     }
 
@@ -331,6 +349,94 @@ class GraphFlexiMergeSpec extends AkkaSpec {
       s.expectComplete()
     }
 
+    "build perferring merge" in {
+      val output = Sink.publisher[Int]
+      val m = FlowGraph { implicit b ⇒
+        val merge = new PreferringMerge
+        Source(List(1, 2, 3)) ~> merge.preferred
+        Source(List(11, 12, 13)) ~> merge.secondary1
+        Source(List(14, 15, 16)) ~> merge.secondary2
+        merge.out ~> output
+      }.run()
+
+      val s = SubscriberProbe[Int]
+      val p = m.get(output)
+      p.subscribe(s)
+      val sub = s.expectSubscription()
+      sub.request(100)
+      s.expectNext(1)
+      s.expectNext(2)
+      s.expectNext(3)
+      val secondaries = s.expectNext() ::
+        s.expectNext() ::
+        s.expectNext() ::
+        s.expectNext() ::
+        s.expectNext() ::
+        s.expectNext() :: Nil
+
+      secondaries.toSet should equal(Set(11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16))
+      s.expectComplete()
+    }
+    "build perferring merge, manually driven" in {
+      val output = Sink.publisher[Int]
+      val preferredDriver = PublisherProbe[Int]()
+      val otherDriver1 = PublisherProbe[Int]()
+      val otherDriver2 = PublisherProbe[Int]()
+
+      val m = FlowGraph { implicit b ⇒
+        val merge = new PreferringMerge
+        Source(preferredDriver) ~> merge.preferred
+        Source(otherDriver1) ~> merge.secondary1
+        Source(otherDriver2) ~> merge.secondary2
+        merge.out ~> output
+      }.run()
+
+      val s = SubscriberProbe[Int]
+      val p = m.get(output)
+      p.subscribe(s)
+
+      val sub = s.expectSubscription()
+      val p1 = preferredDriver.expectSubscription()
+      val s1 = otherDriver1.expectSubscription()
+      val s2 = otherDriver2.expectSubscription()
+
+      // just consume the preferred
+      p1.sendNext(1)
+      sub.request(1)
+      s.expectNext(1)
+
+      // pick preferred over any of the secondaries
+      p1.sendNext(2)
+      s1.sendNext(10)
+      s2.sendNext(20)
+      sub.request(1)
+      s.expectNext(2)
+
+      sub.request(2)
+      s.expectNext(10)
+      s.expectNext(20)
+
+      p1.sendComplete()
+
+      // continue with just secondaries when preferred has completed
+      s1.sendNext(11)
+      s2.sendNext(21)
+      sub.request(2)
+      val d1 = s.expectNext()
+      val d2 = s.expectNext()
+      Set(d1, d2) should equal(Set(11, 21))
+
+      // continue with just one secondary
+      s1.sendComplete()
+      s2.sendNext(4)
+      sub.request(1)
+      s.expectNext(4)
+      s2.sendComplete()
+
+      // complete when all inputs have completed
+      s.expectComplete()
+    }
+
     "support cancel of input" in {
       val publisher = PublisherProbe[String]
       val m = FlowGraph { implicit b ⇒
diff --git a/akka-stream/src/main/scala/akka/stream/impl/FlexiMergeImpl.scala b/akka-stream/src/main/scala/akka/stream/impl/FlexiMergeImpl.scala
index ab9972a259..90e1618c33 100644
--- a/akka-stream/src/main/scala/akka/stream/impl/FlexiMergeImpl.scala
+++ b/akka-stream/src/main/scala/akka/stream/impl/FlexiMergeImpl.scala
@@ -86,7 +86,7 @@ private[akka] class FlexiMergeImpl(_settings: MaterializerSettings,
 
   private def precondition: TransferState = {
     behavior.condition match {
-      case _: ReadAny | _: Read ⇒ inputBunch.AnyOfMarkedInputs && primaryOutputs.NeedsDemand
+      case _: ReadAny | _: ReadPreferred | _: Read ⇒ inputBunch.AnyOfMarkedInputs && primaryOutputs.NeedsDemand
     }
   }
 
@@ -99,6 +99,9 @@ private[akka] class FlexiMergeImpl(_settings: MaterializerSettings,
       behavior.condition match {
         case read: ReadAny ⇒
           markInputs(read.inputs.toArray)
+        case ReadPreferred(preferred, secondaries) ⇒
+          markInputs(secondaries.toArray)
+          inputBunch.markInput(preferred.portIndex)
         case Read(input) ⇒
           require(inputMapping.contains(input.portIndex), s"Unknown input handle $input")
           require(!inputBunch.isCancelled(input.portIndex), s"Read not allowed from cancelled $input")
@@ -119,7 +122,12 @@ private[akka] class FlexiMergeImpl(_settings: MaterializerSettings,
         val inputHandle = inputMapping(id)
         changeBehavior(behavior.onInput(ctx, inputHandle, elem))
         triggerCompletionAfterRead(inputHandle)
-
+      case ReadPreferred(preferred, secondaries) ⇒
+        val id = inputBunch.idToDequeue()
+        val elem = inputBunch.dequeueAndPrefer(id)
+        val inputHandle = inputMapping(id)
+        changeBehavior(behavior.onInput(ctx, inputHandle, elem))
+        triggerCompletionAfterRead(inputHandle)
       case Read(inputHandle) ⇒
         val elem = inputBunch.dequeue(inputHandle.portIndex)
         changeBehavior(behavior.onInput(ctx, inputHandle, elem))
diff --git a/akka-stream/src/main/scala/akka/stream/javadsl/FlexiMerge.scala b/akka-stream/src/main/scala/akka/stream/javadsl/FlexiMerge.scala
index e51a231544..6f94becdb4 100644
--- a/akka-stream/src/main/scala/akka/stream/javadsl/FlexiMerge.scala
+++ b/akka-stream/src/main/scala/akka/stream/javadsl/FlexiMerge.scala
@@ -66,6 +66,18 @@ object FlexiMerge {
    */
   class ReadAny(val inputs: JList[InputHandle]) extends ReadCondition
 
+  /**
+   * Read condition for the [[MergeLogic#State]] that will be
+   * fulfilled when there are elements for any of the given upstream
+   * inputs, however it differs from [[ReadAny]] in the case that both
+   * the `preferred` and at least one other `secondary` input have demand,
+   * the `preferred` input will always be consumed first.
+   *
+   * Cancelled and completed inputs are not used, i.e. it is allowed
+   * to specify them in the list of `inputs`.
+   */
+  class ReadPreferred(val preferred: InputHandle, val secondaries: JList[InputHandle]) extends ReadCondition
+
   /**
    * Context that is passed to the methods of [[State]] and [[CompletionHandling]].
    * The context provides means for performing side effects, such as emitting elements
@@ -159,6 +171,14 @@ object FlexiMerge {
       new ReadAny(inputs.asJava)
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Convenience to create a [[ReadPreferred]] condition.
+     */
+    @varargs def readPreferred(preferred: InputHandle, secondaries: InputHandle*): ReadPreferred = {
+      import scala.collection.JavaConverters._
+      new ReadPreferred(preferred, secondaries.asJava)
+    }
+
     /**
      * Convenience to create a [[Read]] condition.
      */
@@ -254,11 +274,13 @@ object FlexiMerge {
 
     }
 
-    def convertReadCondition(condition: ReadCondition): scaladsl.FlexiMerge.ReadCondition =
+    def convertReadCondition(condition: ReadCondition): scaladsl.FlexiMerge.ReadCondition = {
       condition match {
-        case r: ReadAny ⇒ scaladsl.FlexiMerge.ReadAny(immutableIndexedSeq(r.inputs))
-        case r: Read    ⇒ scaladsl.FlexiMerge.Read(r.input)
+        case r: ReadAny       ⇒ scaladsl.FlexiMerge.ReadAny(immutableIndexedSeq(r.inputs))
+        case r: ReadPreferred ⇒ scaladsl.FlexiMerge.ReadPreferred(r.preferred, immutableIndexedSeq(r.secondaries))
+        case r: Read          ⇒ scaladsl.FlexiMerge.Read(r.input)
       }
+    }
 
   }
 }
diff --git a/akka-stream/src/main/scala/akka/stream/scaladsl/FlexiMerge.scala b/akka-stream/src/main/scala/akka/stream/scaladsl/FlexiMerge.scala
index fb7261af60..1366a3c02a 100644
--- a/akka-stream/src/main/scala/akka/stream/scaladsl/FlexiMerge.scala
+++ b/akka-stream/src/main/scala/akka/stream/scaladsl/FlexiMerge.scala
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
  */
 package akka.stream.scaladsl
 
+import scala.annotation.varargs
 import scala.collection.immutable
 import akka.stream.impl.Ast
 import akka.stream.impl.FlexiMergeImpl.MergeLogicFactory
@@ -58,9 +59,28 @@ object FlexiMerge {
    */
   final case class ReadAny(inputs: InputHandle*) extends ReadCondition
 
+  object ReadPreferred {
+    def apply(preferred: InputHandle)(secondaries: InputHandle*): ReadPreferred =
+      new ReadPreferred(preferred, secondaries.toArray)
+
+    def apply(preferred: InputHandle, secondaries: immutable.Seq[InputHandle]): ReadPreferred =
+      new ReadPreferred(preferred, secondaries.toArray)
+  }
   /**
-   * The possibly stateful logic that reads from input via the defined [[State]] and
-   * handles completion and error via the defined [[CompletionHandling]].
+   * Read condition for the [[MergeLogic#State]] that will be
+   * fulfilled when there are elements for any of the given upstream
+   * inputs, however it differs from [[ReadAny]] in the case that both
+   * the `preferred` and at least one other `secondary` input have demand,
+   * the `preferred` input will always be consumed first.
+   *
+   * Cancelled and completed inputs are not used, i.e. it is allowed
+   * to specify them in the list of `inputs`.
+   */
+  final case class ReadPreferred(preferred: InputHandle, secondaries: Array[InputHandle]) extends ReadCondition
+
+  /**
+   * The possibly stateful logic that reads from input via the defined [[MergeLogic#State]] and
+   * handles completion and error via the defined [[FlexiMerge#CompletionHandling]].
    *
    * Concrete instance is supposed to be created by implementing [[FlexiMerge#createMergeLogic]].
    */