diff --git a/poseidon2/merkle.nim b/poseidon2/merkle.nim
index 0c4465f..6ca894c 100644
--- a/poseidon2/merkle.nim
+++ b/poseidon2/merkle.nim
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ func merkleRoot*(xs: openArray[F], isBottomLayer: static bool = true) : F =
   let b = high(xs)
   let m = b-a+1
 
-  if m==1:
+  if m==1 and not isBottomLayer:
     return xs[a]
 
   else:
diff --git a/tests/poseidon2/testMerkle.nim b/tests/poseidon2/testMerkle.nim
index 178d568..203ae2c 100644
--- a/tests/poseidon2/testMerkle.nim
+++ b/tests/poseidon2/testMerkle.nim
@@ -48,6 +48,14 @@ suite "merkle root":
     let b = a & @[0.toF]
     check not bool(merkleRoot(a) == merkleRoot(b))
 
+  test "merkle root of single element does not equal the element":
+    check not bool(merkleRoot([1.toF]) == 1.toF)
+
+  test "merkle root differs from merkle root of merkle root":
+    let a = 1.toF
+    let b = 2.toF
+    check not bool(merkleRoot([a, b]) == merkleRoot([merkleRoot([a, b])]))
+
   test "merkle root of bytes":
     let bytes = toSeq 1'u8..80'u8
     let root = merkleRoot(bytes)