diff --git a/qobject/block-qdict.c b/qobject/block-qdict.c
index df833083a7..36129e7379 100644
--- a/qobject/block-qdict.c
+++ b/qobject/block-qdict.c
@@ -114,19 +114,30 @@ static void qdict_flatten_qdict(QDict *qdict, QDict *target, const char *prefix)
 
         /*
          * Flatten non-empty QDict and QList recursively into @target,
-         * copy other objects to @target
+         * copy other objects to @target.
+         * On the root level (if @qdict == @target), remove flattened
+         * nested QDicts and QLists from @qdict.
+         *
+         * (Note that we do not need to remove entries from nested
+         * dicts or lists.  Their reference count is decremented on
+         * the root level, so there are no leaks.  In fact, if they
+         * have a reference count greater than one, we are probably
+         * well advised not to modify them altogether.)
          */
         if (dict_val && qdict_size(dict_val)) {
             qdict_flatten_qdict(dict_val, target,
                                 new_key ? new_key : entry->key);
-            qdict_del(qdict, entry->key);
+            if (target == qdict) {
+                qdict_del(qdict, entry->key);
+            }
         } else if (list_val && !qlist_empty(list_val)) {
             qdict_flatten_qlist(list_val, target,
                                 new_key ? new_key : entry->key);
-            qdict_del(qdict, entry->key);
+            if (target == qdict) {
+                qdict_del(qdict, entry->key);
+            }
         } else if (target != qdict) {
             qdict_put_obj(target, new_key, qobject_ref(value));
-            qdict_del(qdict, entry->key);
         }
 
         g_free(new_key);