diff --git a/lib/iris/_merge.py b/lib/iris/_merge.py
index ee87cefe82..01bc531e7d 100644
--- a/lib/iris/_merge.py
+++ b/lib/iris/_merge.py
@@ -1239,10 +1239,6 @@ def merge(self, unique=True):
                 # normal array.
                 dtype = self._cube_signature.data_type
                 merged_data = as_concrete_data(merged_data)
-                # Unmask the array if it has no masked points.
-                if (ma.isMaskedArray(merged_data) and
-                        not ma.is_masked(merged_data)):
-                    merged_data = merged_data.data
             merged_cube = self._get_cube(merged_data)
             merged_cubes.append(merged_cube)
 
diff --git a/lib/iris/cube.py b/lib/iris/cube.py
index 4597edc3ee..5610c0a639 100644
--- a/lib/iris/cube.py
+++ b/lib/iris/cube.py
@@ -2094,11 +2094,6 @@ def new_cell_measure_dims(cm_):
         # We don't want a view of the data, so take a copy of it.
         data = deepcopy(data)
 
-        # We can turn a masked array into a normal array if it's full.
-        if ma.isMaskedArray(data):
-            if ma.count_masked(data) == 0:
-                data = data.filled()
-
         # XXX: Slicing a single item from a masked array that is masked,
         #      results in numpy (v1.11.1) *always* returning a MaskedConstant
         #      with a dtype of float64, regardless of the original masked
diff --git a/lib/iris/tests/test_merge.py b/lib/iris/tests/test_merge.py
index 97967fc008..c7bdfd8042 100644
--- a/lib/iris/tests/test_merge.py
+++ b/lib/iris/tests/test_merge.py
@@ -248,6 +248,24 @@ def test__masked_ndarray(self):
             self.assertEqual(result.dtype, self.dtype)
             self._check_fill_value(result, fill0=fill)
 
+    def test_maksed_array_preserved(self):
+        for (lazy0, lazy1), (fill,) in self.mixed_combos:
+            cubes = iris.cube.CubeList()
+            mask = False
+            cubes.append(self._make_cube(0, mask=mask, lazy=lazy0,
+                                         dtype=self.dtype,
+                                         fill_value=fill))
+            cubes.append(self._make_cube(1, lazy=lazy1, dtype=self.dtype))
+            result = cubes.merge_cube()
+            mask = False
+            expected_fill_value = self._expected_fill_value(fill)
+            expected = self._make_data([0, 1], mask=mask, dtype=self.dtype,
+                                       fill_value=expected_fill_value)
+            self.assertEqual(type(result.data), ma.MaskedArray)
+            self.assertMaskedArrayEqual(result.data, expected)
+            self.assertEqual(result.dtype, self.dtype)
+            self._check_fill_value(result, fill0=fill)
+
     def test_fill_value_invariant_to_order__same_non_None(self):
         fill_value = 1234
         cubes = [self._make_cube(i, mask=True,
diff --git a/lib/iris/tests/unit/cube/test_Cube.py b/lib/iris/tests/unit/cube/test_Cube.py
index 21b1352feb..89aaef355d 100644
--- a/lib/iris/tests/unit/cube/test_Cube.py
+++ b/lib/iris/tests/unit/cube/test_Cube.py
@@ -59,6 +59,13 @@ def test_masked(self):
         self.assertEqual(type(cube.data), ma.MaskedArray)
         self.assertMaskedArrayEqual(cube.data, data)
 
+    def test_masked_no_mask(self):
+        # ma.MaskedArray should be allowed through even if it has no mask
+        data = ma.masked_array(np.arange(12).reshape(3, 4), False)
+        cube = Cube(data)
+        self.assertEqual(type(cube.data), ma.MaskedArray)
+        self.assertMaskedArrayEqual(cube.data, data)
+
     def test_matrix(self):
         # Subclasses of np.ndarray should be coerced back to np.ndarray.
         # (Except for np.ma.MaskedArray.)