diff --git a/src/hssm/param.py b/src/hssm/param.py
index 606d7342..9a4b95d7 100644
--- a/src/hssm/param.py
+++ b/src/hssm/param.py
@@ -6,11 +6,11 @@
 import bambi as bmb
 import numpy as np
 import pandas as pd
+from deepcopy import deepcopy
 from formulae import design_matrices
 
 from .link import Link
 from .prior import Prior, get_default_prior, get_hddm_default_prior
-from .utils import merge_dicts
 
 # PEP604 union operator "|" not supported by pylint
 # Fall back to old syntax
@@ -648,3 +648,14 @@ def _make_default_prior(bounds: tuple[float, float]) -> bmb.Prior:
         return bmb.Prior("TruncatedNormal", mu=lower, lower=lower, sigma=2.0)
     else:
         return bmb.Prior(name="Uniform", lower=lower, upper=upper)
+
+
+def merge_dicts(dict1: dict, dict2: dict) -> dict:
+    """Recursively merge two dictionaries."""
+    merged = deepcopy(dict1)
+    for key, value in dict2.items():
+        if key in merged and isinstance(merged[key], dict) and isinstance(value, dict):
+            merged[key] = merge_dicts(merged[key], value)
+        else:
+            merged[key] = value
+    return merged
diff --git a/src/hssm/utils.py b/src/hssm/utils.py
index 2adcc1e6..5534aa28 100644
--- a/src/hssm/utils.py
+++ b/src/hssm/utils.py
@@ -10,7 +10,6 @@
 """
 
 import logging
-from copy import deepcopy
 from typing import Any, Iterable, Literal, NewType
 
 import bambi as bmb
@@ -54,17 +53,6 @@ def download_hf(path: str):
     return hf_hub_download(repo_id=REPO_ID, filename=path)
 
 
-def merge_dicts(dict1: dict, dict2: dict) -> dict:
-    """Recursively merge two dictionaries."""
-    merged = deepcopy(dict1)
-    for key, value in dict2.items():
-        if key in merged and isinstance(merged[key], dict) and isinstance(value, dict):
-            merged[key] = merge_dicts(merged[key], value)
-        else:
-            merged[key] = value
-    return merged
-
-
 def make_alias_dict_from_parent(parent: Param) -> dict[str, str]:
     """Make aliases from the parent parameter.