diff --git a/lib/Onyx.ts b/lib/Onyx.ts
index 15991694..4bf93ca0 100644
--- a/lib/Onyx.ts
+++ b/lib/Onyx.ts
@@ -40,6 +40,7 @@ function init({
     enablePerformanceMetrics = false,
     enableDevTools = true,
     skippableCollectionMemberIDs = [],
+    snapshotMergeKeys = [],
 }: InitOptions): void {
     if (enablePerformanceMetrics) {
         GlobalSettings.setPerformanceMetricsEnabled(true);
@@ -51,6 +52,7 @@ function init({
     Storage.init();
 
     OnyxUtils.setSkippableCollectionMemberIDs(new Set(skippableCollectionMemberIDs));
+    OnyxUtils.setSnapshotMergeKeys(new Set(snapshotMergeKeys));
 
     if (shouldSyncMultipleInstances) {
         Storage.keepInstancesSync?.((key, value) => {
diff --git a/lib/OnyxUtils.ts b/lib/OnyxUtils.ts
index 88939742..2f73463c 100644
--- a/lib/OnyxUtils.ts
+++ b/lib/OnyxUtils.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,5 @@
 import {deepEqual} from 'fast-equals';
 import type {ValueOf} from 'type-fest';
-import lodashPick from 'lodash/pick';
 import _ from 'underscore';
 import DevTools from './DevTools';
 import * as Logger from './Logger';
@@ -103,6 +102,8 @@ const deferredInitTask = createDeferredTask();
 
 // Holds a set of collection member IDs which updates will be ignored when using Onyx methods.
 let skippableCollectionMemberIDs = new Set<string>();
+// Holds a set of keys that should always be merged into snapshot entries.
+let snapshotMergeKeys = new Set<string>();
 
 function getSnapshotKey(): OnyxKey | null {
     return snapshotKey;
@@ -143,6 +144,13 @@ function getSkippableCollectionMemberIDs(): Set<string> {
     return skippableCollectionMemberIDs;
 }
 
+/**
+ * Getter - returns the snapshot merge keys allowlist.
+ */
+function getSnapshotMergeKeys(): Set<string> {
+    return snapshotMergeKeys;
+}
+
 /**
  * Setter - sets the skippable collection member IDs.
  */
@@ -150,6 +158,13 @@ function setSkippableCollectionMemberIDs(ids: Set<string>): void {
     skippableCollectionMemberIDs = ids;
 }
 
+/**
+ * Setter - sets the snapshot merge keys allowlist.
+ */
+function setSnapshotMergeKeys(keys: Set<string>): void {
+    snapshotMergeKeys = keys;
+}
+
 /**
  * Sets the initial values for the Onyx store
  *
@@ -1234,7 +1249,15 @@ function updateSnapshots<TKey extends OnyxKey>(data: Array<OnyxUpdate<TKey>>, me
             }
 
             const oldValue = updatedData[key] || {};
-            const newValue = lodashPick(value, Object.keys(snapshotData[key]));
+
+            // Snapshot entries are stored as a "shape" of the last known data per key, so by default we only
+            // merge fields that already exist in the snapshot to avoid unintentionally bloating snapshot data.
+            // Some clients need specific fields (like pending status) even when they are missing in the snapshot,
+            // so we allow an explicit, opt-in list of keys to always include during snapshot merges.
+            const snapshotExistingKeys = Object.keys(snapshotData[key] || {});
+            const allowedNewKeys = getSnapshotMergeKeys();
+            const keysToCopy = new Set([...snapshotExistingKeys, ...allowedNewKeys]);
+            const newValue = typeof value === 'object' && value !== null ? utils.pick(value as Record<string, unknown>, [...keysToCopy]) : {};
 
             updatedData = {...updatedData, [key]: Object.assign(oldValue, newValue)};
         }
@@ -1704,6 +1727,8 @@ const OnyxUtils = {
     unsubscribeFromKey,
     getSkippableCollectionMemberIDs,
     setSkippableCollectionMemberIDs,
+    getSnapshotMergeKeys,
+    setSnapshotMergeKeys,
     storeKeyBySubscriptions,
     deleteKeyBySubscriptions,
     addKeyToRecentlyAccessedIfNeeded,
diff --git a/lib/types.ts b/lib/types.ts
index 2cd4b75f..94b6622b 100644
--- a/lib/types.ts
+++ b/lib/types.ts
@@ -425,6 +425,15 @@ type InitOptions = {
      * Additionally, any subscribers from these keys to won't receive any data from Onyx.
      */
     skippableCollectionMemberIDs?: string[];
+
+    /**
+     * A list of field names that should always be merged into snapshot entries even if those fields are
+     * missing in the snapshot. Snapshots are saved "views" of a key's data used to populate read-only
+     * or cached lists, and by default Onyx only merges fields that already exist in that saved view.
+     * Use this to opt-in to additional fields that must appear in snapshots (for example, pending flags)
+     * without hardcoding app-specific logic inside Onyx.
+     */
+    snapshotMergeKeys?: string[];
 };
 
 // eslint-disable-next-line @typescript-eslint/no-explicit-any
diff --git a/tests/unit/onyxTest.ts b/tests/unit/onyxTest.ts
index b432bf82..f0525109 100644
--- a/tests/unit/onyxTest.ts
+++ b/tests/unit/onyxTest.ts
@@ -34,6 +34,7 @@ Onyx.init({
         [ONYX_KEYS.KEY_WITH_UNDERSCORE]: 'default',
     },
     skippableCollectionMemberIDs: ['skippable-id'],
+    snapshotMergeKeys: ['pendingAction', 'pendingFields'],
 });
 
 describe('Onyx', () => {
@@ -1576,6 +1577,37 @@ describe('Onyx', () => {
         expect(callback).toHaveBeenNthCalledWith(2, {data: {[cat]: finalValue}}, snapshot1);
     });
 
+    it('should merge allowlisted keys into Snapshot even if they were missing', async () => {
+        const cat = `${ONYX_KEYS.COLLECTION.ANIMALS}cat`;
+        const snapshot1 = `${ONYX_KEYS.COLLECTION.SNAPSHOT}1`;
+
+        const initialValue = {name: 'Fluffy'};
+        const finalValue = {
+            name: 'Kitty',
+            pendingAction: 'delete',
+            pendingFields: {preview: 'delete'},
+            other: 'ignored',
+        };
+
+        await Onyx.set(cat, initialValue);
+        await Onyx.set(snapshot1, {data: {[cat]: initialValue}});
+
+        const callback = jest.fn();
+
+        Onyx.connect({
+            key: ONYX_KEYS.COLLECTION.SNAPSHOT,
+            callback,
+        });
+
+        await waitForPromisesToResolve();
+
+        await Onyx.update([{key: cat, value: finalValue, onyxMethod: Onyx.METHOD.MERGE}]);
+
+        expect(callback).toBeCalledTimes(2);
+        expect(callback).toHaveBeenNthCalledWith(1, {data: {[cat]: initialValue}}, snapshot1);
+        expect(callback).toHaveBeenNthCalledWith(2, {data: {[cat]: {name: 'Kitty', pendingAction: 'delete', pendingFields: {preview: 'delete'}}}}, snapshot1);
+    });
+
     describe('update', () => {
         it('should squash all updates of collection-related keys into a single mergeCollection call', () => {
             const connections: Connection[] = [];