diff --git a/docs/recipes/UsingObjectSpreadOperator.md b/docs/recipes/UsingObjectSpreadOperator.md
index cb129f3315..fa860b867a 100644
--- a/docs/recipes/UsingObjectSpreadOperator.md
+++ b/docs/recipes/UsingObjectSpreadOperator.md
@@ -64,6 +64,7 @@ While the object spread syntax is a [Stage 4](https://github.com/tc39/proposal-o
   "plugins": ["@babel/plugin-proposal-object-rest-spread"]
 }
 ```
+
 > ##### Note on Object Spread Operator
 
-> Like the Array Spread Operator, the Object Spread Operator creates a [shallow clone](https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/JavaScript/Reference/Operators/Spread_syntax#Spread_in_object_literals) of the original object. In other words, for multidimensional source objects, elements in the copied object at a depth greater than one are mere references to the source object (with the exception of [primitives](https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Glossary/Primitive), which are copied). Thus, you cannot reliably use the  Object Spread Operator (`...`) for deep cloning objects.
+> Like the Array Spread Operator, the Object Spread Operator creates a [shallow clone](https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/JavaScript/Reference/Operators/Spread_syntax#Spread_in_object_literals) of the original object. In other words, for multidimensional source objects, elements in the copied object at a depth greater than one are mere references to the source object (with the exception of [primitives](https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Glossary/Primitive), which are copied). Thus, you cannot reliably use the Object Spread Operator (`...`) for deep cloning objects.
diff --git a/index.d.ts b/index.d.ts
index c9c5a57d75..50e8d018fa 100644
--- a/index.d.ts
+++ b/index.d.ts
@@ -32,6 +32,46 @@ export interface AnyAction extends Action {
   [extraProps: string]: any
 }
 
+/**
+ * Internal "virtual" symbol used to make the `CombinedState` type unique.
+ */
+declare const $CombinedState: unique symbol
+
+/**
+ * State base type for reducers created with `combineReducers()`.
+ *
+ * This type allows the `createStore()` method to infer which levels of the
+ * preloaded state can be partial.
+ *
+ * Because Typescript is really duck-typed, a type needs to have some
+ * identifying property to differentiate it from other types with matching
+ * prototypes for type checking purposes. That's why this type has the
+ * `$CombinedState` symbol property. Without the property, this type would
+ * match any object. The symbol doesn't really exist because it's an internal
+ * (i.e. not exported), and internally we never check its value. Since it's a
+ * symbol property, it's not expected to be unumerable, and the value is
+ * typed as always undefined, so its never expected to have a meaningful
+ * value anyway. It just makes this type distinquishable from plain `{}`.
+ */
+export type CombinedState<S> = { readonly [$CombinedState]?: undefined } & S
+
+/**
+ * Recursively makes combined state objects partial. Only combined state _root
+ * objects_ (i.e. the generated higher level object with keys mapping to
+ * individual reducers) are partial.
+ */
+export type PreloadedState<S> = Required<S> extends {
+  [$CombinedState]: undefined
+}
+  ? S extends CombinedState<infer S1>
+    ? {
+        [K in keyof S1]?: S1[K] extends object ? PreloadedState<S1[K]> : S1[K]
+      }
+    : never
+  : {
+      [K in keyof S]: S[K] extends object ? PreloadedState<S[K]> : S[K]
+    }
+
 /* reducers */
 
 /**
@@ -136,13 +176,16 @@ export type ActionFromReducersMapObject<M> = M extends ReducersMapObject<
  */
 export function combineReducers<S>(
   reducers: ReducersMapObject<S, any>
-): Reducer<S>
+): Reducer<CombinedState<S>>
 export function combineReducers<S, A extends Action = AnyAction>(
   reducers: ReducersMapObject<S, A>
-): Reducer<S, A>
+): Reducer<CombinedState<S>, A>
 export function combineReducers<M extends ReducersMapObject<any, any>>(
   reducers: M
-): Reducer<StateFromReducersMapObject<M>, ActionFromReducersMapObject<M>>
+): Reducer<
+  CombinedState<StateFromReducersMapObject<M>>,
+  ActionFromReducersMapObject<M>
+>
 
 /* store */
 
@@ -316,7 +359,7 @@ export interface StoreCreator {
   ): Store<S & StateExt, A> & Ext
   <S, A extends Action, Ext, StateExt>(
     reducer: Reducer<S, A>,
-    preloadedState?: DeepPartial<S>,
+    preloadedState?: PreloadedState<S>,
     enhancer?: StoreEnhancer<Ext>
   ): Store<S & StateExt, A> & Ext
 }
@@ -380,7 +423,7 @@ export type StoreEnhancerStoreCreator<Ext = {}, StateExt = {}> = <
   A extends Action = AnyAction
 >(
   reducer: Reducer<S, A>,
-  preloadedState?: DeepPartial<S>
+  preloadedState?: PreloadedState<S>
 ) => Store<S & StateExt, A> & Ext
 
 /* middleware */
diff --git a/test/typescript/enhancers.ts b/test/typescript/enhancers.ts
index 4670f29f78..7259b4884b 100644
--- a/test/typescript/enhancers.ts
+++ b/test/typescript/enhancers.ts
@@ -1,11 +1,5 @@
-import {
-  StoreEnhancer,
-  Action,
-  AnyAction,
-  Reducer,
-  createStore,
-  DeepPartial
-} from 'redux'
+import { PreloadedState } from '../../index'
+import { StoreEnhancer, Action, AnyAction, Reducer, createStore } from 'redux'
 
 interface State {
   someField: 'string'
@@ -43,10 +37,10 @@ function stateExtension() {
     A extends Action = AnyAction
   >(
     reducer: Reducer<S, A>,
-    preloadedState?: DeepPartial<S>
+    preloadedState?: PreloadedState<S>
   ) => {
     const wrappedReducer: Reducer<S & ExtraState, A> = null as any
-    const wrappedPreloadedState: S & ExtraState = null as any
+    const wrappedPreloadedState: PreloadedState<S & ExtraState> = null as any
     return createStore(wrappedReducer, wrappedPreloadedState)
   }
 
diff --git a/test/typescript/store.ts b/test/typescript/store.ts
index fb1974ab41..123464ce55 100644
--- a/test/typescript/store.ts
+++ b/test/typescript/store.ts
@@ -57,21 +57,45 @@ const funcWithStore = (store: Store<State, DerivedAction>) => {}
 const store: Store<State> = createStore(reducer)
 
 const storeWithPreloadedState: Store<State> = createStore(reducer, {
+  a: 'a',
+  b: { c: 'c', d: 'd' }
+})
+// typings:expect-error
+const storeWithBadPreloadedState: Store<State> = createStore(reducer, {
   b: { c: 'c' }
 })
 
 const storeWithActionReducer = createStore(reducerWithAction)
 const storeWithActionReducerAndPreloadedState = createStore(reducerWithAction, {
-  b: { c: 'c' }
+  a: 'a',
+  b: { c: 'c', d: 'd' }
 })
 funcWithStore(storeWithActionReducer)
 funcWithStore(storeWithActionReducerAndPreloadedState)
 
+// typings:expect-error
+const storeWithActionReducerAndBadPreloadedState = createStore(
+  reducerWithAction,
+  {
+    b: { c: 'c' }
+  }
+)
+
 const enhancer: StoreEnhancer = next => next
 
 const storeWithSpecificEnhancer: Store<State> = createStore(reducer, enhancer)
 
 const storeWithPreloadedStateAndEnhancer: Store<State> = createStore(
+  reducer,
+  {
+    a: 'a',
+    b: { c: 'c', d: 'd' }
+  },
+  enhancer
+)
+
+// typings:expect-error
+const storeWithBadPreloadedStateAndEnhancer: Store<State> = createStore(
   reducer,
   {
     b: { c: 'c' }