diff --git a/rules-tests/TypeDeclarationDocblocks/Rector/Property/MergePhpstanDocTagIntoNativeRector/Fixture/keep_native_description.php.inc b/rules-tests/TypeDeclarationDocblocks/Rector/Property/MergePhpstanDocTagIntoNativeRector/Fixture/keep_native_description.php.inc
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..00a5fe9ea24
--- /dev/null
+++ b/rules-tests/TypeDeclarationDocblocks/Rector/Property/MergePhpstanDocTagIntoNativeRector/Fixture/keep_native_description.php.inc
@@ -0,0 +1,60 @@
+<?php
+
+namespace Rector\Tests\TypeDeclarationDocblocks\Rector\Property\MergePhpstanDocTagIntoNativeRector\Fixture;
+
+final class KeepNativeDescription
+{
+    /**
+     * @param string|array|null $excludePattern Optional regex; classes matching this are excluded
+     *                                          from the layer even when $pattern matches.
+     * @phpstan-param string|list<string|null>|null $excludePattern
+     */
+    public function layerPattern(string $name, string|array $pattern, string|array|null $excludePattern = null): self
+    {
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * @return array some items
+     * @phpstan-return list<string>
+     */
+    public function items(): array
+    {
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * @var array some values
+     * @phpstan-var list<string>
+     */
+    private $values;
+}
+
+?>
+-----
+<?php
+
+namespace Rector\Tests\TypeDeclarationDocblocks\Rector\Property\MergePhpstanDocTagIntoNativeRector\Fixture;
+
+final class KeepNativeDescription
+{
+    /**
+     * @param string|list<string|null>|null $excludePattern Optional regex; classes matching this are excluded
+     *                                          from the layer even when $pattern matches.
+     */
+    public function layerPattern(string $name, string|array $pattern, string|array|null $excludePattern = null): self
+    {
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * @return list<string> some items
+     */
+    public function items(): array
+    {
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * @var list<string> some values
+     */
+    private $values;
+}
+
+?>
diff --git a/rules/TypeDeclarationDocblocks/Rector/Property/MergePhpstanDocTagIntoNativeRector.php b/rules/TypeDeclarationDocblocks/Rector/Property/MergePhpstanDocTagIntoNativeRector.php
index 0881d3cea05..c6c99ee51ad 100644
--- a/rules/TypeDeclarationDocblocks/Rector/Property/MergePhpstanDocTagIntoNativeRector.php
+++ b/rules/TypeDeclarationDocblocks/Rector/Property/MergePhpstanDocTagIntoNativeRector.php
@@ -103,12 +103,23 @@ public function refactor(Node $node): ?Node
         $phpstanParamNames = [];
         $phpstanVarNames = [];
         $hasPhpstanReturn = false;
+        $nativeDescriptions = [];
 
         foreach ($phpDocNode->children as $phpDocChildNode) {
             if (! $phpDocChildNode instanceof PhpDocTagNode) {
                 continue;
             }
 
+            // remember native tag descriptions, so they survive when the native tag is overruled
+            if (in_array($phpDocChildNode->name, self::PHPSTAN_TAG_TO_NATIVE_TAG, true)) {
+                $tagValueNode = $phpDocChildNode->value;
+                if (($tagValueNode instanceof ParamTagValueNode || $tagValueNode instanceof VarTagValueNode || $tagValueNode instanceof ReturnTagValueNode) && $tagValueNode->description !== '') {
+                    $nativeDescriptions[$this->resolveTagKey($tagValueNode)] = $tagValueNode->description;
+                }
+
+                continue;
+            }
+
             if ($phpDocChildNode->name === '@phpstan-param' && $phpDocChildNode->value instanceof ParamTagValueNode) {
                 $phpstanParamNames[] = $phpDocChildNode->value->parameterName;
             } elseif ($phpDocChildNode->name === '@phpstan-var' && $phpDocChildNode->value instanceof VarTagValueNode) {
@@ -144,6 +155,12 @@ public function refactor(Node $node): ?Node
             // promote the @phpstan-* tag to its native counterpart
             $nativeTagName = self::PHPSTAN_TAG_TO_NATIVE_TAG[$phpDocChildNode->name] ?? null;
             if ($nativeTagName !== null) {
+                // keep the description of the overruled native tag
+                $tagValueNode = $phpDocChildNode->value;
+                if (($tagValueNode instanceof ParamTagValueNode || $tagValueNode instanceof VarTagValueNode || $tagValueNode instanceof ReturnTagValueNode) && $tagValueNode->description === '') {
+                    $tagValueNode->description = $nativeDescriptions[$this->resolveTagKey($tagValueNode)] ?? '';
+                }
+
                 $phpDocNode->children[$key] = new PhpDocTagNode($nativeTagName, $phpDocChildNode->value);
                 $hasChanged = true;
             }
@@ -195,4 +212,17 @@ private function isOverruledNativeTag(
 
         return false;
     }
+
+    private function resolveTagKey(ParamTagValueNode|VarTagValueNode|ReturnTagValueNode $tagValueNode): string
+    {
+        if ($tagValueNode instanceof ParamTagValueNode) {
+            return '@param ' . $tagValueNode->parameterName;
+        }
+
+        if ($tagValueNode instanceof VarTagValueNode) {
+            return '@var ' . $tagValueNode->variableName;
+        }
+
+        return '@return';
+    }
 }