diff --git a/freyja/utils.py b/freyja/utils.py
index 6b314c81..ba5e17d5 100644
--- a/freyja/utils.py
+++ b/freyja/utils.py
@@ -862,49 +862,58 @@ def collapse_barcodes(df_barcodes, df_depth, depthcutoff, locDir, output):
     lineage_data = {lineage['name']: lineage for lineage in lineage_yml}
 
     alias_count = {}
-    merging_recomb = False
     collapsed_lineages = {}
 
     # collapse lineages into MRCA, where possible
     for tup in duplicates:
         pango_aliases = [lineage_data[lin]['alias']
                          for lin in tup]
+        alias_dict = {lineage_data[lin]['alias']: lin for lin in tup}
 
-        # handle case where recombinant and non-recombinant lins are merged
-        recomb_and_nonrecomb = len(
+        # handle cases where multiple lineage classes are being merged
+        # e.g. (A.5, B.12) or (XBB, XBN)
+        multiple_lin_classes = len(
             set([alias[0] for alias in pango_aliases])) > 1
-        if recomb_and_nonrecomb:
+
+        if multiple_lin_classes:
+            # for recombinant lineages, find the parent lineages
+            parent_aliases = []
             for alias in pango_aliases:
-                if alias.startswith('X'):
+
+                if 'recombinant_parents' in lineage_data[alias_dict[alias]]:
+
+                    # replace with its recombinant parents
                     pango_aliases.remove(alias)
-                    parents = lineage_data[alias]['recombinant_parents']\
+                    parents = lineage_data[alias]['recombinant_parents'] \
                         .replace('*', '').split(',')
                     parents = [lineage_data[lin]['alias'] for lin in parents]
-                    for alias in pango_aliases:
-                        for parent in parents:
-                            if alias.startswith(parent) and\
-                                    parent not in pango_aliases:
-                                pango_aliases.append(parent)
 
-            merging_recomb = True
+                    # only consider parents related to the other lineages
+                    for parent in parents:
+                        if any([alias.startswith(parent)
+                                for alias in pango_aliases]) and \
+                                parent not in pango_aliases:
+                            parent_aliases.append(parent)
 
+            pango_aliases += parent_aliases
+
+        # get MRCA
         mrca = os.path.commonpath(
             [lin.replace('.', '/') for lin in pango_aliases]
         ).replace('/', '.')
 
-        # attempting to collapse multiple recombinant lineages
-        if len(mrca) == 0 and all([alias.startswith('X')
-                                   for alias in pango_aliases]):
-            mrca = 'Recombinant'
-            merging_recomb = True
+        # assign placeholder if no MRCA found
+        if len(mrca) == 0:
+            mrca = 'Misc'
         else:
+            # otherwise, get the shortened alias, if available
             for lineage in lineage_data:
                 if lineage_data[lineage]['alias'] == mrca:
-                    mrca = lineage
+                    # add flag to indicate that this is a merged lineage
+                    mrca = lineage + '-like'
                     break
 
-        # add flag to indicate that this is a merged lineage
-        mrca += '-like'
+        # include index for multiple barcode classes with same MRCA
         if mrca not in alias_count:
             alias_count[mrca] = 0
         else:
@@ -912,7 +921,6 @@ def collapse_barcodes(df_barcodes, df_depth, depthcutoff, locDir, output):
             mrca += f'({alias_count[mrca]})'
 
         collapsed_lineages[mrca] = list(tup)
-
         df_barcodes = df_barcodes.rename({lin: mrca for lin in tup})
     df_barcodes = df_barcodes.drop_duplicates()
 
@@ -926,10 +934,6 @@ def collapse_barcodes(df_barcodes, df_depth, depthcutoff, locDir, output):
         yaml.dump(collapsed_lineages, f, default_flow_style=False)
 
     print(f'collapsed lineages saved to {output}')
-    if merging_recomb:
-        print('warning: Recombinant and non-recombinant lineage barcodes'
-              ' being merged based on available sequence coverage and'
-              ' --depthcutoff value. Solution may be inaccurate.')
 
     return df_barcodes