diff --git a/lib/tapioca/gemfile.rb b/lib/tapioca/gemfile.rb
index 5cdc92a7b..62da4a6ac 100644
--- a/lib/tapioca/gemfile.rb
+++ b/lib/tapioca/gemfile.rb
@@ -206,6 +206,8 @@ def exported_rbi_tree
 
         exported_rbi_files.each do |file|
           rbi = RBI::Parser.parse_file(file)
+          # Merging drops standalone `private`/`protected` nodes, so move their visibility onto each method first
+          rbi.flatten_visibilities!
           rewriter.merge(rbi)
         end
 
diff --git a/spec/tapioca/cli/gem_spec.rb b/spec/tapioca/cli/gem_spec.rb
index 70199bb38..cd44109e5 100644
--- a/spec/tapioca/cli/gem_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/tapioca/cli/gem_spec.rb
@@ -334,6 +334,10 @@ def self.foo(a = T.unsafe(nil), b: T.unsafe(nil), **opts); end
             write!("rbi/foo/bar.rbi", <<~RBI)
               module Foo
                 def foo; end
+
+                private
+
+                def baz; end
               end
             RBI
 
@@ -362,6 +366,10 @@ def bar; end
             module Foo
               def foo; end
 
+              private
+
+              def baz; end
+
               class << self
                 sig { params(a: String, b: Integer, opts: T.untyped).void }
                 def foo(a = T.unsafe(nil), b: T.unsafe(nil), **opts); end