diff --git a/packages/pinia/__tests__/store.patch.spec.ts b/packages/pinia/__tests__/store.patch.spec.ts
index 5a94c15ac2..58fb4cb4c4 100644
--- a/packages/pinia/__tests__/store.patch.spec.ts
+++ b/packages/pinia/__tests__/store.patch.spec.ts
@@ -1,8 +1,11 @@
-import { describe, it, expect } from 'vitest'
-import { reactive, ref } from 'vue'
+import { describe, it, expect, vi } from 'vitest'
+import { reactive, ref, shallowRef, markRaw, watch } from 'vue'
 import { createPinia, defineStore, Pinia, setActivePinia } from '../src'
+import { mockWarn } from './vitest-mock-warn'
 
 describe('store.$patch', () => {
+  mockWarn()
+
   const useStore = () => {
     // create a new store
     setActivePinia(createPinia())
@@ -215,4 +218,138 @@ describe('store.$patch', () => {
       expect(store.item).toEqual({ a: 1, b: 1 })
     })
   })
+
+  describe('shallowRef reactivity', () => {
+    const useShallowRefStore = () => {
+      setActivePinia(createPinia())
+      return defineStore('shallowRef', () => {
+        const counter = shallowRef({ count: 0 })
+        const markedRaw = ref({
+          marked: markRaw({ count: 0 }),
+        })
+        const nestedCounter = shallowRef({
+          nested: { count: 0 },
+          simple: 1,
+        })
+
+        return {
+          markedRaw,
+          counter,
+          nestedCounter,
+        }
+      })()
+    }
+
+    it('does not trigger reactivity when patching marked raw', async () => {
+      const store = useShallowRefStore()
+      const markedSpy = vi.fn()
+      const nestedSpy = vi.fn()
+      watch(() => store.markedRaw.marked, markedSpy, {
+        flush: 'sync',
+        deep: true,
+      })
+      watch(() => store.markedRaw.marked.count, nestedSpy, { flush: 'sync' })
+      store.$patch({ markedRaw: { marked: { count: 1 } } })
+      expect(nestedSpy).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(0)
+      expect(markedSpy).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(0)
+    })
+
+    it('triggers reactivity when patching shallowRef with object syntax', async () => {
+      const store = useShallowRefStore()
+      const watcherSpy = vi.fn()
+
+      watch(() => store.counter.count, watcherSpy, { flush: 'sync' })
+
+      watcherSpy.mockClear()
+      store.$patch({ counter: { count: 1 } })
+
+      expect(watcherSpy).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1)
+    })
+
+    it('triggers reactivity when patching nested properties in shallowRef', async () => {
+      const store = useShallowRefStore()
+      const watcherSpy = vi.fn()
+
+      watch(() => store.nestedCounter.nested.count, watcherSpy, {
+        flush: 'sync',
+      })
+
+      watcherSpy.mockClear()
+      store.$patch({
+        nestedCounter: {
+          nested: { count: 5 },
+          simple: 2,
+        },
+      })
+
+      expect(watcherSpy).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1)
+    })
+
+    it('works with function syntax (baseline test)', async () => {
+      const store = useShallowRefStore()
+      const watcherSpy = vi.fn()
+
+      watch(() => store.counter.count, watcherSpy, { flush: 'sync' })
+
+      watcherSpy.mockClear()
+      store.$patch((state) => {
+        state.counter = { count: state.counter.count + 1 }
+      })
+
+      expect(watcherSpy).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1)
+    })
+
+    it('works with direct assignment (baseline test)', async () => {
+      const store = useShallowRefStore()
+      const watcherSpy = vi.fn()
+
+      watch(() => store.counter.count, watcherSpy, { flush: 'sync' })
+
+      watcherSpy.mockClear()
+      store.counter = { count: 3 }
+
+      expect(watcherSpy).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1)
+    })
+
+    it('handles partial updates correctly', async () => {
+      const store = useShallowRefStore()
+
+      // Set initial state with multiple properties
+      store.nestedCounter = {
+        nested: { count: 10 },
+        simple: 20,
+      }
+
+      // Patch only one property
+      store.$patch({
+        nestedCounter: {
+          nested: { count: 15 },
+          // Note: simple is not included, should remain unchanged
+        },
+      })
+
+      expect(store.nestedCounter.nested.count).toBe(15)
+      expect(store.nestedCounter.simple).toBe(20) // Should remain unchanged
+    })
+
+    it('works with multiple shallowRefs in single patch', async () => {
+      const store = useShallowRefStore()
+      const watcherSpy1 = vi.fn()
+      const watcherSpy2 = vi.fn()
+
+      watch(() => store.counter.count, watcherSpy1, { flush: 'sync' })
+      watch(() => store.nestedCounter.simple, watcherSpy2, { flush: 'sync' })
+
+      watcherSpy1.mockClear()
+      watcherSpy2.mockClear()
+
+      store.$patch({
+        counter: { count: 10 },
+        nestedCounter: { nested: { count: 0 }, simple: 20 },
+      })
+
+      expect(watcherSpy1).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1)
+      expect(watcherSpy2).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1)
+    })
+  })
 })
diff --git a/packages/pinia/src/store.ts b/packages/pinia/src/store.ts
index 7ec0e17aeb..43c4fcba43 100644
--- a/packages/pinia/src/store.ts
+++ b/packages/pinia/src/store.ts
@@ -5,33 +5,34 @@ import {
   hasInjectionContext,
   getCurrentInstance,
   reactive,
-  DebuggerEvent,
-  WatchOptions,
-  UnwrapRef,
   markRaw,
   isRef,
   isReactive,
+  isShallow,
   effectScope,
-  EffectScope,
-  ComputedRef,
   toRaw,
   toRef,
   toRefs,
-  Ref,
   ref,
   nextTick,
+  triggerRef,
+  type DebuggerEvent,
+  type WatchOptions,
+  type UnwrapRef,
+  type EffectScope,
+  type ComputedRef,
+  type ShallowRef,
+  type Ref,
 } from 'vue'
-import {
+import type {
+  _DeepPartial,
   StateTree,
   SubscriptionCallback,
-  _DeepPartial,
-  isPlainObject,
   Store,
   _Method,
   DefineStoreOptions,
   StoreDefinition,
   _GettersTree,
-  MutationType,
   StoreOnActionListener,
   _ActionsTree,
   SubscriptionCallbackMutation,
@@ -46,7 +47,13 @@ import {
   _ExtractStateFromSetupStore,
   _StoreWithState,
 } from './types'
-import { setActivePinia, piniaSymbol, Pinia, activePinia } from './rootStore'
+import { isPlainObject, MutationType } from './types'
+import {
+  setActivePinia,
+  piniaSymbol,
+  type Pinia,
+  activePinia,
+} from './rootStore'
 import { IS_CLIENT } from './env'
 import { patchObject } from './hmr'
 import { addSubscription, triggerSubscriptions, noop } from './subscriptions'
@@ -86,11 +93,15 @@ function mergeReactiveObjects<
     patchToApply.forEach(target.add, target)
   }
 
+  // the raw version lets us see shallow refs
+  const rawTarget = toRaw(target)
+
   // no need to go through symbols because they cannot be serialized anyway
   for (const key in patchToApply) {
     if (!patchToApply.hasOwnProperty(key)) continue
-    const subPatch = patchToApply[key]
-    const targetValue = target[key]
+    var subPatch = patchToApply[key]
+    var targetValue = target[key]
+
     if (
       isPlainObject(targetValue) &&
       isPlainObject(subPatch) &&
@@ -106,6 +117,11 @@ function mergeReactiveObjects<
       // @ts-expect-error: subPatch is a valid value
       target[key] = subPatch
     }
+
+    // enables $patching shallow refs
+    if (isShallow(rawTarget[key])) {
+      triggerRef(rawTarget[key] as ShallowRef)
+    }
   }
 
   return target
@@ -284,6 +300,7 @@ function createSetupStore<
   // avoid triggering too many listeners
   // https://github.com/vuejs/pinia/issues/1129
   let activeListener: Symbol | undefined
+
   function $patch(stateMutation: (state: UnwrapRef<S>) => void): void
   function $patch(partialState: _DeepPartial<UnwrapRef<S>>): void
   function $patch(
@@ -307,6 +324,7 @@ function createSetupStore<
       }
     } else {
       mergeReactiveObjects(pinia.state.value[$id], partialStateOrMutator)
+
       subscriptionMutation = {
         type: MutationType.patchObject,
         payload: partialStateOrMutator,