diff --git a/src/core/contexts/context.tsx b/src/core/contexts/context.tsx
index c5b5b1c97..ffe56ac92 100644
--- a/src/core/contexts/context.tsx
+++ b/src/core/contexts/context.tsx
@@ -50,12 +50,12 @@ export function createContext<T>({ name, required, ...rest }: CreateContextProps
   });
   Context.displayName = name;
 
-  const useHasProvider = () => Boolean(useContext(Context).provided);
+  const useHasProvider = () => useContext(Context).provided;
 
   const useCtx = (): T => {
-    const hasProvider = useHasProvider();
-    const value = useContext(Context).innerValue;
-    if (!hasProvider) {
+    const ctx = useContext(Context);
+    const value = ctx.innerValue;
+    if (!ctx.provided) {
       if (required) {
         throw new Error(`${name} is missing`);
       }
diff --git a/src/utils/layout/LayoutPage.ts b/src/utils/layout/LayoutPage.ts
index 14688e9e6..237f0585c 100644
--- a/src/utils/layout/LayoutPage.ts
+++ b/src/utils/layout/LayoutPage.ts
@@ -12,19 +12,34 @@ export class LayoutPage implements LayoutObject {
   public layoutSet: LayoutPages;
   public pageKey: string;
 
-  private allChildren: Map<string, LayoutNode> = new Map();
+  private allChildren: LayoutNode[] = [];
+  private allChildIds = new Set<string>();
+
+  private _directChildren: LayoutNode[] = [];
 
   /**
    * Adds a child to the collection. For internal use only.
    */
   public _addChild(child: LayoutNode) {
-    this.allChildren.set(child.id, child);
-    this.layoutSet.registerNode(child);
+    if (!this.allChildIds.has(child.id)) {
+      this.layoutSet.registerNode(child);
+      this.allChildIds.add(child.id);
+      this.allChildren.push(child);
+
+      // Direct children of a layout page are always static.
+      // Only children of components like repeating groups are dynamic
+      if (child.parent === this) {
+        this._directChildren.push(child);
+      }
+    }
   }
 
   public _removeChild(child: LayoutNode) {
-    this.allChildren.delete(child.id);
-    this.layoutSet.unregisterNode(child);
+    if (this.allChildIds.has(child.id)) {
+      this.layoutSet.unregisterNode(child);
+      this.allChildIds.delete(child.id);
+      this.allChildren.splice(this.allChildren.indexOf(child), 1);
+    }
   }
 
   /**
@@ -47,7 +62,7 @@ export class LayoutPage implements LayoutObject {
   }
 
   protected directChildren(_task: TraversalTask): LayoutNode[] {
-    return [...this.allChildren.values()].filter((node) => node.parent === this);
+    return this._directChildren;
   }
 
   public firstChild(task: TraversalTask): LayoutNode | undefined {
@@ -61,7 +76,7 @@ export class LayoutPage implements LayoutObject {
   }
 
   private firstDeepChild(task: TraversalTask): LayoutNode | undefined {
-    for (const node of this.allChildren.values()) {
+    for (const node of this.allChildren) {
       if (task.passes(node)) {
         return node;
       }
@@ -86,7 +101,7 @@ export class LayoutPage implements LayoutObject {
   }
 
   public flat(task?: TraversalTask): LayoutNode[] {
-    return task ? [...this.allChildren.values()].filter((n) => task.passes(n)) : [...this.allChildren.values()];
+    return task ? this.allChildren.filter((n) => task.passes(n)) : this.allChildren;
   }
 
   public isRegisteredInCollection(layoutSet: LayoutPages): boolean {
@@ -98,7 +113,7 @@ export class LayoutPage implements LayoutObject {
     this.layoutSet = layoutSet;
     layoutSet.replacePage(this);
 
-    for (const node of this.allChildren.values()) {
+    for (const node of this.allChildren) {
       layoutSet.registerNode(node);
     }
   }
diff --git a/src/utils/layout/generator/NodeRepeatingChildren.tsx b/src/utils/layout/generator/NodeRepeatingChildren.tsx
index 8745b4b0d..2068add44 100644
--- a/src/utils/layout/generator/NodeRepeatingChildren.tsx
+++ b/src/utils/layout/generator/NodeRepeatingChildren.tsx
@@ -150,8 +150,7 @@ interface ResolveRowProps {
 function ResolveRowExpressions({ plugin }: ResolveRowProps) {
   const node = GeneratorInternal.useParent() as LayoutNode;
   const rowIndex = GeneratorInternal.useRowIndex()!;
-  const nodeChildren = useNodeDirectChildren(node, rowIndex);
-  const firstChild = nodeChildren ? nodeChildren[0] : undefined;
+  const firstChild = useNodeDirectChildren(node, rowIndex).at(0);
 
   const internal = NodesInternal.useNodeData(
     node,
diff --git a/src/utils/layout/plugins/RepeatingChildrenPlugin.tsx b/src/utils/layout/plugins/RepeatingChildrenPlugin.tsx
index 1c60ebe1d..3291ec61b 100644
--- a/src/utils/layout/plugins/RepeatingChildrenPlugin.tsx
+++ b/src/utils/layout/plugins/RepeatingChildrenPlugin.tsx
@@ -218,24 +218,21 @@ export class RepeatingChildrenPlugin<E extends ExternalConfig = typeof defaultCo
   }
 
   pickDirectChildren(state: DefPluginState<ToInternal<E>>, restriction?: TraversalRestriction): string[] {
-    const out: string[] = [];
-
     // eslint-disable-next-line @typescript-eslint/no-explicit-any
-    const rows = (state.item as any)[this.settings.internalProp] as Row<E>[];
+    const rows = (state.item as any)[this.settings.internalProp] as (Row<E> | undefined)[];
     if (!rows) {
-      return out;
+      return emptyArray;
     }
 
-    for (const row of rows) {
-      if (!row || (restriction !== undefined && row.index !== restriction)) {
-        continue;
-      }
-
-      for (const child of row.itemIds || []) {
-        child && out.push(child);
-      }
+    if (restriction !== undefined) {
+      return rows[restriction]?.itemIds ?? emptyArray;
     }
 
+    const out: string[] = [];
+    for (let i = 0; i < rows.length; i++) {
+      const row = rows[i];
+      row && out.push(...row.itemIds);
+    }
     return out;
   }
 
@@ -255,3 +252,5 @@ export class RepeatingChildrenPlugin<E extends ExternalConfig = typeof defaultCo
     return rows?.every((row) => row && row.uuid !== undefined && row.itemIds !== undefined) ?? false;
   }
 }
+
+const emptyArray = [];
diff --git a/src/utils/layout/plugins/RepeatingChildrenStorePlugin.tsx b/src/utils/layout/plugins/RepeatingChildrenStorePlugin.tsx
index 75096f6ff..97eafc431 100644
--- a/src/utils/layout/plugins/RepeatingChildrenStorePlugin.tsx
+++ b/src/utils/layout/plugins/RepeatingChildrenStorePlugin.tsx
@@ -36,6 +36,10 @@ export class RepeatingChildrenStorePlugin extends NodeDataPlugin<RepeatingChildr
         set((state) => {
           let changes = false;
           const nodeData = { ...state.nodeData };
+          const newPartialItems: {
+            [nodeId: string]: { [internalProp: string]: (RepChildrenRow | undefined)[] | undefined } | undefined;
+          } = {};
+
           for (const { node, rowIndex, plugin, extras } of requests) {
             if (typeof extras !== 'object' || !extras) {
               throw new Error('Extras must be an object');
@@ -43,22 +47,30 @@ export class RepeatingChildrenStorePlugin extends NodeDataPlugin<RepeatingChildr
 
             const internalProp = plugin.settings.internalProp;
             const data = nodeData[node.id];
-            const existingRows = data && data.item && (data.item[internalProp] as RepChildrenRow[] | undefined);
+
+            const existingRows =
+              newPartialItems[node.id]?.[internalProp] ??
+              (data?.item?.[internalProp] as (RepChildrenRow | undefined)[] | undefined);
             if (!existingRows) {
               continue;
             }
 
-            const existingRow = existingRows ? existingRows[rowIndex] : {};
+            const existingRow = existingRows[rowIndex] ?? ({} as RepChildrenRow);
             const nextRow = { ...existingRow, ...extras, index: rowIndex } as RepChildrenRow;
             if (deepEqual(existingRow, nextRow)) {
               continue;
             }
 
             changes = true;
-            const newRows = [...(existingRows || [])];
-            newRows[rowIndex] = nextRow;
+            newPartialItems[node.id] ??= {};
+            newPartialItems[node.id]![internalProp] ??= [...(existingRows || [])];
+            newPartialItems[node.id]![internalProp]![rowIndex] = nextRow;
+          }
+
+          for (const [nodeId, partialItem] of Object.entries(newPartialItems)) {
+            const data = nodeData[nodeId];
             // eslint-disable-next-line @typescript-eslint/no-explicit-any
-            nodeData[node.id] = { ...data, item: { ...data.item, [internalProp]: newRows } as any };
+            nodeData[nodeId] = { ...data, item: { ...data.item, ...partialItem } as any };
           }
 
           return changes