diff --git a/jsx-runtime/src/index.js b/jsx-runtime/src/index.js
index 260d68703e..a3b5278c89 100644
--- a/jsx-runtime/src/index.js
+++ b/jsx-runtime/src/index.js
@@ -43,17 +43,9 @@ function createVNode(type, props, key, __self, __source) {
 		props: normalizedProps,
 		key,
 		ref,
-		_children: null,
-		_parent: null,
-		_depth: 0,
-		_dom: null,
-		_nextDom: undefined,
-		_component: null,
-		_hydrating: null,
-		constructor: undefined,
-		_original: --vnodeId,
 		__source,
-		__self
+		__self,
+		constructor: undefined
 	};
 
 	// If a Component VNode, check for and apply defaultProps.
diff --git a/src/create-element.js b/src/create-element.js
index 892389054a..9088e737b1 100644
--- a/src/create-element.js
+++ b/src/create-element.js
@@ -37,7 +37,15 @@ export function createElement(type, props, children) {
 		}
 	}
 
-	return createVNode(type, normalizedProps, key, ref, null);
+	const vnode = {
+		type,
+		props: normalizedProps,
+		key,
+		ref,
+		constructor: undefined
+	};
+	if (options.vnode) options.vnode(vnode);
+	return vnode;
 }
 
 /**
@@ -75,9 +83,6 @@ export function createVNode(type, props, key, ref, original) {
 		_original: original == null ? ++vnodeId : original
 	};
 
-	// Only invoke the vnode hook if this was *not* a direct copy:
-	if (original == null && options.vnode != null) options.vnode(vnode);
-
 	return vnode;
 }
 
diff --git a/src/diff/children.js b/src/diff/children.js
index e55fc97017..71b1872822 100644
--- a/src/diff/children.js
+++ b/src/diff/children.js
@@ -48,7 +48,7 @@ export function diffChildren(
 		childVNode = renderResult[i];
 
 		if (childVNode == null || typeof childVNode == 'boolean') {
-			childVNode = newParentVNode._children[i] = null;
+			childVNode = null;
 		}
 		// If this newVNode is being reused (e.g. <div>{reuse}{reuse}</div>) in the same diff,
 		// or we are rendering a component (e.g. setState) copy the oldVNodes so it can have
@@ -59,7 +59,7 @@ export function diffChildren(
 			// eslint-disable-next-line valid-typeof
 			typeof childVNode == 'bigint'
 		) {
-			childVNode = newParentVNode._children[i] = createVNode(
+			childVNode = createVNode(
 				null,
 				childVNode,
 				null,
@@ -67,28 +67,28 @@ export function diffChildren(
 				childVNode
 			);
 		} else if (Array.isArray(childVNode)) {
-			childVNode = newParentVNode._children[i] = createVNode(
+			childVNode = createVNode(
 				Fragment,
 				{ children: childVNode },
 				null,
 				null,
 				null
 			);
-		} else if (childVNode._depth > 0) {
-			// VNode is already in use, clone it. This can happen in the following
-			// scenario:
+		} else {
+			// Always clone VNodes to ensure our own copy within the tree.
+			// This avoids clobbering VNodes used in multiple places:
 			//   const reuse = <div />
 			//   <div>{reuse}<span />{reuse}</div>
-			childVNode = newParentVNode._children[i] = createVNode(
+			childVNode = createVNode(
 				childVNode.type,
 				childVNode.props,
 				childVNode.key,
 				childVNode.ref ? childVNode.ref : null,
 				childVNode._original
 			);
-		} else {
-			childVNode = newParentVNode._children[i] = childVNode;
 		}
+		
+		newParentVNode._children[i] = childVNode;
 
 		// Terser removes the `continue` here and wraps the loop body
 		// in a `if (childVNode) { ... } condition