diff --git a/src/graph.luau b/src/graph.luau
index 58b10ff..578216f 100644
--- a/src/graph.luau
+++ b/src/graph.luau
@@ -5,18 +5,17 @@ local flags = require(script.Parent.flags)
 
 export type StartNode<T> = {
     cache: T,
-    children: { [Node<T>]: true } | false
+    children: { Node<T> } | false
 }
 
 export type Node<T> =  {
     cache: T,
-    children: { [Node<T>]: true } | false,
+    parents: { StartNode<T> },
+    children: { Node<T> } | false,
     effect:  (T) -> () | false,
     cleanups: { () -> () } | false,
 }
 
-local active = {} :: { [Node<any>]: true }
-
 local scopes = { n = 0 } :: { [number]: Node<any>, n: number }
 
 local WEAK_VALUES = { __mode = "v" }
@@ -59,11 +58,12 @@ end
 
 local function add_child<T>(parent: StartNode<any>, child: Node<any>)
     if parent.children then
-        parent.children[child] = true
+        table.insert(parent.children :: { Node<T> }, child)
     else
-        parent.children = { [child] = true :: true }
-        setmetatable(parent.children :: any, WEAK_KEYS) -- todo:
+        parent.children = { child }
     end
+
+    table.insert(child.parents, parent)
 end
 
 local function open_scope<T>(node: Node<T>)
@@ -101,13 +101,25 @@ local function run_effect<T>(node: Node<T>)
     end
 end
 
+local function unparent<T>(node: Node<T>)
+    for _, parent in node.parents do
+        local children = parent.children :: {}
+        local idx = table.find(children :: {}, node)
+        
+        local n = #children
+        children[idx] = children[n]
+        children[n] = nil
+    end
+
+    table.clear(node.parents)
+end
+
 local function destroy<T>(node: Node<T>)
     run_cleanups(node)
-    active[node] = nil
-    if node.children then
-        for child in node.children do
-            destroy(child)
-        end
+    unparent(node)
+    local children = node.children :: {}
+    if children then
+        while children[1] do destroy(children[1]) end
     end
 end
 
@@ -117,12 +129,15 @@ local update_queue = {} :: { Node<any> }
 local function rec<T>(node: StartNode<T>)
     if not node.children then return end
 
-    for child in next, node.children do
-        table.insert(update_queue, child)
-        rec(child)
+    local children = node.children :: {}
+
+    while children[1] do
+        table.insert(update_queue, children[1])
+        rec(children[1])
+        unparent(children[1])
     end
 
-    table.clear(node.children)
+    table.clear(children)
 end
 
 local function update<T>(node: StartNode<T>)
@@ -156,11 +171,10 @@ local function create_node<T>(value: T): Node<T>
         cache = value,
         effect = false,
         cleanups = false :: false,
+        parents = {},
         children = false :: false
     }
 
-    active[node] = true
-
     return node
 end
 
@@ -169,7 +183,7 @@ local function get_children<T>(node: Node<T>): { Node<unknown> }
 
     local children = {}
 
-    for child in node.children do
+    for _, child in node.children do
         table.insert(children, child)
     end
 
diff --git a/test/tests.luau b/test/tests.luau
index 313b1be..fe38ff0 100644
--- a/test/tests.luau
+++ b/test/tests.luau
@@ -103,7 +103,7 @@ TEST("graph", function()
         CHECK(count == 3)
     end
 
-    do CASE "diamond problem"
+    do CASE "diamond graph"
         local a, b, c, d = node(), node(), node(), node()
 
         local b_cnt, c_cnt, d_cnt = 0, 0, 0
@@ -119,7 +119,7 @@ TEST("graph", function()
 
         CHECK(b_cnt == 1)
         CHECK(c_cnt == 1)
-        CHECK(d_cnt == 2) -- confirm current behavior
+        CHECK(d_cnt == 1)
     end
 
     do CASE "duplicate child on rerun"
@@ -387,6 +387,36 @@ TEST("derive()", wrap_root(function()
         CHECK(count == 4)
     end
 
+    do CASE "conditional derive"
+        local a = source(false)
+        local b = source(false)
+
+        local c = derive(function()
+            return
+                if a() then "a"
+                elseif b() then "b"
+                else "never"
+        end)
+
+        local count = 0
+
+        watch(function() count += 1 end)
+
+        b(true)
+        CHECK(c() == "b")
+        CHECK(count == 2)
+        a(true)
+        CHECK(c() == "a")
+        CHECK(count == 3)
+        b(false)
+        CHECK(count == 3)
+        b(true)
+        CHECK(count == 3)
+        a(false)
+        CHECK(c() == "b")
+        CHECK(count == 4)
+    end
+
     do CASE "garbage collection"
         -- check that `b` does not allow gc of `a`        
         local a = source(1)