diff --git a/docs/vnodes.md b/docs/vnodes.md
index a07683f9..97b8d364 100644
--- a/docs/vnodes.md
+++ b/docs/vnodes.md
@@ -72,7 +72,7 @@ Property   | Type                             | Description
 `text`     | `(String|Number|Boolean)?`       | This is used instead of `children` if a vnode contains a text node as its only child. This is done for performance reasons. Component vnodes never use the `text` property even if they have a text node as its only child.
 `dom`      | `Element?`                       | Points to the element that corresponds to the vnode. This property is `undefined` in the `oninit` lifecycle method. In fragment and trusted HTML vnodes, `dom` points to the first element in the range.
 `domSize`  | `Number?`                        | This is only set in fragment and trusted HTML vnodes, and it's `undefined` in all other vnode types. It defines the number of DOM elements that the vnode represents (starting from the element referenced by the `dom` property).
-`state`    | `Object`                         | An object that is persisted between redraws. In component vnodes, `state` is a deep clone of the component object.
+`state`    | `Object`                         | An object that is persisted between redraws. In component vnodes, `state` is a shallow clone of the component object.
 `events`   | `Object?`                        | An object that is persisted between redraws and that stores event handlers so that they can be removed using the DOM API. The `events` property is `undefined` if there are no event handlers defined. This property is only used internally by Mithril, do not use it.
 
 ---
diff --git a/render/render.js b/render/render.js
index e71ca0fe..13bb402b 100644
--- a/render/render.js
+++ b/render/render.js
@@ -91,7 +91,9 @@ module.exports = function($window) {
 		return element
 	}
 	function createComponent(vnode, hooks, ns) {
-		vnode.state = copy(vnode.tag)
+		// For object literals since `Vnode()` always sets the `state` field.
+		if (!vnode.state) vnode.state = {}
+		assign(vnode.state, vnode.tag)
 
 		initLifecycle(vnode.tag, vnode, hooks)
 		vnode.instance = Vnode.normalize(vnode.tag.view.call(vnode.state, vnode))
@@ -500,18 +502,8 @@ module.exports = function($window) {
 		return false
 	}
 
-	function copy(data) {
-		if (data instanceof Array) {
-			var output = []
-			for (var i = 0; i < data.length; i++) output[i] = data[i]
-			return output
-		}
-		else if (typeof data === "object") {
-			var output = {}
-			for (var i in data) output[i] = data[i]
-			return output
-		}
-		return data
+	function assign(target, source) {
+		Object.keys(source).forEach(function(k){target[k] = source[k]})
 	}
 
 	function render(dom, vnodes) {