diff --git a/render/render.js b/render/render.js
index 483c2637..f5d35085 100644
--- a/render/render.js
+++ b/render/render.js
@@ -20,8 +20,8 @@ module.exports = function($window) {
 	}
 	function createNode(parent, vnode, hooks, ns, nextSibling) {
 		var tag = vnode.tag
-		if (vnode.attrs != null) initLifecycle(vnode.attrs, vnode, hooks)
 		if (typeof tag === "string") {
+			if (vnode.attrs != null) initLifecycle(vnode.attrs, vnode, hooks)
 			switch (tag) {
 				case "#": return createText(parent, vnode, nextSibling)
 				case "<": return createHTML(parent, vnode, nextSibling)
@@ -100,7 +100,7 @@ module.exports = function($window) {
 		}
 		return element
 	}
-	function createComponent(parent, vnode, hooks, ns, nextSibling) {
+	function initComponent(vnode, hooks) {
 		var sentinel
 		if (typeof vnode.tag === "function") {
 			vnode.state = null
@@ -116,10 +116,13 @@ module.exports = function($window) {
 			sentinel.$$reentrantLock$$ = true
 		}
 
+		if (vnode.attrs != null) initLifecycle(vnode.attrs, vnode, hooks)
 		initLifecycle(vnode.state, vnode, hooks)
 		vnode.instance = Vnode.normalize(vnode.state.view(vnode))
 		sentinel.$$reentrantLock$$ = null
-
+	}
+	function createComponent(parent, vnode, hooks, ns, nextSibling) {
+		initComponent(vnode, hooks)
 		if (vnode.instance != null) {
 			if (vnode.instance === vnode) throw Error("A view cannot return the vnode it received as arguments")
 			var element = createNode(parent, vnode.instance, hooks, ns, nextSibling)
@@ -232,11 +235,12 @@ module.exports = function($window) {
 		if (oldTag === tag) {
 			vnode.state = old.state
 			vnode.events = old.events
-			if (shouldUpdate(vnode, old)) return
-			if (vnode.attrs != null) {
-				updateLifecycle(vnode.attrs, vnode, hooks, recycling)
-			}
+			if (!recycling && shouldNotUpdate(vnode, old)) return
 			if (typeof oldTag === "string") {
+				if (vnode.attrs != null) {
+					if (recycling) initLifecycle(vnode.attrs, vnode, hooks)
+					else updateLifecycle(vnode.attrs, vnode, hooks)
+				}
 				switch (oldTag) {
 					case "#": updateText(old, vnode); break
 					case "<": updateHTML(parent, old, vnode, nextSibling); break
@@ -306,8 +310,13 @@ module.exports = function($window) {
 		}
 	}
 	function updateComponent(parent, old, vnode, hooks, nextSibling, recycling, ns) {
-		vnode.instance = Vnode.normalize(vnode.state.view(vnode))
-		updateLifecycle(vnode.state, vnode, hooks, recycling)
+		if (recycling) {
+			initComponent(vnode, hooks)
+		} else {
+			vnode.instance = Vnode.normalize(vnode.state.view(vnode))
+			if (vnode.attrs != null) updateLifecycle(vnode.attrs, vnode, hooks)
+			updateLifecycle(vnode.state, vnode, hooks)
+		}
 		if (vnode.instance != null) {
 			if (old.instance == null) createNode(parent, vnode.instance, hooks, ns, nextSibling)
 			else updateNode(parent, old.instance, vnode.instance, hooks, nextSibling, recycling, ns)
@@ -566,11 +575,10 @@ module.exports = function($window) {
 		if (typeof source.oninit === "function") source.oninit.call(vnode.state, vnode)
 		if (typeof source.oncreate === "function") hooks.push(source.oncreate.bind(vnode.state, vnode))
 	}
-	function updateLifecycle(source, vnode, hooks, recycling) {
-		if (recycling) initLifecycle(source, vnode, hooks)
-		else if (typeof source.onupdate === "function") hooks.push(source.onupdate.bind(vnode.state, vnode))
+	function updateLifecycle(source, vnode, hooks) {
+		if (typeof source.onupdate === "function") hooks.push(source.onupdate.bind(vnode.state, vnode))
 	}
-	function shouldUpdate(vnode, old) {
+	function shouldNotUpdate(vnode, old) {
 		var forceVnodeUpdate, forceComponentUpdate
 		if (vnode.attrs != null && typeof vnode.attrs.onbeforeupdate === "function") forceVnodeUpdate = vnode.attrs.onbeforeupdate.call(vnode.state, vnode, old)
 		if (typeof vnode.tag !== "string" && typeof vnode.state.onbeforeupdate === "function") forceComponentUpdate = vnode.state.onbeforeupdate(vnode, old)
diff --git a/render/tests/test-component.js b/render/tests/test-component.js
index 64cd6fcb..0ff4e07e 100644
--- a/render/tests/test-component.js
+++ b/render/tests/test-component.js
@@ -656,6 +656,149 @@ o.spec("component", function() {
 
 					o(vnode.dom).notEquals(updated.dom)
 				})
+				o("lifecycle timing megatest (for a single component)", function() {
+					var methods = {
+						view: o.spy(function() {
+							return ""
+						})
+					}
+					var attrs = {}
+					var hooks = [
+						"oninit", "oncreate", "onbeforeupdate",
+						"onupdate", "onbeforeremove", "onremove"
+					]
+					hooks.forEach(function(hook) {
+						// the `attrs` hooks are called before  the component ones
+						attrs[hook] = o.spy(function() {
+							o(attrs[hook].callCount).equals(methods[hook].callCount + 1)
+						})
+						methods[hook] = o.spy(function() {
+							o(attrs[hook].callCount).equals(methods[hook].callCount)
+						})
+					})
+
+					var component = createComponent(methods)
+
+					o(methods.view.callCount).equals(0)
+					o(methods.oninit.callCount).equals(0)
+					o(methods.oncreate.callCount).equals(0)
+					o(methods.onbeforeupdate.callCount).equals(0)
+					o(methods.onupdate.callCount).equals(0)
+					o(methods.onbeforeremove.callCount).equals(0)
+					o(methods.onremove.callCount).equals(0)
+
+					hooks.forEach(function(hook) {
+						o(attrs[hook].callCount).equals(methods[hook].callCount)(hook)
+					})
+
+					render(root, [{tag: component, attrs: attrs}])
+
+					o(methods.view.callCount).equals(1)
+					o(methods.oninit.callCount).equals(1)
+					o(methods.oncreate.callCount).equals(1)
+					o(methods.onbeforeupdate.callCount).equals(0)
+					o(methods.onupdate.callCount).equals(0)
+					o(methods.onbeforeremove.callCount).equals(0)
+					o(methods.onremove.callCount).equals(0)
+
+					hooks.forEach(function(hook) {
+						o(attrs[hook].callCount).equals(methods[hook].callCount)(hook)
+					})
+
+					render(root, [{tag: component, attrs: attrs}])
+
+					o(methods.view.callCount).equals(2)
+					o(methods.oninit.callCount).equals(1)
+					o(methods.oncreate.callCount).equals(1)
+					o(methods.onbeforeupdate.callCount).equals(1)
+					o(methods.onupdate.callCount).equals(1)
+					o(methods.onbeforeremove.callCount).equals(0)
+					o(methods.onremove.callCount).equals(0)
+
+					hooks.forEach(function(hook) {
+						o(attrs[hook].callCount).equals(methods[hook].callCount)(hook)
+					})
+
+					render(root, [])
+
+					o(methods.view.callCount).equals(2)
+					o(methods.oninit.callCount).equals(1)
+					o(methods.oncreate.callCount).equals(1)
+					o(methods.onbeforeupdate.callCount).equals(1)
+					o(methods.onupdate.callCount).equals(1)
+					o(methods.onbeforeremove.callCount).equals(1)
+					o(methods.onremove.callCount).equals(1)
+
+					hooks.forEach(function(hook) {
+						o(attrs[hook].callCount).equals(methods[hook].callCount)(hook)
+					})
+				})
+				o("hook state and arguments validation", function(){
+					var methods = {
+						view: o.spy(function(vnode) {
+							o(this).equals(vnode.state)
+							return ""
+						})
+					}
+					var attrs = {}
+					var hooks = [
+						"oninit", "oncreate", "onbeforeupdate",
+						"onupdate", "onbeforeremove", "onremove"
+					]
+					hooks.forEach(function(hook) {
+						attrs[hook] = o.spy(function(vnode){
+							o(this).equals(vnode.state)(hook)
+						})
+						methods[hook] = o.spy(function(vnode){
+							o(this).equals(vnode.state)
+						})
+					})
+
+					var component = createComponent(methods)
+
+					render(root, [{tag: component, attrs: attrs}])
+					render(root, [{tag: component, attrs: attrs}])
+					render(root, [])
+
+					hooks.forEach(function(hook) {
+						o(attrs[hook].this).equals(methods.view.this)(hook)
+						o(methods[hook].this).equals(methods.view.this)(hook)
+					})
+
+					o(methods.view.args.length).equals(1)
+					o(methods.oninit.args.length).equals(1)
+					o(methods.oncreate.args.length).equals(1)
+					o(methods.onbeforeupdate.args.length).equals(2)
+					o(methods.onupdate.args.length).equals(1)
+					o(methods.onbeforeremove.args.length).equals(1)
+					o(methods.onremove.args.length).equals(1)
+
+					hooks.forEach(function(hook) {
+						o(methods[hook].args.length).equals(attrs[hook].args.length)(hook)
+					})
+				})
+				o("recycled components get a fresh state", function() {
+					var step = 0
+					var firstState
+					var view = o.spy(function(vnode) {
+						if (step === 0) {
+							firstState = vnode.state
+						} else {
+							o(vnode.state).notEquals(firstState)
+						}
+						return {tag: 'div'}
+					})
+					var component = createComponent({view: view})
+
+					render(root, [{tag: 'div', children: [{tag: component, key: 1}]}])
+					var child = root.firstChild.firstChild
+					render(root, [])
+					step = 1
+					render(root, [{tag: 'div', children: [{tag: component, key: 1}]}])
+
+					o(child).equals(root.firstChild.firstChild)
+					o(view.callCount).equals(2)
+				})
 			})
 			o.spec("state", function() {
 				o("initializes state", function() {
@@ -675,7 +818,7 @@ o.spec("component", function() {
 						o(vnode.state.data).equals(data)
 					}
 				})
-				o('state "copy" is shallow', function() {
+				o('state proxies to the component object/prototype', function() {
 					var called = 0
 					var body = {a: 1}
 					var data = [body]
@@ -698,11 +841,10 @@ o.spec("component", function() {
 		})
 	})
 	o.spec("Tests specific to certain component kinds", function() {
-
-		o.spec("POJO state", function() {
-			o("copies state", function() {
+		o.spec("state", function() {
+			o("POJO", function() {
 				var called = 0
-				var data = {a: 1}
+				var data = {}
 				var component = {
 					data: data,
 					oninit: init,
@@ -721,142 +863,52 @@ o.spec("component", function() {
 					o(vnode.state.x).equals(1)
 				}
 			})
-		})
+			o("Constructible", function() {
+				var oninit = o.spy()
+				var component = o.spy(function(vnode){
+					o(vnode.state).equals(null)
+					o(oninit.callCount).equals(0)
+				})
+				var view = o.spy(function(){
+					o(this instanceof component).equals(true)
+					return ""
+				})
+				component.prototype.view = view
+				component.prototype.oninit = oninit
 
-		o("Classes can be used as components", function() {
-			function MyComponent(vnode){
-				o(vnode.state).equals(null)
-			}
-			var proto = MyComponent.prototype
+				var context
 
-			var context
+				render(root, [{tag: component, attrs: {oninit: oninit}}])
+				render(root, [{tag: component, attrs: {oninit: oninit}}])
+				render(root, [])
 
-			proto.oninit = o.spy(function(vnode) {
-				o(this).equals(vnode.state)
-				context = this
+				o(component.callCount).equals(1)
+				o(oninit.callCount).equals(2)
+				o(view.callCount).equals(2)
 			})
-			proto.oncreate = o.spy()
-			proto.onbeforeupdate = o.spy()
-			proto.onupdate = o.spy()
-			proto.onbeforeremove = o.spy()
-			proto.onremove = o.spy()
-			proto.view = o.spy(function() {
-				return ""
+			o("Closure", function() {
+				var state
+				var oninit = o.spy()
+				var view = o.spy(function() {
+					o(this).equals(state)
+					return ""
+				})
+				var component = o.spy(function(vnode) {
+					o(vnode.state).equals(null)
+					o(oninit.callCount).equals(0)
+					return state = {
+						view: view
+					}
+				})
+
+				render(root, [{tag: component, attrs: {oninit: oninit}}])
+				render(root, [{tag: component, attrs: {oninit: oninit}}])
+				render(root, [])
+
+				o(component.callCount).equals(1)
+				o(oninit.callCount).equals(1)
+				o(view.callCount).equals(2)
 			})
-
-			render(root, [{tag: MyComponent}])
-
-			o(context instanceof MyComponent).equals(true)
-
-			o(proto.view.callCount).equals(1)
-			o(proto.oncreate.callCount).equals(1)
-			o(proto.onbeforeupdate.callCount).equals(0)
-			o(proto.onupdate.callCount).equals(0)
-			o(proto.onbeforeremove.callCount).equals(0)
-			o(proto.onremove.callCount).equals(0)
-
-			render(root, [{tag: MyComponent}])
-
-			o(proto.view.callCount).equals(2)
-			o(proto.oncreate.callCount).equals(1)
-			o(proto.onbeforeupdate.callCount).equals(1)
-			o(proto.onupdate.callCount).equals(1)
-			o(proto.onbeforeremove.callCount).equals(0)
-			o(proto.onremove.callCount).equals(0)
-
-			render(root, [])
-
-			o(proto.view.callCount).equals(2)
-			o(proto.oncreate.callCount).equals(1)
-			o(proto.onbeforeupdate.callCount).equals(1)
-			o(proto.onupdate.callCount).equals(1)
-			o(proto.onbeforeremove.callCount).equals(1)
-			o(proto.onremove.callCount).equals(1)
-
-			o(proto.oninit.this).equals(context)
-			o(proto.view.this).equals(context)
-			o(proto.oncreate.this).equals(context)
-			o(proto.onbeforeupdate.this).equals(context)
-			o(proto.onupdate.this).equals(context)
-			o(proto.onbeforeremove.this).equals(context)
-			o(proto.onremove.this).equals(context)
-
-			o(proto.oninit.args.length).equals(1)
-			o(proto.view.args.length).equals(1)
-			o(proto.oncreate.args.length).equals(1)
-			o(proto.onbeforeupdate.args.length).equals(2)
-			o(proto.onupdate.args.length).equals(1)
-			o(proto.onbeforeremove.args.length).equals(1)
-			o(proto.onremove.args.length).equals(1)
-		})
-		o("Closure functions can be used as components", function() {
-			var state, context
-			function component(vnode) {
-				o(vnode.state).equals(null)
-
-				return state = {
-					oninit: o.spy(function(vnode) {
-						o(this).equals(vnode.state)
-						context = this
-					}),
-					oncreate: o.spy(),
-					onbeforeupdate: o.spy(),
-					onupdate: o.spy(),
-					onbeforeremove: o.spy(),
-					onremove: o.spy(),
-					view: o.spy(function() {
-						return ""
-					})
-				}
-			}
-
-			render(root, [{tag: component}])
-
-			o(state).equals(context)
-
-			o(state.oninit.callCount).equals(1)
-			o(state.view.callCount).equals(1)
-			o(state.oncreate.callCount).equals(1)
-			o(state.onbeforeupdate.callCount).equals(0)
-			o(state.onupdate.callCount).equals(0)
-			o(state.onbeforeremove.callCount).equals(0)
-			o(state.onremove.callCount).equals(0)
-
-			render(root, [{tag: component}])
-
-			o(state.oninit.callCount).equals(1)
-			o(state.view.callCount).equals(2)
-			o(state.oncreate.callCount).equals(1)
-			o(state.onbeforeupdate.callCount).equals(1)
-			o(state.onupdate.callCount).equals(1)
-			o(state.onbeforeremove.callCount).equals(0)
-			o(state.onremove.callCount).equals(0)
-
-			render(root, [])
-
-			o(state.oninit.callCount).equals(1)
-			o(state.view.callCount).equals(2)
-			o(state.oncreate.callCount).equals(1)
-			o(state.onbeforeupdate.callCount).equals(1)
-			o(state.onupdate.callCount).equals(1)
-			o(state.onbeforeremove.callCount).equals(1)
-			o(state.onremove.callCount).equals(1)
-
-			o(state.oninit.this).equals(state)
-			o(state.view.this).equals(state)
-			o(state.oncreate.this).equals(state)
-			o(state.onbeforeupdate.this).equals(state)
-			o(state.onupdate.this).equals(state)
-			o(state.onbeforeremove.this).equals(state)
-			o(state.onremove.this).equals(state)
-
-			o(state.oninit.args.length).equals(1)
-			o(state.view.args.length).equals(1)
-			o(state.oncreate.args.length).equals(1)
-			o(state.onbeforeupdate.args.length).equals(2)
-			o(state.onupdate.args.length).equals(1)
-			o(state.onbeforeremove.args.length).equals(1)
-			o(state.onremove.args.length).equals(1)
 		})
 	})
 })
diff --git a/render/tests/test-onbeforeupdate.js b/render/tests/test-onbeforeupdate.js
index cf16dd1c..93643409 100644
--- a/render/tests/test-onbeforeupdate.js
+++ b/render/tests/test-onbeforeupdate.js
@@ -120,6 +120,21 @@ o.spec("onbeforeupdate", function() {
 		o(count).equals(1)
 	})
 
+	o("doesn't fire on recycled nodes", function() {
+		var onbeforeupdate = o.spy()
+		var vnodes = [{tag: "div", key: 1}]
+		var temp = []
+		var updated = [{tag: "div", key: 1, attrs: {onbeforeupdate: onbeforeupdate}}]
+
+		render(root, vnodes)
+		render(root, temp)
+		render(root, updated)
+
+		o(vnodes[0].dom).equals(updated[0].dom)
+		o(updated[0].dom.nodeName).equals("DIV")
+		o(onbeforeupdate.callCount).equals(0)
+	})
+
 	components.forEach(function(cmp){
 		o.spec(cmp.kind, function(){
 			var createComponent = cmp.create