diff --git a/src/BaseElement.js b/src/BaseElement.js
index 2dd8548..b2f18c3 100644
--- a/src/BaseElement.js
+++ b/src/BaseElement.js
@@ -191,6 +191,18 @@ class BaseElement extends HTMLElement {
             }
         });
 
+        // release dom references
+        this.$refs = {};
+
+        // clear state
+        this._state = {};
+
+        // cancel pending updates
+        if (this._batchUpdate) {
+            cancelAnimationFrame(this._batchUpdate);
+            this._requestedUpdates = [];
+        }
+
         this.triggerHook('disconnected');
     }
 
@@ -297,16 +309,16 @@ class BaseElement extends HTMLElement {
      * Will trigger update() when a property was changed
      * @param {string} property
      * @param {any} value
-     * @param {boolean} reflectAttribute
+     * @param {boolean} isAttribute
      */
-    defineProperty(property, value, reflectAttribute = false) {
+    defineProperty(property, value, isAttribute = false) {
         if (this._state.hasOwnProperty(property)) {
             // property has already been defined as an attribute nothing to do here
             return;
         }
 
         // if property did not come from an attribute but has the option to reflect // enabled or custom fn
-        if (!reflectAttribute && this._options.propertyOptions[property]?.reflect) {
+        if (!isAttribute && this._options.propertyOptions[property]?.reflect) {
             this.reflectProperty({ property: property, newValue: value });
         }
 
@@ -325,6 +337,10 @@ class BaseElement extends HTMLElement {
             this._state[property].subscribe(this);
         }
 
+        if (Object.getOwnPropertyDescriptor(this, property)) {
+            // instance already has a defined property
+            return;
+        }
         Object.defineProperty(this, property, {
             get: () => {
                 return this._state[property];
@@ -341,7 +357,7 @@ class BaseElement extends HTMLElement {
                         newValue.subscribe(this);
                     }
 
-                    if (reflectAttribute || this._options.propertyOptions[property]?.reflect) {
+                    if (isAttribute || this._options.propertyOptions[property]?.reflect) {
                         this.reflectProperty({ property, newValue, newValueString });
                     }
 
diff --git a/test/unit/vanilla-renderer.test.js b/test/unit/vanilla-renderer.test.js
index d0cb513..d609bb2 100644
--- a/test/unit/vanilla-renderer.test.js
+++ b/test/unit/vanilla-renderer.test.js
@@ -178,6 +178,37 @@ class OnePropTag extends TemplateElement {
     }
 }
 customElements.define('one-prop-tag', OnePropTag);
+
+class NestedElementTag extends TemplateElement {
+    properties() {
+        return {
+            label: 'initial',
+        };
+    }
+
+    template() {
+        return html`<button>${this.label}</button>`;
+    }
+}
+
+customElements.define('nested-element-tag', NestedElementTag);
+
+class ArrayRenderingNestedElementsTag extends TemplateElement {
+    properties() {
+        return {
+            list: [1],
+        };
+    }
+
+    template() {
+        return html` <div>
+            ${this.list.map((index) => html`<nested-element-tag label="${'label' + index}"></nested-element-tag>`)}
+        </div>`;
+    }
+}
+
+customElements.define('array-rendering-nested-elements-tag', ArrayRenderingNestedElementsTag);
+
 describe(`template rendering`, () => {
     it('renders template in light dom by default', async () => {
         const el = await fixture(`<${lightTag}></${lightTag}>`);
@@ -369,4 +400,49 @@ describe(`vanilla-renderer`, () => {
         await nextFrame();
         assert.equal(stripCommentMarkers(arrayElement.innerHTML), '<div>1</div><div>2</div><div>3</div>');
     });
+
+    it('Renders a list of nested template elements', async () => {
+        const arrayElement = await fixture(
+            `<array-rendering-nested-elements-tag></array-rendering-nested-elements-tag>`,
+        );
+        await nextFrame();
+
+        assert.equal(arrayElement.innerText, 'label1');
+        arrayElement.list = [2, 3, 4];
+
+        await nextFrame();
+        await nextFrame();
+        assert.equal(arrayElement.innerText, 'label2 label3 label4');
+        arrayElement.list = [5];
+
+        await nextFrame();
+        await nextFrame();
+        assert.equal(arrayElement.innerText, 'label5');
+    });
+
+    it('Renders attribute values even after being reconnected to the DOM', async () => {
+        const el = await fixture(`<nested-element-tag label="test"></nested-element-tag>`);
+        await nextFrame();
+
+        assert.equal(el.innerText, 'test');
+        el.label = 'test2';
+
+        await nextFrame();
+        assert.equal(el.innerText, 'test2');
+
+        const parentNode = el.parentNode;
+        parentNode.removeChild(el);
+        await nextFrame();
+        el.setAttribute('label', 'test3');
+        // Reattach the element to its parent node
+        await nextFrame();
+        parentNode.appendChild(el);
+        await nextFrame();
+
+        assert.equal(
+            stripCommentMarkers(el.outerHTML),
+            '<nested-element-tag label="test3"><button>test3</button></nested-element-tag>',
+        );
+        assert.equal(el.innerText, 'test3');
+    });
 });