diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 7d816e8..7838424 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ OBJS=$(patsubst $(SRC)/%.c, $(OBJ)/%.o, $(SRCS))
 DEPS=$(OBJS:%.o=%.d)
 
 
-all: CFLAGS+=-fsanitize=address -Og -ggdb
+all: CFLAGS+=-Og -ggdb -DNDEBUG
 all: $(BUILD) $(BIN)
 
 release: CFLAGS+=-O2 -flto=auto -DNDEBUG
diff --git a/src/main.c b/src/main.c
index db5c41a..b6860af 100644
--- a/src/main.c
+++ b/src/main.c
@@ -130,13 +130,15 @@ int app_handle(struct UINode *node, void *data, int event_type, size_t d, void *
 
                 box_layout_new(buttons, UI_DIRECTION_VERTICAL);
 
-                for (int i = 0; i < 100; i++) {
+                for (int i = 0; i < 10000; i++) {
                     UINode *button = node_new(buttons, "button");
                     state_background_node_new(button, UIPurple600, UIPurple700, UIPurple800, 6.0);
                     text_node_new(button, state->font, UINeutral50, "button");
                     dispatcher_new(button, UI_EVENT_UNPRESSED, INCREMENT_COUNT, state, app_handle);
                     button->width_policy = UI_SIZE_POLICY_GROW;
                 }
+
+                printf("%d\n", buttons->last_component_index);
             }
 
             break;
diff --git a/src/node.c b/src/node.c
index 1969803..2b6e68d 100644
--- a/src/node.c
+++ b/src/node.c
@@ -28,14 +28,25 @@ int node_dispatch(UINode *node, enum UIEvent ev, size_t d, void *p)
         return 0;
     }
 
+    int result = 0;
+    int component_index = UI_NODE_LAST_COMPONENT_INDEX_NONE;
     for (int i = 0; i < node->nodes_count; i++) {
+        if (node->last_component_index == UI_NODE_LAST_COMPONENT_INDEX_NONE || (node->last_component_index >= 0 && i > node->last_component_index)) {
+            break;
+        }
         if (node->nodes[i]->flags & UI_NODE_COMPONENT) {
-            int result = node_dispatch(node->nodes[i], ev, d, p);
-            if (result) return result;
+            component_index = i;
+            result = node_dispatch(node->nodes[i], ev, d, p);
+            if (result) break;
         }
     }
+    if (node->last_component_index < 0) {
+        node->last_component_index = component_index;
+    }
+    if (result) return result;
+
     if (node->handle) {
-        int result = (node->handle)(node, ev, d, p);
+        result = (node->handle)(node, ev, d, p);
         if (result) return result;
     }
     if (node->handle_proto) {
@@ -71,12 +82,20 @@ void node_init(UINode *node)
     node->height_policy = UI_SIZE_POLICY_DYNAMIC;
     node->handle = NULL;
     node->handle_proto = NULL;
+    node->last_component_index = UI_NODE_LAST_COMPONENT_INDEX_NONE;
 }
 
 void node_free(UINode *node)
 {
     if (!node) return;
 
+    // TODO: properly handle removing this node from its parent
+
+    // Invalidate component index cache
+    if ((node->flags & UI_NODE_COMPONENT) && node->parent) {
+        node->parent->last_component_index = UI_NODE_LAST_COMPONENT_INDEX_INVALIDATED;
+    }
+
     node_dispatch(node, UI_EVENT_DESTROY, 0, NULL);
 
     for (int i = 0; i < node->nodes_count; i++) {
@@ -135,7 +154,14 @@ UINode *node_attach(UINode *parent, UINode *node)
                 return NULL;
             }
         }
-        parent->nodes[parent->nodes_count++] = node;
+        int index = parent->nodes_count++;
+        parent->nodes[index] = node;
+
+        // Let's save the index of the last component so that we can exit the loop early
+        // if there's no components left when we're in node_dispatch()
+        if ((node->flags & UI_NODE_COMPONENT) && index > parent->last_component_index) {
+            parent->last_component_index = index;
+        }
     }
 
     return node;
diff --git a/src/node.h b/src/node.h
index dd788fa..aa8e0a7 100644
--- a/src/node.h
+++ b/src/node.h
@@ -41,6 +41,8 @@ enum UIDirection {
 #define UI_NODE_RETAINS_PRESS (1 << 1)
 #define UI_NODE_DISABLED (1 << 2)
 
+#define UI_NODE_LAST_COMPONENT_INDEX_INVALIDATED (-1)
+#define UI_NODE_LAST_COMPONENT_INDEX_NONE (-2)
 typedef struct UINode {
     const char *text;
     UIRect rect;
@@ -53,6 +55,7 @@ typedef struct UINode {
     uint32_t flags;
     enum UISizePolicy width_policy;
     enum UISizePolicy height_policy;
+    int last_component_index;
 
     int (*handle)(struct UINode *node, enum UIEvent ev, size_t d, void *p);
     int (*handle_proto)(struct UINode *node, enum UIEvent ev, size_t d, void *p);