diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index efac420ef..26e1c02b0 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -63,7 +63,6 @@
     "es6-promise": "^3.1.2",
     "es6-shim": "^0.35.0",
     "file-loader": "^0.8.5",
-    "md5": "^2.2.1",
     "msgpack-lite": "^0.1.20",
     "object-assign": "4.0.1",
     "postcss-cssnext": "^2.5.2",
diff --git a/src/frontend/components/component-info/component-info.html b/src/frontend/components/component-info/component-info.html
index 63ff601b1..bd024e7cc 100644
--- a/src/frontend/components/component-info/component-info.html
+++ b/src/frontend/components/component-info/component-info.html
@@ -68,6 +68,7 @@ <h4 class="primary-color col pt1 pb2 m0">
             <template [ngSwitchCase]="ComponentLoadState.Received">
               <bt-render-state
                  [id]="node.id"
+                 [componentMetadata]="componentMetadata"
                  [metadata]="metadata"
                  [level]="0"
                  [path]="path"
diff --git a/src/frontend/components/component-info/component-info.ts b/src/frontend/components/component-info/component-info.ts
index 1b0709b31..e8e6ed6cb 100644
--- a/src/frontend/components/component-info/component-info.ts
+++ b/src/frontend/components/component-info/component-info.ts
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ import {ComponentLoadState} from '../../state';
 import {UserActions} from '../../actions/user-actions/user-actions';
 
 import {
+  ComponentMetadata,
   Metadata,
   MutableTree,
   Node,
@@ -27,6 +28,7 @@ export class ComponentInfo {
   @Input() private tree: MutableTree;
   @Input() private state;
   @Input() private metadata: Metadata;
+  @Input() private componentMetadata: ComponentMetadata;
   @Input() private loadingState: ComponentLoadState;
 
   @Output() private selectNode = new EventEmitter<Node>();
diff --git a/src/frontend/components/info-panel/info-panel.html b/src/frontend/components/info-panel/info-panel.html
index 392450fa1..7c3523335 100644
--- a/src/frontend/components/info-panel/info-panel.html
+++ b/src/frontend/components/info-panel/info-panel.html
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@
   [tree]="tree"
   [loadingState]="loadingState"
   [state]="state"
+  [componentMetadata]="componentMetadata"
   [metadata]="metadata"
   [hidden]="selectedTab !== StateTab.Properties"
   [ngClass]="{flex: selectedTab === StateTab.Properties}"
diff --git a/src/frontend/components/info-panel/info-panel.ts b/src/frontend/components/info-panel/info-panel.ts
index 0cb12934f..fbc9fa118 100644
--- a/src/frontend/components/info-panel/info-panel.ts
+++ b/src/frontend/components/info-panel/info-panel.ts
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ import {ComponentLoadState} from '../../state';
 import {StateTab} from '../../state';
 import {UserActions} from '../../actions/user-actions/user-actions';
 import {
+  ComponentMetadata,
   InstanceWithMetadata,
   Metadata,
   Node,
@@ -57,6 +58,12 @@ export class InfoPanel {
       : new Map<string, [ObjectType, any]>();
   }
 
+  private get componentMetadata(): ComponentMetadata {
+    return this.instanceValue
+      ? this.instanceValue.componentMetadata
+      : new Map<string, [string, ObjectType, any]>();
+  }
+
   private onSelectedTabChanged(tab: StateTab) {
     this.selectedTab = tab;
   }
diff --git a/src/frontend/components/render-state/render-state.html b/src/frontend/components/render-state/render-state.html
index db5d5aa7d..c030d2cdf 100644
--- a/src/frontend/components/render-state/render-state.html
+++ b/src/frontend/components/render-state/render-state.html
@@ -12,22 +12,22 @@
         transparent: !expandable(k)
       }"></div>
       <span class="primary-color">
-        <span *ngIf="isObjectType(k, ObjectType.Input)" class="decorator">
+        <span *ngIf="isComponentObjectType(k, ObjectType.Input)" class="decorator">
           @Input(<span class="info-value" *ngIf="getAlias(k)">'{{getAlias(k)}}'</span>)
         </span>
-        <span *ngIf="isObjectType(k, ObjectType.Output)" class="decorator">
+        <span *ngIf="isComponentObjectType(k, ObjectType.Output)" class="decorator">
           @Output(<span class="info-value" *ngIf="getAlias(k)">'{{getAlias(k)}}'</span>)
         </span>
-        <span *ngIf="isObjectType(k, ObjectType.ViewChild)" class="decorator">
+        <span *ngIf="isComponentObjectType(k, ObjectType.ViewChild)" class="decorator">
           @ViewChild({{getSelector(k)}})
         </span>
-        <span *ngIf="isObjectType(k, ObjectType.ViewChildren)" class="decorator">
+        <span *ngIf="isComponentObjectType(k, ObjectType.ViewChildren)" class="decorator">
           @ViewChildren({{getSelector(k)}})
         </span>
-        <span *ngIf="isObjectType(k, ObjectType.ContentChild)" class="decorator">
+        <span *ngIf="isComponentObjectType(k, ObjectType.ContentChild)" class="decorator">
           @ContentChild({{getSelector(k)}})
         </span>
-        <span *ngIf="isObjectType(k, ObjectType.ContentChildren)" class="decorator">
+        <span *ngIf="isComponentObjectType(k, ObjectType.ContentChildren)" class="decorator">
           @ContentChildren({{getSelector(k)}})
         </span>
       </span>
@@ -61,6 +61,7 @@
        [id]="id"
        [level]="level + 1"
        [path]="path.concat([k])"
+       [componentMetadata]="componentMetadata"
        [metadata]="metadata"
        [state]="state[k]">
     </bt-render-state>
diff --git a/src/frontend/components/render-state/render-state.ts b/src/frontend/components/render-state/render-state.ts
index ecd2e3507..729d8e6a5 100644
--- a/src/frontend/components/render-state/render-state.ts
+++ b/src/frontend/components/render-state/render-state.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,3 @@
-import md5 = require('md5');
-
 import {
   ChangeDetectionStrategy,
   Component,
@@ -17,12 +15,15 @@ import {
 
 import {getPropertyPath} from '../../../backend/utils';
 
+import {functionName} from '../../../utils';
+
 import {
   ComponentPropertyState,
   ExpandState,
 } from '../../state';
 
 import {
+  ComponentMetadata,
   Metadata,
   Path,
   ObjectType,
@@ -43,6 +44,7 @@ export enum EmitState {
 })
 export class RenderState {
   @Input() id: string;
+  @Input() componentMetadata: ComponentMetadata;
   @Input() metadata: Metadata;
   @Input() level: number;
   @Input() path: Path;
@@ -88,13 +90,17 @@ export class RenderState {
       return `Array[${object.length}]`;
     }
     else if (object != null) {
-      if (Object.keys(object).length === 0) {
-        return '{}';
+      const constructor = functionName(object.constructor) || typeof object;
+
+      if (/object/i.test(constructor)) {
+        if (Object.keys(object).length === 0) {
+          return '{}'; // special case to denote an empty object
+        }
       }
-      return 'Object';
-    }
 
-    if (object === null) {
+      return constructor;
+    }
+    else if (object === null) {
       return 'null';
     }
     else if (object === undefined) {
@@ -118,12 +124,19 @@ export class RenderState {
     }
   }
 
-  private getMetadata(key: string): [ObjectType, any] {
-    return this.metadata.get(md5(serializePath(this.path.concat([key]))));
+  private getComponentMetadata(key: string): [ObjectType, any] {
+    const properties = this.componentMetadata.get(this.state);
+    if (properties) {
+      const matchingProperty = properties.find(p => p[0] === key);
+      if (matchingProperty) {
+        return [matchingProperty[1], matchingProperty[2]];
+      }
+    }
+    return null;
   }
 
   private isEmittable(key: string): boolean {
-    const metadata = this.getMetadata(key);
+    const metadata = this.metadata.get(this.state[key]);
     if (metadata) {
       return (metadata[0] & ObjectType.EventEmitter) !== 0
           || (metadata[0] & ObjectType.Subject) !== 0;
@@ -131,16 +144,15 @@ export class RenderState {
     return false;
   }
 
-  private isObjectType(key: string, type: ObjectType): boolean {
-    const metadata = this.getMetadata(key);
+  private isComponentObjectType(key: string, type: ObjectType): boolean {
+    const metadata = this.getComponentMetadata(key);
     if (metadata) {
       return (metadata[0] & type) !== 0;
     }
-    return false;
   }
 
   private getAlias(key: string): string {
-    const metadata = this.getMetadata(key);
+    const metadata = this.getComponentMetadata(key);
     if (metadata) {
       const additionalProperties = metadata[1];
       if (additionalProperties) {
@@ -150,7 +162,7 @@ export class RenderState {
   }
 
   private getSelector(key: string): string {
-    const metadata = this.getMetadata(key);
+    const metadata = this.getComponentMetadata(key);
     if (metadata) {
       const additionalProperties = metadata[1];
       if (additionalProperties) {
diff --git a/src/frontend/frontend.ts b/src/frontend/frontend.ts
index 2fdd7dc3b..a253ae5eb 100644
--- a/src/frontend/frontend.ts
+++ b/src/frontend/frontend.ts
@@ -257,13 +257,19 @@ class App {
     const m = MessageFactory.selectComponent(node, node.isComponent);
 
     if (node.isComponent) {
-
       const promise = this.directConnection.handleImmediate(m)
         .then(response => {
           if (typeof beforeLoad === 'function') {
             beforeLoad();
           }
-          return response;
+
+          const {instance, metadata, componentMetadata} = response;
+
+          return {
+            instance,
+            metadata: new Map(metadata),
+            componentMetadata: new Map(componentMetadata),
+          };
         });
 
       this.componentState.wait(node, promise);
diff --git a/src/tree/metadata.ts b/src/tree/metadata.ts
index 4723ae63c..f1f855e90 100644
--- a/src/tree/metadata.ts
+++ b/src/tree/metadata.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,3 @@
-import md5 = require('md5');
-
 import {
   AsyncSubject,
   BehaviorSubject,
@@ -9,12 +7,6 @@ import {
   Subject,
 } from 'rxjs';
 
-import {
-  Path,
-  serializePath,
-  deserializePath,
-} from './path';
-
 import {Node} from './node';
 
 import {
@@ -42,53 +34,56 @@ export enum ObjectType {
   ContentChildren = 0x100,
 }
 
-export type Metadata = Map<string, [ObjectType, any]>;
+export type Metadata = Map<any, [ObjectType, any]>;
+
+export type ComponentMetadata = Map<any, [string, ObjectType, any]>;
 
 export interface InstanceWithMetadata {
   instance: any;
   metadata: Metadata;
+  componentMetadata: ComponentMetadata;
 }
 
-export const instanceWithMetadata = (node: Node, instance): InstanceWithMetadata => {
+// It is imperative that the metadata and the instance value itself travel together
+// through the serializer, otherwise we are going to have to serialize the entire
+// object structure twice, once for the instance and once for the metadata. But if
+// we put them together as part of the same object, the serializer will be smart
+// enough not to duplicate objects. If someone breaks apart the instance and the
+// metadata into two objects, a lot of code that depends on reference equality is
+// going to get broken! So do not change this!
+export const instanceWithMetadata = (node: Node, instance) => {
   if (node == null || instance == null) {
     return null;
   }
 
-  const metadata = new Map<string, [ObjectType, any]>();
+  const objectMetadata = new Map<any, [ObjectType, any]>();
 
-  const nodePath = deserializePath(node.id);
+  const components = new Map<any, [[string, ObjectType, any]]>();
 
-  const serialize = (path: Path): string => md5(serializePath(path));
-
-  recurse(nodePath, instance,
-    (path: Path, obj) => {
-      let type = objectType(obj);
-
-      const update = (p: Path, flag: ObjectType, additionalProps) => {
-        const serializedPath = serialize(p);
-
-        const existing = metadata.get(serializedPath);
+  recurse(instance,
+    obj => {
+      const update = (key: string, flag: ObjectType, additionalProps) => {
+        const existing = components.get(obj);
         if (existing) {
-          existing[0] |= flag;
-          Object.assign(existing, additionalProps);
+          existing.push([key, flag, additionalProps]);
         }
         else {
-          metadata.set(serializedPath, [flag, additionalProps]);
+          components.set(obj, [[key, flag, additionalProps]]);
         }
       };
 
       const component = componentMetadata(obj);
       if (component) {
         for (const input of componentInputs(component, obj)) {
-          update(path.concat([input.propertyKey]), ObjectType.Input, {alias: input.bindingPropertyName});
+          update(input.propertyKey, ObjectType.Input, {alias: input.bindingPropertyName});
         }
         for (const output of componentOutputs(component, obj)) {
-          update(path.concat([output.propertyKey]), ObjectType.Output, {alias: output.bindingPropertyName});
+          update(output.propertyKey, ObjectType.Output, {alias: output.bindingPropertyName});
         }
 
         const addQuery = (decoratorType: string, objectType: ObjectType) => {
           for (const vc of componentQueryChildren(decoratorType, component, obj)) {
-            update(path.concat([vc.propertyKey]), objectType, {selector: vc.selector});
+            update(vc.propertyKey, objectType, {selector: vc.selector});
           }
         };
 
@@ -98,20 +93,23 @@ export const instanceWithMetadata = (node: Node, instance): InstanceWithMetadata
         addQuery('@ContentChildren', ObjectType.ContentChildren);
       }
 
+      const type = objectType(obj);
       if (type !== 0) {
-        const serializedPath = serialize(path);
-
-        const existing = metadata.get(serializedPath);
+        const existing = objectMetadata.get(obj);
         if (existing) {
-          metadata.set(serializedPath, [existing[0] | type, existing[1]]);
+          objectMetadata.set(obj, [existing[0] | type, existing[1]]);
         }
         else {
-          metadata.set(serializedPath, [type, null]);
+          objectMetadata.set(obj, [type, null]);
         }
       }
     });
 
-  return {instance, metadata};
+  return {
+    instance,
+    metadata: Array.from(<any> objectMetadata),
+    componentMetadata: Array.from(<any> components),
+  };
 };
 
 const objectType = (object): ObjectType => {
diff --git a/src/utils/circular-recurse.ts b/src/utils/circular-recurse.ts
index 91a74f8f0..c1caf4339 100644
--- a/src/utils/circular-recurse.ts
+++ b/src/utils/circular-recurse.ts
@@ -1,29 +1,36 @@
 import {Path} from '../tree';
 
-export type Apply = (path: Path, value) => void;
+import {isScalar} from './scalar';
 
-export const recurse = (initialPath: Path, object, exec: Apply) => {
+export type Apply = (value) => void;
+
+// Recursive traversal of an object tree, but will not traverse circular references or DOM elements
+export const recurse = (object, apply: Apply) => {
   const visited = new Set();
 
-  const apply = (path: Path, value, fn: Apply) => {
-    if (value == null || visited.has(value)) {
+  const visit = value => {
+    if (value == null || isScalar(value) || /Element/.test(Object.prototype.toString.call(value))) {
+      return;
+    }
+
+    if (visited.has(value)) { // circular loop
       return;
     }
 
     visited.add(value);
 
-    fn(path, value);
+    apply(value);
 
     if (Array.isArray(value) || value instanceof Set) {
-      (<any>value).forEach((v, k) => apply(path.concat([k]), v, fn));
+      (<any>value).forEach((v, k) => visit(v));
     }
     else if (value instanceof Map) {
-      value.forEach((v, k) => apply(path.concat([k]), v, fn));
+      value.forEach((v, k) => visit(v));
     }
     else {
-      Object.keys(value).forEach(k => apply(path.concat([k]), value[k], fn));
+      Object.keys(value).forEach(k => visit(value[k]));
     }
   };
 
-  apply(initialPath, object, exec);
+  visit(object);
 };
diff --git a/src/utils/scalar.ts b/src/utils/scalar.ts
index 22ba67e7e..9df1438b8 100644
--- a/src/utils/scalar.ts
+++ b/src/utils/scalar.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 export const isScalar = value => {
   switch (typeof value) {
     case 'string':
+    case 'number':
     case 'boolean':
     case 'function':
     case 'undefined':
diff --git a/src/utils/serialize.ts b/src/utils/serialize.ts
index e086cb47f..ac9756d8c 100644
--- a/src/utils/serialize.ts
+++ b/src/utils/serialize.ts
@@ -191,20 +191,30 @@ function map(operation: Operation, value) {
               break;
             default:
               operation.tails.push(() => {
-                operation.objref[index] = `{${Object.getOwnPropertyNames(value).map(key => {
-                    const mapped = map(operation, value[key]);
+                const ctor = functionName((value || {}).constructor) || '';
 
+                const mapProps = (key: string) => {
+                  const mapped = map(operation, value[key]);
                     if (mapped instanceof Reference) {
                       mapped.source = index;
                       mapped.key = key;
-
                       operation.hashes.push(mapped);
-
                       return mapped;
                     }
 
                     return `${JSON.stringify(key)}: ${mapped}`;
-                  }).filter(v => v instanceof Reference === false).join(',')}}`;
+                };
+
+                const keys = Object.keys(value)
+                      .map(key => mapProps(key))
+                      .filter(v => v instanceof Reference === false).join(',');
+
+                if (nonstandardType(ctor)) { // retain object type information
+                  operation.objref[index] = `new (function ${ctor}() {Object.assign(this, {${keys}});})()`;
+                }
+                else {
+                  operation.objref[index] = `{${keys}}`;
+                }
               });
               break;
           }
@@ -213,3 +223,17 @@ function map(operation: Operation, value) {
       }
   }
 }
+
+const nonstandardType = (type: string) => {
+  switch (type.toLowerCase()) {
+    case 'object':
+    case 'function':
+    case 'string':
+    case 'number':
+    case 'regexp':
+    case 'date':
+      return false;
+    default:
+      return true;
+  }
+};
diff --git a/typings.json b/typings.json
index f036b8bf1..9b4cfe587 100644
--- a/typings.json
+++ b/typings.json
@@ -17,7 +17,6 @@
     "es6-shim": "registry:dt/es6-shim#0.31.2+20160602141504",
     "filesystem": "registry:dt/filesystem#0.0.0+20160316155526",
     "filewriter": "registry:dt/filewriter#0.0.0+20160316155526",
-    "md5": "registry:dt/md5#2.1.0+20160521153251",
     "node": "registry:dt/node#6.0.0+20160823142437",
     "tape": "registry:dt/tape#4.2.2+20160317120654",
     "webrtc/mediastream": "registry:dt/webrtc/mediastream#0.0.0+20160317120654"