diff --git a/js/display/drawables/CircleDOMDrawable.js b/js/display/drawables/CircleDOMDrawable.js
index f7fbf522b..3d5e75f5d 100644
--- a/js/display/drawables/CircleDOMDrawable.js
+++ b/js/display/drawables/CircleDOMDrawable.js
@@ -48,10 +48,12 @@ define( require => {
     // allocation and performance costs)
     if ( !this.fillElement || !this.strokeElement ) {
       // @protected {HTMLDivElement} - Will contain the fill by manipulating borderRadius
-      const fillElement = this.fillElement = document.createElement( 'div' );
+      const fillElement = document.createElement( 'div' );
+      this.fillElement = fillElement;
 
       // @protected {HTMLDivElement} - Will contain the stroke by manipulating borderRadius
-      const strokeElement = this.strokeElement = document.createElement( 'div' );
+      const strokeElement = document.createElement( 'div' );
+      this.strokeElement = strokeElement;
 
       fillElement.style.display = 'block';
       fillElement.style.position = 'absolute';
diff --git a/js/display/drawables/RectangleDOMDrawable.js b/js/display/drawables/RectangleDOMDrawable.js
index ae55644ba..e94b91dba 100644
--- a/js/display/drawables/RectangleDOMDrawable.js
+++ b/js/display/drawables/RectangleDOMDrawable.js
@@ -41,14 +41,16 @@ define( require => {
     // only create elements if we don't already have them (we pool visual states always, and depending on the platform may also pool the actual elements to minimize
     // allocation and performance costs)
     if ( !this.fillElement || !this.strokeElement ) {
-      const fillElement = this.fillElement = document.createElement( 'div' );
+      const fillElement = document.createElement( 'div' );
+      this.fillElement = fillElement;
       fillElement.style.display = 'block';
       fillElement.style.position = 'absolute';
       fillElement.style.left = '0';
       fillElement.style.top = '0';
       fillElement.style.pointerEvents = 'none';
 
-      const strokeElement = this.strokeElement = document.createElement( 'div' );
+      const strokeElement = document.createElement( 'div' );
+      this.strokeElement = strokeElement;
       strokeElement.style.display = 'block';
       strokeElement.style.position = 'absolute';
       strokeElement.style.left = '0';
diff --git a/js/display/drawables/TextSVGDrawable.js b/js/display/drawables/TextSVGDrawable.js
index a4992d495..808ffcaf5 100644
--- a/js/display/drawables/TextSVGDrawable.js
+++ b/js/display/drawables/TextSVGDrawable.js
@@ -41,7 +41,8 @@ define( require => {
 
     if ( !this.svgElement ) {
       // @protected {SVGTextElement} - Sole SVG element for this drawable, implementing API for SVGSelfDrawable
-      const text = this.svgElement = document.createElementNS( scenery.svgns, 'text' );
+      const text = document.createElementNS( scenery.svgns, 'text' );
+      this.svgElement = text;
       text.appendChild( document.createTextNode( '' ) );
 
       // TODO: flag adjustment for SVG qualities
diff --git a/js/overlays/ShapeBasedOverlay.js b/js/overlays/ShapeBasedOverlay.js
index 25dcc5e83..fdfde82d9 100644
--- a/js/overlays/ShapeBasedOverlay.js
+++ b/js/overlays/ShapeBasedOverlay.js
@@ -18,12 +18,13 @@ define( require => {
     this.display = display;
     this.rootNode = rootNode;
 
-    const svg = this.svg = document.createElementNS( scenery.svgns, 'svg' );
+    const svg = document.createElementNS( scenery.svgns, 'svg' );
     svg.style.position = 'absolute';
     svg.setAttribute( 'class', name );
     svg.style.top = 0;
     svg.style.left = 0;
     svg.style[ 'pointer-events' ] = 'none';
+    this.svg = svg;
 
     function resize( width, height ) {
       svg.setAttribute( 'width', width );