diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index f9344cb..8626200 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@
 * Fixed:
   * Fix error when morphing elements with numeric ids (@botandrose, @ksbrooksjr)
   * Fix issue with outerHTML morphing an IDed node that gets moved (@botandrose, @MichaelWest22)
+  * Fix incorrect return value when root element gets moved or replaced in an outerHTML morph (@botandrose, @MichaelWest22)
 
 ## [0.7.2] - 2025-02-20
 
diff --git a/src/idiomorph.js b/src/idiomorph.js
index 60d29d1..83bccf6 100644
--- a/src/idiomorph.js
+++ b/src/idiomorph.js
@@ -187,14 +187,6 @@ var Idiomorph = (function () {
    */
   function morphOuterHTML(ctx, oldNode, newNode) {
     const oldParent = normalizeParent(oldNode);
-
-    // basis for calulating which nodes were morphed
-    // since there may be unmorphed sibling nodes
-    let childNodes = Array.from(oldParent.childNodes);
-    const index = childNodes.indexOf(oldNode);
-    // how many elements are to the right of the oldNode
-    const rightMargin = childNodes.length - (index + 1);
-
     morphChildren(
       ctx,
       oldParent,
@@ -203,10 +195,8 @@ var Idiomorph = (function () {
       oldNode, // start point for iteration
       oldNode.nextSibling, // end point for iteration
     );
-
-    // return just the morphed nodes
-    childNodes = Array.from(oldParent.childNodes);
-    return childNodes.slice(index, childNodes.length - rightMargin);
+    // this is safe even with siblings, because normalizeParent returns a SlicedParentNode if needed.
+    return Array.from(oldParent.childNodes);
   }
 
   /**
@@ -1199,8 +1189,9 @@ var Idiomorph = (function () {
         if (newContent.parentNode) {
           // we can't use the parent directly because newContent may have siblings
           // that we don't want in the morph, and reparenting might be expensive (TODO is it?),
-          // so we create a duck-typed parent node instead.
-          return createDuckTypedParent(newContent);
+          // so instead we create a fake parent node that only sees a slice of its children.
+          /** @type {Element} */
+          return /** @type {any} */ (new SlicedParentNode(newContent));
         } else {
           // a single node is added as a child to a dummy parent
           const dummyParent = document.createElement("div");
@@ -1219,33 +1210,78 @@ var Idiomorph = (function () {
     }
 
     /**
-     * Creates a fake duck-typed parent element to wrap a single node, without actually reparenting it.
+     * A fake duck-typed parent element to wrap a single node, without actually reparenting it.
+     * This is useful because the node may have siblings that we don't want in the morph, and it may also be moved
+     * or replaced with one or more elements during the morph. This class effectively allows us a window into
+     * a slice of a node's children.
      * "If it walks like a duck, and quacks like a duck, then it must be a duck!" -- James Whitcomb Riley (1849–1916)
-     *
-     * @param {Node} newContent
-     * @returns {Element}
      */
-    function createDuckTypedParent(newContent) {
-      return /** @type {Element} */ (
-        /** @type {unknown} */ ({
-          childNodes: [newContent],
-          /** @ts-ignore - cover your eyes for a minute, tsc */
-          querySelectorAll: (s) => {
-            /** @ts-ignore */
-            const elements = newContent.querySelectorAll(s);
-            /** @ts-ignore */
-            return newContent.matches(s) ? [newContent, ...elements] : elements;
-          },
-          /** @ts-ignore */
-          insertBefore: (n, r) => newContent.parentNode.insertBefore(n, r),
-          /** @ts-ignore */
-          moveBefore: (n, r) => newContent.parentNode.moveBefore(n, r),
-          // for later use with populateIdMapWithTree to halt upwards iteration
-          get __idiomorphRoot() {
-            return newContent;
-          },
-        })
-      );
+    class SlicedParentNode {
+      /** @param {Node} node */
+      constructor(node) {
+        this.originalNode = node;
+        this.realParentNode = /** @type {Element} */ (node.parentNode);
+        this.previousSibling = node.previousSibling;
+        this.nextSibling = node.nextSibling;
+      }
+
+      /** @returns {Node[]} */
+      get childNodes() {
+        // return slice of realParent's current childNodes, based on previousSibling and nextSibling
+        const nodes = [];
+        let cursor = this.previousSibling
+          ? this.previousSibling.nextSibling
+          : this.realParentNode.firstChild;
+        while (cursor && cursor != this.nextSibling) {
+          nodes.push(cursor);
+          cursor = cursor.nextSibling;
+        }
+        return nodes;
+      }
+
+      /**
+       * @param {string} selector
+       * @returns {Element[]}
+       */
+      querySelectorAll(selector) {
+        return this.childNodes.reduce((results, node) => {
+          if (node instanceof Element) {
+            if (node.matches(selector)) results.push(node);
+            const nodeList = node.querySelectorAll(selector);
+            for (let i = 0; i < nodeList.length; i++) {
+              results.push(nodeList[i]);
+            }
+          }
+          return results;
+        }, /** @type {Element[]} */ ([]));
+      }
+
+      /**
+       * @param {Node} node
+       * @param {Node} referenceNode
+       * @returns {Node}
+       */
+      insertBefore(node, referenceNode) {
+        return this.realParentNode.insertBefore(node, referenceNode);
+      }
+
+      /**
+       * @param {Node} node
+       * @param {Node} referenceNode
+       * @returns {Node}
+       */
+      moveBefore(node, referenceNode) {
+        // @ts-ignore - use new moveBefore feature
+        return this.realParentNode.moveBefore(node, referenceNode);
+      }
+
+      /**
+       * for later use with populateIdMapWithTree to halt upwards iteration
+       * @returns {Node}
+       */
+      get __idiomorphRoot() {
+        return this.originalNode;
+      }
     }
 
     /**
diff --git a/test/fidelity.js b/test/fidelity.js
index 1c5c1ad..5a2c583 100644
--- a/test/fidelity.js
+++ b/test/fidelity.js
@@ -1,20 +1,12 @@
 describe("Tests to ensure that idiomorph merges properly", function () {
   setup();
 
-  function expectFidelity(actual, expected) {
-    if (actual.outerHTML !== expected) {
-      console.log("HTML after morph: " + actual.outerHTML);
-      console.log("Expected:         " + expected);
-    }
-    actual.outerHTML.should.equal(expected);
-  }
-
   function testFidelity(start, end) {
-    let initial = make(start);
-    let final = make(end);
-    Idiomorph.morph(initial, final);
-
-    expectFidelity(initial, end);
+    getWorkArea().innerHTML = start;
+    let startElement = getWorkArea().firstElementChild;
+    let ret = Idiomorph.morph(startElement, end);
+    getWorkArea().innerHTML.should.equal(end);
+    ret.map((e) => e.outerHTML).should.eql([end]);
   }
 
   // bootstrap test
@@ -37,10 +29,10 @@ describe("Tests to ensure that idiomorph merges properly", function () {
     const initial = make(a);
 
     Idiomorph.morph(initial, expectedB);
-    expectFidelity(initial, b);
+    initial.outerHTML.should.equal(b);
 
     Idiomorph.morph(initial, expectedA);
-    expectFidelity(initial, a);
+    initial.outerHTML.should.equal(a);
   });
 
   it("morphs children", function () {
@@ -78,21 +70,11 @@ describe("Tests to ensure that idiomorph merges properly", function () {
   });
 
   it("should wrap an IDed node", function () {
-    getWorkArea().innerHTML = `<hr id="a">`;
-    let initial = getWorkArea().firstElementChild;
-    let finalSrc = `<div><hr id="a"></div>`;
-    let ret = Idiomorph.morph(initial, finalSrc);
-    getWorkArea().innerHTML.should.equal(finalSrc);
-    // ret.map(e=>e.outerHTML).should.eql([finalSrc]);
+    testFidelity(`<hr id="a">`, `<div><hr id="a"></div>`);
   });
 
   it("should wrap an anonymous node", function () {
-    getWorkArea().innerHTML = `<hr>`;
-    let initial = getWorkArea().firstElementChild;
-    let finalSrc = `<div><hr></div>`;
-    let ret = Idiomorph.morph(initial, finalSrc);
-    getWorkArea().innerHTML.should.equal(finalSrc);
-    // ret.map(e=>e.outerHTML).should.eql([finalSrc]);
+    testFidelity(`<hr>`, `<div><hr></div>`);
   });
 
   it("should append a node", function () {
diff --git a/test/htmx-integration.js b/test/htmx-integration.js
index eb5b8fe..f14c7ff 100644
--- a/test/htmx-integration.js
+++ b/test/htmx-integration.js
@@ -183,4 +183,33 @@ describe("Tests for the htmx integration", function () {
     initialBtn.innerHTML.should.equal("Bar");
   });
   */
+
+  it("keeps the element live in an outer morph when node type changes", function () {
+    this.server.respondWith(
+      "GET",
+      "/test",
+      "<div id='b1' hx-swap='morph' hx-get='/test2' class='bar'>Foo</div>",
+    );
+    this.server.respondWith(
+      "GET",
+      "/test2",
+      "<button id='b1' hx-swap='morph' hx-get='/test3' class='doh'>Foo</button>",
+    );
+    let initialBtn = makeForHtmxTest(
+      "<button id='b1' hx-swap='morph' hx-get='/test'>Foo</button>",
+    );
+
+    initialBtn.click();
+    this.server.respond();
+    let newDiv = document.getElementById("b1");
+
+    newDiv.classList.contains("bar").should.equal(true);
+    newDiv.classList.contains("doh").should.equal(false);
+
+    newDiv.click();
+    this.server.respond();
+    let newBtn = document.getElementById("b1");
+    newBtn.classList.contains("bar").should.equal(false);
+    newBtn.classList.contains("doh").should.equal(true);
+  });
 });