diff --git a/localgov_base.theme b/localgov_base.theme
index 4c602d9d..f0290859 100644
--- a/localgov_base.theme
+++ b/localgov_base.theme
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@
 use Drupal\Component\Utility\Crypt;
 use Drupal\Component\Utility\DeprecationHelper;
 use Drupal\Core\Form\FormStateInterface;
+use Drupal\Core\Render\Element;
 use Drupal\views\ViewExecutable;
 
 /**
@@ -76,18 +77,7 @@ function localgov_base_preprocess_page(&$variables) {
     if (in_array($region, $excluded_regions, TRUE)) {
       continue;
     }
-    $copy = $variables['page'][$region];
-
-    /** @var \Drupal\Core\Render\RendererInterface $renderer */
-    $renderer = \Drupal::service('renderer');
-    $rendered = DeprecationHelper::backwardsCompatibleCall(
-      currentVersion: \Drupal::VERSION,
-      deprecatedVersion: '10.3',
-      currentCallable: fn() => $renderer->renderInIsolation($copy),
-      deprecatedCallable: fn() => $renderer->renderPlain($copy),
-    );
-
-    $variables['has_' . $region] = strlen(trim(strip_tags($rendered, '<drupal-render-placeholder><embed><hr><iframe><img><input><link><object><script><source><style><video>'))) > 0;
+    $variables['has_' . $region] = !empty(Element::children($variables['page'][$region]));
   }
   $variables['has_sidebars'] = $variables['has_sidebar_first'] || $variables['has_sidebar_second'];