diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 76e48a02..6f9fae6c 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -1,5 +1,13 @@
 # Changelog
 
+
+## v1.5.1
+
+_7 oct 2024_
+
+- Added export of symbols
+- Various small performance improvements related to component creation
+
 ## v1.5.0
 
 _1 oct 2024_
diff --git a/package-lock.json b/package-lock.json
index 85481d41..c9e7a571 100644
--- a/package-lock.json
+++ b/package-lock.json
@@ -1,12 +1,12 @@
 {
   "name": "@lightningjs/blits",
-  "version": "1.5.0",
+  "version": "1.5.1",
   "lockfileVersion": 3,
   "requires": true,
   "packages": {
     "": {
       "name": "@lightningjs/blits",
-      "version": "1.5.0",
+      "version": "1.5.1",
       "license": "Apache-2.0",
       "dependencies": {
         "@lightningjs/msdf-generator": "^1.0.2",
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 63b5f90e..565dd418 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "@lightningjs/blits",
-  "version": "1.5.0",
+  "version": "1.5.1",
   "description": "Blits: The Lightning 3 App Development Framework",
   "bin": "bin/index.js",
   "exports": {
@@ -8,7 +8,8 @@
     "./vite": "./vite/index.js",
     "./transitions": "./src/router/transitions/index.js",
     "./precompiler": "./src/lib/precompiler/precompiler.js",
-    "./plugins": "./src/plugins/index.js"
+    "./plugins": "./src/plugins/index.js",
+    "./symbols": "./src/lib/symbols.js"
   },
   "scripts": {
     "test": "c8 npm run test:run",
diff --git a/src/component.js b/src/component.js
index 40ddfeb2..bfe16595 100644
--- a/src/component.js
+++ b/src/component.js
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@ const required = (name) => {
  *
  */
 const Component = (name = required('name'), config = required('config')) => {
-  let base
+  let base = undefined
 
   const component = function (opts, parentEl, parentComponent, rootComponent) {
     // generate a human readable ID for the component instance (i.e. Blits::ComponentName1)
@@ -89,11 +89,10 @@ const Component = (name = required('name'), config = required('config')) => {
 
     // apply the state function (passing in the this reference to utilize configured props)
     // and store a reference to this original state
-    // hasFocus key is sprinkled in
-    this[symbols.originalState] = {
-      ...((config.state && typeof config.state === 'function' && config.state.apply(this)) || {}),
-      ...{ hasFocus: false },
-    }
+    this[symbols.originalState] =
+      (config.state && typeof config.state === 'function' && config.state.apply(this)) || {}
+    // add hasFocus key in
+    this[symbols.originalState]['hasFocus'] = false
 
     // generate a reactive state (using the result of previously execute state function)
     // and store it
@@ -162,7 +161,6 @@ const Component = (name = required('name'), config = required('config')) => {
     // reactive bindings define in the template
     const effects = config.code.effects
     for (let i = 0; i < effects.length; i++) {
-      // console.log(config.code.effects[i].toString())
       effect(() => {
         effects[i](this, this[symbols.children], config, globalComponents, rootComponent, effect)
       })
@@ -170,12 +168,14 @@ const Component = (name = required('name'), config = required('config')) => {
 
     // setup watchers if the components has watchers specified
     if (this[symbols.watchers]) {
-      Object.keys(this[symbols.watchers]).forEach((watchKey) => {
+      const watcherkeys = Object.keys(this[symbols.watchers])
+      const watcherkeysLength = watcherkeys.length
+      for (let i = 0; i < watcherkeysLength; i++) {
         let target = this
-        let key = watchKey
+        let key = watcherkeys[i]
         // when dot notation used, find the nested target
-        if (watchKey.indexOf('.') > -1) {
-          const keys = watchKey.split('.')
+        if (key.indexOf('.') > -1) {
+          const keys = key.split('.')
           key = keys.pop()
           for (let i = 0; i < keys.length; i++) {
             target = target[keys[i]]
@@ -187,23 +187,13 @@ const Component = (name = required('name'), config = required('config')) => {
         effect((force = false) => {
           const newValue = target[key]
           if (old !== newValue || force === true) {
-            this[symbols.watchers][watchKey].apply(this, [newValue, old])
+            this[symbols.watchers][key].apply(this, [newValue, old])
             old = newValue
           }
         })
-      })
+      }
     }
 
-    // set all symbol based properties to non-enumerable and non-configurable
-    Object.getOwnPropertySymbols(this).forEach((property) => {
-      Object.defineProperties(this, {
-        [property]: {
-          enumerable: false,
-          configurable: false,
-        },
-      })
-    })
-
     // finaly set the lifecycle state to ready (in the next tick)
     setTimeout(() => (this.lifecycle.state = 'ready'))
 
@@ -214,7 +204,10 @@ const Component = (name = required('name'), config = required('config')) => {
   const factory = (options = {}, parentEl, parentComponent, rootComponent) => {
     if (Base[symbols['launched']] === false) {
       // Register user defined plugins once on the Base object (after launch)
-      Object.keys(plugins).forEach((pluginName) => {
+      const pluginKeys = Object.keys(plugins)
+      const pluginKeysLength = pluginKeys.length
+      for (let i = 0; i < pluginKeysLength; i++) {
+        const pluginName = pluginKeys[i]
         const prefixedPluginName = `$${pluginName}`
         if (prefixedPluginName in Base) {
           Log.warn(
@@ -231,7 +224,7 @@ const Component = (name = required('name'), config = required('config')) => {
           enumerable: true,
           configurable: false,
         })
-      })
+      }
 
       // register global components once
       globalComponents = components()
@@ -241,13 +234,13 @@ const Component = (name = required('name'), config = required('config')) => {
     }
 
     // setup the component once per component type, using Base as the prototype
-    if (!base) {
+    if (base === undefined) {
       Log.debug(`Setting up ${name} component`)
       base = setupComponent(Object.create(Base), config)
     }
 
     // one time code generation (only if precompilation is turned off)
-    if (!config.code) {
+    if (config.code === undefined) {
       Log.debug(`Generating code for ${name} component`)
       config.code = codegenerator.call(config, parser(config.template, name))
     }
diff --git a/src/component/setup/props.js b/src/component/setup/props.js
index 25134dba..63b0123f 100644
--- a/src/component/setup/props.js
+++ b/src/component/setup/props.js
@@ -29,20 +29,23 @@ export default (component, props = []) => {
     props.push('ref')
   }
   component[symbols.propKeys] = []
-  props.forEach((prop) => {
-    prop = { ...baseProp, ...(typeof prop === 'object' ? prop : { key: prop }) }
+
+  const propsLength = props.length
+
+  for (let i = 0; i < propsLength; i++) {
+    const prop = { ...baseProp, ...(typeof props[i] === 'object' ? props[i] : { key: props[i] }) }
     component[symbols.propKeys].push(prop.key)
     Object.defineProperty(component, prop.key, {
       get() {
         const value = prop.cast(
-          this[symbols.props] && prop.key in this[symbols.props]
+          this[symbols.props] !== undefined && prop.key in this[symbols.props]
             ? this[symbols.props][prop.key]
             : 'default' in prop
             ? prop.default
             : undefined
         )
 
-        if (prop.required && value === undefined) {
+        if (prop.required === true && value === undefined) {
           Log.warn(`${prop.key} is required`)
         }
 
@@ -53,5 +56,5 @@ export default (component, props = []) => {
         this[symbols.props][prop.key] = v
       },
     })
-  })
+  }
 }
diff --git a/src/component/setup/state.js b/src/component/setup/state.js
index c7c98c4c..3f0face4 100644
--- a/src/component/setup/state.js
+++ b/src/component/setup/state.js
@@ -27,13 +27,23 @@ export default (component, state = () => {}) => {
     writable: false,
   })
 
-  const stateKeys = Object.keys(state.apply(component) || {}).concat(['hasFocus'])
+  const stateKeys = Object.keys(state.apply(component) || {})
+  // add built-in hasFocus key
+  stateKeys.push(['hasFocus'])
+  const stateKeysLength = stateKeys.length
 
-  stateKeys.forEach((key) => {
-    if (component[symbols.propKeys] && component[symbols.propKeys].indexOf(key) > -1) {
+  for (let i = 0; i < stateKeysLength; i++) {
+    const key = stateKeys[i]
+    if (
+      component[symbols.propKeys] !== undefined &&
+      component[symbols.propKeys].indexOf(key) > -1
+    ) {
       Log.error(`State ${key} already exists as a prop`)
     }
-    if (component[symbols.methodKeys] && component[symbols.methodKeys].indexOf(key) > -1) {
+    if (
+      component[symbols.methodKeys] !== undefined &&
+      component[symbols.methodKeys].indexOf(key) > -1
+    ) {
       Log.error(`State ${key} already exists as a method`)
     }
     component[symbols.stateKeys].push(key)
@@ -44,7 +54,6 @@ export default (component, state = () => {}) => {
       set(v) {
         this[symbols.state][key] = v
       },
-      // enumerable: true,
     })
-  })
+  }
 }