diff --git a/src/core/CoreNode.test.ts b/src/core/CoreNode.test.ts
index dfce10a..90751b0 100644
--- a/src/core/CoreNode.test.ts
+++ b/src/core/CoreNode.test.ts
@@ -1113,5 +1113,71 @@ describe('set color()', () => {
 
       expect(node.clippingRect.valid).toBe(false);
     });
+
+    it('shares the invalid default rect when neither node nor ancestor clips', () => {
+      const parent = new CoreNode(stage, defaultProps());
+      parent.globalTransform = Matrix3d.identity();
+      parent.worldAlpha = 1;
+
+      const node = new CoreNode(stage, defaultProps({ parent }));
+      node.alpha = 1;
+      node.setUpdateType(UpdateType.Clipping);
+
+      node.update(0, { x: 0, y: 0, w: 0, h: 0, valid: false });
+
+      // No own allocation: the field still points at the shared default that
+      // every freshly-constructed node starts with.
+      const fresh = new CoreNode(stage, defaultProps());
+      expect(node.clippingRect).toBe(fresh.clippingRect);
+      expect(node.clippingRect.valid).toBe(false);
+    });
+
+    it('never mutates the shared default when a sibling node clips', () => {
+      const clipParent = new CoreNode(stage, defaultProps());
+      clipParent.globalTransform = Matrix3d.identity();
+      clipParent.worldAlpha = 1;
+
+      const clippingNode = new CoreNode(
+        stage,
+        defaultProps({ parent: clipParent }),
+      );
+      clippingNode.worldAlpha = 1;
+      clippingNode.alpha = 1;
+      clippingNode.x = 10;
+      clippingNode.y = 20;
+      clippingNode.w = 30;
+      clippingNode.h = 40;
+      clippingNode.clipping = true;
+      clippingNode.update(0, { x: 0, y: 0, w: 1000, h: 1000, valid: true });
+
+      // A separate non-clipping node must still see a pristine invalid default.
+      const plain = new CoreNode(stage, defaultProps());
+      expect(plain.clippingRect.valid).toBe(false);
+      expect(plain.clippingRect.x).toBe(0);
+      expect(plain.clippingRect.y).toBe(0);
+      expect(plain.clippingRect.w).toBe(0);
+      expect(plain.clippingRect.h).toBe(0);
+    });
+
+    it('allocates its own rect to inherit a valid ancestor clip rect', () => {
+      const parent = new CoreNode(stage, defaultProps());
+      parent.globalTransform = Matrix3d.identity();
+      parent.worldAlpha = 1;
+
+      const node = new CoreNode(stage, defaultProps({ parent }));
+      node.alpha = 1;
+      node.setUpdateType(UpdateType.Clipping);
+
+      const fresh = new CoreNode(stage, defaultProps());
+      node.update(0, { x: 5, y: 6, w: 20, h: 30, valid: true });
+
+      // Now owns a private rect carrying the parent's clip values.
+      expect(node.clippingRect).not.toBe(fresh.clippingRect);
+      expect(node.clippingRect.valid).toBe(true);
+      expect(node.clippingRect.x).toBe(5);
+      expect(node.clippingRect.y).toBe(6);
+      expect(node.clippingRect.w).toBe(20);
+      expect(node.clippingRect.h).toBe(30);
+    });
   });
 });
diff --git a/src/core/CoreNode.ts b/src/core/CoreNode.ts
index 2ddc40b..d96ccd0 100644
--- a/src/core/CoreNode.ts
+++ b/src/core/CoreNode.ts
@@ -808,13 +808,14 @@ export class CoreNode extends EventEmitter {
   public renderBound?: Bound;
   public strictBound?: Bound;
   public preloadBound?: Bound;
-  public clippingRect: RectWithValid = {
-    x: 0,
-    y: 0,
-    w: 0,
-    h: 0,
-    valid: false,
-  };
+  /**
+   * Points at the shared `NO_CLIPPING_RECT` until this node actually
+   * participates in clipping (either it clips, or an ancestor's clip rect
+   * propagates down). Clipping is rare across the scene graph, so most nodes
+   * never allocate their own rect — `calculateClippingRect` swaps in a private
+   * object lazily the first time one is needed.
+   */
+  public clippingRect: RectWithValid = NO_CLIPPING_RECT;
   public textureCoords?: TextureCoords;
   public updateShaderUniforms: boolean = false;
   public isRenderable = false;
@@ -1933,11 +1934,33 @@ export class CoreNode extends EventEmitter {
    * Finally, the node's parentClippingRect and clippingRect properties are updated.
    */
   calculateClippingRect(parentClippingRect: RectWithValid) {
-    const { clippingRect, props, globalTransform: gt } = this;
+    const { props, globalTransform: gt } = this;
     const { clipping } = props;
     const isRotated = gt!.tb !== 0 || gt!.tc !== 0;
+    const nodeClips = clipping !== false && isRotated === false;
+
+    // Common case: this node doesn't clip and no ancestor clip rect needs to
+    // propagate. No node-owned rect is required, so point at the shared
+    // invalid default and skip the allocation entirely.
+    if (nodeClips === false && parentClippingRect.valid === false) {
+      this.clippingRect = NO_CLIPPING_RECT;
+      return;
+    }
+
+    // A node-owned, mutable rect is needed. Allocate one lazily the first time
+    // (the default shares NO_CLIPPING_RECT, which must never be written to).
+    let clippingRect = this.clippingRect;
+    if (clippingRect === NO_CLIPPING_RECT) {
+      clippingRect = this.clippingRect = {
+        x: 0,
+        y: 0,
+        w: 0,
+        h: 0,
+        valid: false,
+      };
+    }
 
-    if (clipping !== false && isRotated === false) {
+    if (nodeClips === true) {
       let mT = 0;
       let mR = 0;
       let mB = 0;