diff --git a/src/utils/ListIterator.js b/src/utils/ListIterator.js
index 7e3463a5..6c1c3dac 100644
--- a/src/utils/ListIterator.js
+++ b/src/utils/ListIterator.js
@@ -289,13 +289,12 @@ export class ListIterator {
     /**
      * @type {Item | null}
      */
-    let item = this.nextItem
     if (this.rel > 0) {
       /**
        * @type {ID}
        */
-      const itemid = /** @type {Item} */ (item).id
-      item = getItemCleanStart(tr, createID(itemid.client, itemid.clock + this.rel))
+      const itemid = /** @type {Item} */ (this.nextItem).id
+      this.nextItem = getItemCleanStart(tr, createID(itemid.client, itemid.clock + this.rel))
       this.rel = 0
     }
     const parent = this.type
@@ -358,12 +357,11 @@ export class ListIterator {
     })
     packJsonContent()
     if (right === null && left !== null) {
-      item = left
+      this.nextItem = left
       this.reachedEnd = true
     } else {
-      item = right
+      this.nextItem = right
     }
-    this.nextItem = item
   }
 
   /**
diff --git a/tests/y-text.tests.js b/tests/y-text.tests.js
index 2a555237..f4ede339 100644
--- a/tests/y-text.tests.js
+++ b/tests/y-text.tests.js
@@ -327,6 +327,7 @@ export const testFormattingDeltaUnnecessaryAttributeChange = tc => {
  * @param {t.TestCase} tc
  */
 export const testInsertAndDeleteAtRandomPositions = tc => {
+  // @todo optimize to run at least as fast as previous marker approach
   const N = 100000
   const { text0 } = init(tc, { users: 1 })
   const gen = tc.prng