diff --git a/src/lib/methods/use.ts b/src/lib/methods/use.ts
index 683414c..448c6f0 100644
--- a/src/lib/methods/use.ts
+++ b/src/lib/methods/use.ts
@@ -3,5 +3,5 @@ import { createProxy } from "../../utils/index.js";
 
 export default function use(scope: Exotic.Emulator, value?: any): Exotic.Proxy {
   // create a proxy by target reference
-  return createProxy(scope, undefined, value);
+  return createProxy(scope, {}, value);
 }
diff --git a/src/utils/createProxy.spec.ts b/src/utils/createProxy.spec.ts
index c16d983..c96ce9b 100644
--- a/src/utils/createProxy.spec.ts
+++ b/src/utils/createProxy.spec.ts
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ const $ = new Emulator();
 describe("(function) createProxy", () => {
   it("Returns an existing proxy", () => {
     const proxy = $.use();
-    const sameProxy = createProxy($, undefined, proxy);
+    const sameProxy = createProxy($, {}, proxy);
     expect(proxy).toBe(sameProxy);
   });
 
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ describe("(function) createProxy", () => {
 
   it("Adds any target value to a proxy", () => {
     const target = "target";
-    const proxy = createProxy($, undefined, target);
+    const proxy = createProxy($, {}, target);
 
     expect($.target(proxy)).toBe(target);
   });
diff --git a/src/utils/createProxy.ts b/src/utils/createProxy.ts
index e707a11..2437f1c 100644
--- a/src/utils/createProxy.ts
+++ b/src/utils/createProxy.ts
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ import findProxyById from "./findProxyById.js";
 
 const createProxy = (
   scope: Exotic.Emulator,
-  origin: Exotic.proxy.origin = {},
+  origin: Exotic.proxy.origin,
   target?: any,
 ): Exotic.Proxy => {
   // find proxy by id
@@ -27,7 +27,6 @@ const createProxy = (
   const error = options.traceErrors ? new Error() : undefined;
   const link = origin.action === "link" ? origin.key : undefined;
   const validLink = link !== undefined;
-  const usableProxy = findProxy(target);
   const encodedOrigin = encode(origin);
   const encodedTarget = encode(target);
 
@@ -38,7 +37,7 @@ const createProxy = (
     if (proxyRef) {
       scope.emit(
         "proxy",
-        encode(proxyRef),
+        `⁠${map.proxies.get(proxyRef).id}`,
         encodedOrigin,
         encodedTarget,
         error,
@@ -49,13 +48,15 @@ const createProxy = (
 
   // find a proxy that already exists
 
+  const usableProxy = findProxy(target);
+
   if (usableProxy) {
     if (origin.action) {
       data.counter++;
     }
     scope.emit(
       "proxy",
-      encode(usableProxy),
+      `⁠${map.proxies.get(usableProxy).id}`,
       encodedOrigin,
       encodedTarget,
       error,
@@ -72,15 +73,6 @@ const createProxy = (
 
   let { proxy, revoke } = Proxy.revocable<Exotic.Proxy>(mock, traps);
 
-  const id = `${++data.counter}`;
-  const sandbox = Object.create(null);
-
-  const revokeFunction = () => {
-    revoke && revoke();
-    proxy = null;
-    revoke = null;
-  };
-
   if (validLink) {
     // create unique reference
     links[link] = proxy;
@@ -88,15 +80,19 @@ const createProxy = (
 
   // add information about this proxy
   const proxyData: Exotic.proxy.data = {
-    id,
+    id: `${++data.counter}`,
     mock,
     origin,
     target,
-    revoke: revokeFunction,
     scope,
-    sandbox,
     key: link,
     revoked: false,
+    sandbox: Object.create(null),
+    revoke() {
+      revoke && revoke();
+      proxy = null;
+      revoke = null;
+    },
   };
 
   map.mocks.set(mock, proxy);
@@ -107,7 +103,7 @@ const createProxy = (
     map.targets.set(target, proxy);
   }
 
-  scope.emit("proxy", encode(proxy), encodedOrigin, encodedTarget, error);
+  scope.emit("proxy", `⁠${proxyData.id}`, encodedOrigin, encodedTarget, error);
   return proxy;
 };
 
diff --git a/src/utils/decode.ts b/src/utils/decode.ts
index 418bf4e..c5a7416 100644
--- a/src/utils/decode.ts
+++ b/src/utils/decode.ts
@@ -11,24 +11,18 @@ export default function decode(
   value: any,
   visited: WeakSet<Exotic.traceable> = new WeakSet(),
 ): any {
-  const traceable = isTraceable(value);
   const proxy = findProxy(value);
-  const payload = isPayload(value);
-  const { links } = map.emulators.get(scope);
 
   if (proxy) {
     return proxy;
   }
 
-  if (payload) {
-    const link = links[value];
-    if (link) {
-      return link;
-    }
-    return findProxyById(scope, value);
+  if (isPayload(value)) {
+    const { links } = map.emulators.get(scope);
+    return links[value] || findProxyById(scope, value);
   }
 
-  if (traceable) {
+  if (isTraceable(value)) {
     if (typeof value === "function") {
       return value;
     }
@@ -42,14 +36,13 @@ export default function decode(
 
     const isArray = Array.isArray(value);
     const copy = isArray ? [] : {};
-    const keys = Object.keys(value);
 
     if (isArray) {
       for (let i = 0; i < value.length; i++) {
         (copy as any[]).push(decode(scope, value[i], visited));
       }
     } else {
-      for (const key of keys) {
+      for (const key of Object.keys(value)) {
         copy[key] = decode(scope, value[key], visited);
       }
     }
diff --git a/src/utils/encode.ts b/src/utils/encode.ts
index 6bb0ec6..7379b53 100644
--- a/src/utils/encode.ts
+++ b/src/utils/encode.ts
@@ -7,14 +7,13 @@ export default function encode(
   value: any,
   visited: WeakSet<Exotic.traceable> = new WeakSet(),
 ): any {
-  const traceable = isTraceable(value);
   const proxy = findProxy(value);
 
   if (proxy) {
     return `⁠${map.proxies.get(proxy).id}`;
   }
 
-  if (traceable) {
+  if (isTraceable(value)) {
     if (typeof value === "function") {
       return value;
     }
@@ -28,14 +27,13 @@ export default function encode(
 
     const isArray = Array.isArray(value);
     const copy = isArray ? [] : {};
-    const keys = Object.keys(value);
 
     if (isArray) {
       for (let i = 0; i < value.length; i++) {
         (copy as any[]).push(encode(value[i], visited));
       }
     } else {
-      for (const key of keys) {
+      for (const key of Object.keys(value)) {
         copy[key] = encode(value[key], visited);
       }
     }
diff --git a/src/utils/isPayload.ts b/src/utils/isPayload.ts
index 77bafd3..27ee791 100644
--- a/src/utils/isPayload.ts
+++ b/src/utils/isPayload.ts
@@ -2,6 +2,5 @@ import constants from "./constants.js";
 
 export default function isPayload(value: any): boolean {
   if (typeof value !== "string") return false;
-  if (!constants.IS_PROXY_ID_REGEXP.test(value)) return false;
-  return true;
+  return constants.IS_PROXY_ID_REGEXP.test(value);
 }
diff --git a/src/utils/revokeProxy.ts b/src/utils/revokeProxy.ts
index 01dc71a..dea46cb 100644
--- a/src/utils/revokeProxy.ts
+++ b/src/utils/revokeProxy.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,4 @@
 import Exotic from "../types/Exotic.js";
-import decode from "./decode.js";
-import encode from "./encode.js";
 import findProxy from "./findProxy.js";
 import map from "./map.js";
 
@@ -12,65 +10,58 @@ const revokeProxy = (value: Exotic.traceable): boolean => {
   }
 
   const proxyData = map.proxies.get(proxy);
-  const { mock, revoke, target, origin, revoked, key, scope } = proxyData;
+  const { id, mock, revoke, target, origin, revoked, key, scope } = proxyData;
 
   if (revoked) {
     return true;
   }
 
   const data = map.emulators.get(scope);
-  const { links, proxySet } = data;
-  const validKey = key !== undefined;
+  const { links, proxySet, options } = data;
 
-  if (validKey) {
+  if (key !== undefined) {
     // the key is linked to a proxy
     // delete this key from the links
     delete links[key];
   }
 
-  const decodedOrigin = decode(scope, origin) as Exotic.proxy.origin;
-
-  if (decodedOrigin) {
-    // remove from proxy's parent references
-    const { action, key, proxy: parentProxy } = decodedOrigin;
-    if (action === "get" || action === "set") {
-      // delete from parent proxy and target
-      if (parentProxy) {
-        const data = map.proxies.get(parentProxy);
-        if (data && !data.revoked) {
-          delete parentProxy[key];
-        }
-      }
+  // remove from proxy's parent references
+  const { action, key: property, proxy: parentProxy } = origin;
+  if (action === "get" || action === "set") {
+    // delete from parent proxy and target
+    const parentProxyData = map.proxies.get(parentProxy);
+    if (!parentProxyData?.revoked) {
+      delete parentProxy[property];
     }
   }
 
   map.mocks.delete(mock);
   map.targets.delete(target);
   proxySet.delete(proxy);
-  delete links[encode(proxy)];
-
-  // !! keep in proxies map
-  // prevents proxy out of revoked proxy (throws)
-  // map.proxies.delete(proxy);
+  delete links[`⁠${id}`];
 
   revoke();
 
-  Object.assign(proxyData, {
+  // !! keep in proxies map
+  // prevent proxy out of revoked proxy error
+
+  map.proxies.set(proxy, {
+    id,
     revoked: true,
     mock: null,
-    origin: null,
     revoke: null,
     sandbox: null,
     scope: null,
-    target: null,
-  } as Exotic.proxy.data);
+  });
 
   if (proxySet.size === 0) {
     // clean internal state
-    Object.assign(data, {
+    map.emulators.set(scope, {
+      options,
+      proxySet,
       links: Object.create(null),
       counter: 0,
-    } as Exotic.emulator.data);
+    });
   }
 
   return true;
diff --git a/src/utils/traps/apply.ts b/src/utils/traps/apply.ts
index ab30119..aca2a32 100644
--- a/src/utils/traps/apply.ts
+++ b/src/utils/traps/apply.ts
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ const apply = (mock: Exotic.Mock, that?: any, args?: any[]): Exotic.Proxy => {
     action: "apply",
     proxy,
     that,
-    args: args.map((arg) => createProxy(scope, undefined, arg)),
+    args: args.map((arg) => createProxy(scope, {}, arg)),
   };
 
   let value: any;
diff --git a/src/utils/traps/construct.ts b/src/utils/traps/construct.ts
index 9d0b159..fd45cfc 100644
--- a/src/utils/traps/construct.ts
+++ b/src/utils/traps/construct.ts
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ const construct = (mock: Exotic.Mock, args: any[]): Exotic.Proxy => {
   const origin: Exotic.proxy.origin = {
     action: "build",
     proxy,
-    args: args.map((arg) => createProxy(scope, undefined, arg)),
+    args: args.map((arg) => createProxy(scope, {}, arg)),
   };
 
   let value: any;