diff --git a/src/jsoneditor/actions.js b/src/jsoneditor/actions.js
index d8bbeef..6bb5b36 100644
--- a/src/jsoneditor/actions.js
+++ b/src/jsoneditor/actions.js
@@ -313,7 +313,7 @@ export function removeAll (paths) {
 
 /**
  * Create a JSONPatch to order the items of an array or the properties of an object in ascending
- * or descending order
+ * or descending order. In case of ESON, this will maintain state of expanded items
  * @param {JSON} json
  * @param {Path} path
  * @param {'asc' | 'desc' | null} [order=null]  If not provided, will toggle current ordering
@@ -374,15 +374,13 @@ function sortWithComparator (items, comparator) {
 
     if (i !== firstIndex) {
       const item = orderedItems[firstIndex]
-      const beforeItem = orderedItems[i]
       orderedItems.splice(firstIndex, 1)
       orderedItems.unshift(item)
 
       moveActions.push({
         item,
         fromIndex: firstIndex,
-        toIndex: i,
-        beforeItem
+        toIndex: i
       })
     }
   }
diff --git a/src/jsoneditor/actions.test.js b/src/jsoneditor/actions.test.js
index 7deb4ec..74ad044 100644
--- a/src/jsoneditor/actions.test.js
+++ b/src/jsoneditor/actions.test.js
@@ -17,12 +17,42 @@ const assertEqualEson = createAssertEqualEson(expect)
 // TODO: test remove
 // TODO: test removeAll
 
-it('sort root Array', () => {
-  const eson = syncEson([1,3,2])
+it('sort root Array (json)', () => {
+  const json = [1,3,2]
+  const sorted1 = immutableJSONPatch(json, sort(json, [])).json
+  const sorted2 = immutableJSONPatch(json, sort(json, [], 'asc')).json
+  const sorted3 = immutableJSONPatch(json, sort(json, [], 'desc')).json
 
-  assertEqualEson(immutableJSONPatch(eson, sort(eson, [])).json, syncEson([1,2,3]))
-  assertEqualEson(immutableJSONPatch(eson, sort(eson, [], 'asc')).json, syncEson([1,2,3]))
-  assertEqualEson(immutableJSONPatch(eson, sort(eson, [], 'desc')).json, syncEson([3,2,1]))
+  console.log(json)
+  console.log(sorted1)
+
+  assertEqualEson(json, [1,3, 2]) // should be untouched
+  assertEqualEson(sorted1, [1,2,3])
+  assertEqualEson(sorted2, [1,2,3])
+  assertEqualEson(sorted3, [3,2,1])
+})
+
+it('sort root Array (eson)', () => {
+  const eson = syncEson([1,3,2])
+  const sorted1 = immutableJSONPatch(eson, sort(eson, [])).json
+  const sorted2 = immutableJSONPatch(eson, sort(eson, [], 'asc')).json
+  const sorted3 = immutableJSONPatch(eson, sort(eson, [], 'desc')).json
+
+  assertEqualEson(sorted1, syncEson([1, 2, 3]))
+  assertEqualEson(sorted1[0], eson[0], false)
+  assertEqualEson(sorted1[1], eson[2], false)
+  assertEqualEson(sorted1[2], eson[1], false)
+  expect(sorted1).not.toBe(eson)
+
+  assertEqualEson(sorted2[0], eson[0], false)
+  assertEqualEson(sorted2[1], eson[2], false)
+  assertEqualEson(sorted2[2], eson[1], false)
+  expect(sorted2).not.toBe(eson)
+
+  assertEqualEson(sorted3[0], eson[1], false)
+  assertEqualEson(sorted3[1], eson[2], false)
+  assertEqualEson(sorted3[2], eson[0], false)
+  expect(sorted3).not.toBe(eson)
 })
 
 it('sort nested Array', () => {
diff --git a/src/jsoneditor/eson.js b/src/jsoneditor/eson.js
index 80c66e8..ede3680 100644
--- a/src/jsoneditor/eson.js
+++ b/src/jsoneditor/eson.js
@@ -52,7 +52,6 @@ export function syncEson(json, eson) {
     if (changed) {
       updatedEson[ID] = sameType ? eson[ID] : createId()
       updatedEson[TYPE] = jsonType
-      updatedEson[VALUE] = json
       updatedEson[EXPANDED] = sameType ? eson[EXPANDED] : false
 
       return updatedEson
@@ -83,7 +82,6 @@ export function syncEson(json, eson) {
     if (changed) {
       updatedEson[ID] = sameType ? eson[ID] : createId()
       updatedEson[TYPE] = jsonType
-      updatedEson[VALUE] = json
       updatedEson[EXPANDED] = sameType ? eson[EXPANDED] : false
 
       return updatedEson
@@ -93,7 +91,7 @@ export function syncEson(json, eson) {
     }
   }
   else if (jsonType === 'value') { // json is a value
-    if (sameType && eson[VALUE] === json) {
+    if (sameType && eson && eson[VALUE] === json) {
       return eson
     }
     else {
@@ -103,6 +101,7 @@ export function syncEson(json, eson) {
       updatedEson[TYPE] = jsonType
       updatedEson[VALUE] = json
       updatedEson[EXPANDED] = false
+      updatedEson.valueOf = () => json
 
       return updatedEson
     }
@@ -182,7 +181,7 @@ export function applyErrors (eson, errors = []) {
   }, eson)
 
   // cleanup any old error messages
-  return cleanupMetaData(esonWithErrors, 'error', errorPaths)
+  return cleanupMetaData(esonWithErrors, ERROR, errorPaths)
 }
 
 /**
diff --git a/src/jsoneditor/eson.test.js b/src/jsoneditor/eson.test.js
index ffd52ff..a4410b0 100644
--- a/src/jsoneditor/eson.test.js
+++ b/src/jsoneditor/eson.test.js
@@ -32,14 +32,34 @@ test('syncEson', () => {
 
   const nodeState1 = syncEson(json1, undefined)
 
-  expect(nodeState1).toEqual({
-    arr: [{}, {}, {}],
-    obj: {a: {}}
-  })
+  expect(nodeState1[ID]).toBeDefined()
+  expect(nodeState1[TYPE]).toEqual('object')
+  expect(nodeState1[EXPANDED]).toEqual(false)
+  expect(nodeState1[VALUE]).toBeUndefined()
+  expect(nodeState1.arr[ID]).toBeDefined()
+  expect(nodeState1.arr[TYPE]).toEqual('array')
+  expect(nodeState1.arr[VALUE]).toBeUndefined()
+  expect(nodeState1.arr[EXPANDED]).toEqual(false)
   expect(nodeState1.arr[0][ID]).toBeDefined()
   expect(nodeState1.arr[0][TYPE]).toEqual('value')
-  expect(nodeState1.arr[TYPE]).toEqual('array')
-  expect(nodeState1[TYPE]).toEqual('object')
+  expect(nodeState1.arr[0][VALUE]).toEqual(1)
+  expect(nodeState1.arr[0][EXPANDED]).toEqual(false)
+  expect(nodeState1.arr[1][ID]).toBeDefined()
+  expect(nodeState1.arr[1][TYPE]).toEqual('value')
+  expect(nodeState1.arr[1][VALUE]).toEqual(2)
+  expect(nodeState1.arr[1][EXPANDED]).toEqual(false)
+  expect(nodeState1.arr[2][ID]).toBeDefined()
+  expect(nodeState1.arr[2][TYPE]).toEqual('value')
+  expect(nodeState1.arr[2][VALUE]).toEqual(3)
+  expect(nodeState1.arr[2][EXPANDED]).toEqual(false)
+  expect(nodeState1.obj[ID]).toBeDefined()
+  expect(nodeState1.obj[TYPE]).toEqual('object')
+  expect(nodeState1.obj[VALUE]).toBeUndefined()
+  expect(nodeState1.obj[EXPANDED]).toEqual(false)
+  expect(nodeState1.obj.a[ID]).toBeDefined()
+  expect(nodeState1.obj.a[TYPE]).toEqual('value')
+  expect(nodeState1.obj.a[VALUE]).toEqual(2)
+  expect(nodeState1.obj.a[EXPANDED]).toEqual(false)
 
   const json2 = {
     arr: [1, 2],
@@ -47,11 +67,6 @@ test('syncEson', () => {
   }
   const nodeState2 = syncEson(json2, nodeState1)
 
-  expect(nodeState2).toEqual({
-    arr: [{}, {}],
-    obj: {a: {}, b: {}}
-  })
-
   // ID's should be the same for unchanged contents
   expect(nodeState2[ID]).toEqual(nodeState1[ID])
   expect(nodeState2.arr[ID]).toEqual(nodeState1.arr[ID])
@@ -145,7 +160,6 @@ test('expand a callback', () => {
   })
 
   function callback (path) {
-    console.log('callback')
     return (path.length >= 1)
         ? true     // expand
         : undefined // leave untouched
@@ -188,9 +202,6 @@ test('add and remove errors', () => {
   expected = setIn(expected, ['obj', 'arr', '2', 'last', ERROR], jsonSchemaErrors[0])
   expected = setIn(expected, ['nill', ERROR], jsonSchemaErrors[1])
 
-  console.log(actual1)
-  console.log(expected)
-
   assertEqualEson(actual1, expected)
 
   // re-applying the same errors should not change eson
diff --git a/src/jsoneditor/utils/assertEqualEson.js b/src/jsoneditor/utils/assertEqualEson.js
index 2c68fb4..45a1cd4 100644
--- a/src/jsoneditor/utils/assertEqualEson.js
+++ b/src/jsoneditor/utils/assertEqualEson.js
@@ -1,6 +1,5 @@
-import { ID, TYPE, VALUE } from '../eson'
-import uniq from 'lodash/uniq'
-import each from 'lodash/each'
+import { ID } from '../eson'
+import { deleteIn, transform } from './immutabilityHelpers'
 
 export function createAssertEqualEson(expect) {
 
@@ -9,31 +8,23 @@ export function createAssertEqualEson(expect) {
       throw new Error('Argument "expected" is undefined')
     }
 
-    // regular deep equal
-    expect(actual).toEqual(expected)
+    if (ignoreIds) {
+      const actualWithoutIds = stripValueOf(stripIdSymbols(actual))
+      const expectedWithoutIds = stripValueOf(stripIdSymbols(expected))
 
-    assertEqualEsonKeys(actual, expected, ignoreIds)
+      expect(actualWithoutIds).toEqual(expectedWithoutIds)
+    }
+    else {
+      expect(actual).toEqual(expected)
+    }
   }
 
-  function assertEqualEsonKeys (actual, expected, ignoreIds = true) {
-    // collect all symbols
-    const symbols = uniq(Object.getOwnPropertySymbols(actual)
-        .concat(Object.getOwnPropertySymbols(expected)))
+  function stripIdSymbols (eson) {
+    return transform(eson, (value) => deleteIn(value, [ID]))
+  }
 
-    // test whether all meta data is the same
-    symbols
-        .filter(symbol => symbol !== ID || ignoreIds)
-        .forEach(symbol => expect(actual[symbol]).toEqual(expected[symbol]))
-
-    if (actual[TYPE] === 'array') {
-      each(expected, (item, index) => assertEqualEsonKeys(actual[index], expected[index], ignoreIds))
-    }
-    else if (actual[TYPE] === 'object') {
-      each(actual, (value, key) => assertEqualEsonKeys(actual[key], expected[key]), ignoreIds)
-    }
-    else { // actual[TYPE] === 'value'
-      expect(actual[VALUE]).toEqual(expected[VALUE])
-    }
+  function stripValueOf (eson) {
+    return transform(eson, (value) => deleteIn(value, ['valueOf']))
   }
 
   return assertEqualEson
diff --git a/src/jsoneditor/utils/immutabilityHelpers.js b/src/jsoneditor/utils/immutabilityHelpers.js
index 8247cf2..a1ec569 100644
--- a/src/jsoneditor/utils/immutabilityHelpers.js
+++ b/src/jsoneditor/utils/immutabilityHelpers.js
@@ -161,7 +161,7 @@ export function deleteIn (object, path) {
     else {
       const updatedObject = shallowCloneWithSymbols(object)
 
-      if (Array.isArray(updatedObject)) {
+      if (Array.isArray(updatedObject) && typeof key !== 'symbol') {
         updatedObject.splice(key, 1)
       }
       else {