diff --git a/conda/js/package-lock.json b/conda/js/package-lock.json
index 9664648edc44f60db64b4560faf3b8fc65e1a69e..368b8a9d828a657570a02bbf845864853f1f462a 100644
--- a/conda/js/package-lock.json
+++ b/conda/js/package-lock.json
@@ -5661,6 +5661,11 @@
                         "integrity": "sha1-lpGEQOMEGnpBT4xS48V06zw+HgU=",
                         "dev": true
                 },
+                "fast-copy": {
+                        "version": "1.2.2",
+                        "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/fast-copy/-/fast-copy-1.2.2.tgz",
+                        "integrity": "sha512-qgk7WyVVFNvUzEV/RRQfI7Y6SEjHI+SfmHpkSzzoMUpd4+uXQaeGxhz52/FjnaaNGWxuWXr5l4/kRPD8GPecGA=="
+                },
                 "fast-deep-equal": {
                         "version": "1.0.0",
                         "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/fast-deep-equal/-/fast-deep-equal-1.0.0.tgz",
diff --git a/conda/js/package.json b/conda/js/package.json
index 120457a889e0db8f9ba44eddd606b4d19b8bcc6f..01ee1093209379241d06247f948cc992021f8ee6 100644
--- a/conda/js/package.json
+++ b/conda/js/package.json
@@ -84,6 +84,7 @@
                 "bootstrap": "^4.1.3",
                 "classnames": "^2.2.6",
                 "d3": "^5.5.0",
+                "fast-copy": "^1.2.2",
                 "fast-levenshtein": "^2.0.6",
                 "fuse.js": "^3.2.1",
                 "prop-types": "^15.6.2",
diff --git a/conda/js/src/components/EntityTemplateGenerationButton.jsx b/conda/js/src/components/EntityTemplateGenerationButton.jsx
index 306e96771943e626fee066fd420bb424f605de20..217ccb57e5f1071fc7d4b3c04fe372870ff71d7d 100644
--- a/conda/js/src/components/EntityTemplateGenerationButton.jsx
+++ b/conda/js/src/components/EntityTemplateGenerationButton.jsx
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ import {
 	generateAlgorithmTemplate,
 	generateLibraryTemplate,
 } from '@helpers/api';
-import { jsonClone } from '@helpers';
+import { copyObj } from '@helpers';
 import type { BeatEntity, BeatObject } from '@helpers/beat';
 import { pluralize } from '@helpers/beat';
 
@@ -58,12 +58,12 @@ export default class EntityTemplateGenerationButton extends React.Component<Prop
 				if(!this.props.data.contents.parameters)
 					throw new Error(`Bad alg object, no params field: ${ this.props.data.contents }`);
 				const hasParameters = Object.keys(this.props.data.contents.parameters).length > 0;
-				uses = jsonClone(this.props.data.contents.uses);
+				uses = copyObj(this.props.data.contents.uses);
 				res = generateAlgorithmTemplate(this.props.data.name, hasParameters, uses);
 				break;
 			case('library'):
 				// find the used libraries
-				uses = jsonClone(this.props.data.contents.uses);
+				uses = copyObj(this.props.data.contents.uses);
 				res = generateLibraryTemplate(this.props.data.name, uses);
 				break;
 			default:
diff --git a/conda/js/src/components/algorithm/AlgorithmEditor.jsx b/conda/js/src/components/algorithm/AlgorithmEditor.jsx
index d8d1900d157226b847bc8e66b1c5f827fd6bde25..4b7832063be6901946065e46ed0336993178fcae 100644
--- a/conda/js/src/components/algorithm/AlgorithmEditor.jsx
+++ b/conda/js/src/components/algorithm/AlgorithmEditor.jsx
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ import { connect } from 'react-redux';
 
 import cn from 'classnames';
 
-import { changeObjFieldName, generateNewKey, jsonClone } from '@helpers';
+import { changeObjFieldName, generateNewKey, copyObj } from '@helpers';
 import { algorithmValidator, BUILTIN_TYPES, ANALYZER_RESULT_TYPES, getValidAlgorithmObj as getValidObj } from '@helpers/beat';
 import type { AlgorithmValidatorObject, BeatObject } from '@helpers/beat';
 
@@ -131,7 +131,7 @@ export class AlgorithmEditor extends React.Component<Props, State> {
 	// updates an old group object to a new group object
 	updateGroup = (oldGroup: Group, newGroup: Group) => {
 		const gIdx = this.props.data.contents.groups.findIndex(g => JSON.stringify(g) === JSON.stringify(oldGroup));
-		const newGroups = jsonClone(this.props.data.contents.groups);
+		const newGroups = copyObj(this.props.data.contents.groups);
 		newGroups[gIdx] = newGroup;
 		this.changeContentsVal('groups', newGroups);
 	}
@@ -142,7 +142,7 @@ export class AlgorithmEditor extends React.Component<Props, State> {
 	// renames a parameter (provide name & value & the old name)
 	// deletes a parameter (provide null as name, value is optional, the name)
 	updateParameter = (name: null | string, value: any, oldName: ?string) => {
-		const params = jsonClone(this.props.data.contents.parameters);
+		const params = copyObj(this.props.data.contents.parameters);
 		if(oldName)
 			delete params[oldName];
 		if(name !== null)
@@ -159,7 +159,7 @@ export class AlgorithmEditor extends React.Component<Props, State> {
 
 	// toggles the algorithm to an analyzer algorithm
 	changeToAnalyzer = () => {
-		const contents = jsonClone(this.props.data.contents);
+		const contents = copyObj(this.props.data.contents);
 		contents.groups = contents.groups.map(g => {
 			delete g['outputs'];
 			return g;
@@ -177,7 +177,7 @@ export class AlgorithmEditor extends React.Component<Props, State> {
 
 	// toggles the algorithm to a normal algorithm
 	changeToNormal = () => {
-		const contents = jsonClone(this.props.data.contents);
+		const contents = copyObj(this.props.data.contents);
 		delete contents.results;
 		if(contents.groups.length > 0)
 			contents.groups[0].outputs = {};
diff --git a/conda/js/src/components/database/DatabaseEditor.jsx b/conda/js/src/components/database/DatabaseEditor.jsx
index 02d3b9ad65de1b44b37176dd249866ca6eea5cdc..b7f506e88fb082a6d2ed431411ec39429537682b 100644
--- a/conda/js/src/components/database/DatabaseEditor.jsx
+++ b/conda/js/src/components/database/DatabaseEditor.jsx
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ import { connect } from 'react-redux';
 
 import './DatabaseEditor.css';
 
-import { changeObjFieldName, jsonClone } from '@helpers';
+import { changeObjFieldName, copyObj } from '@helpers';
 import { getValidDatabaseObj as getValidObj } from '@helpers/beat';
 import type { BeatObject } from '@helpers/beat';
 
@@ -209,7 +209,7 @@ export class DatabaseEditor extends React.Component<Props, State> {
 											<Button outline color='secondary'
 												onClick={e => {
 													const newSets = [...protocol.sets];
-													newSets.splice(i + 1, 0, jsonClone(currSet));
+													newSets.splice(i + 1, 0, copyObj(currSet));
 
 													this.updateProtocol(
 														index,
@@ -591,7 +591,7 @@ export class DatabaseEditor extends React.Component<Props, State> {
 									protocols.splice(
 										protocolIdx + 1,
 										0,
-										jsonClone(protocol)
+										copyObj(protocol)
 									);
 
 									this.setContents({
@@ -675,7 +675,7 @@ export class DatabaseEditor extends React.Component<Props, State> {
 															<Button size='sm' outline color='secondary'
 																onClick={e => {
 																	const newSets = [...p.sets];
-																	newSets.splice(j + 1, 0, jsonClone(s));
+																	newSets.splice(j + 1, 0, copyObj(s));
 
 																	this.updateProtocol(
 																		i,
@@ -755,7 +755,7 @@ export class DatabaseEditor extends React.Component<Props, State> {
 														protocols.splice(
 															protocolIdx + 1,
 															0,
-															jsonClone(protocol)
+															copyObj(protocol)
 														);
 
 														this.setContents({
diff --git a/conda/js/src/components/dataformat/DataformatEditor.jsx b/conda/js/src/components/dataformat/DataformatEditor.jsx
index c249b25d9189f7196deeea6b3c98a40d117699c0..dcd2d03b4e9eb824c9c7450ad5878b5d16b13d75 100644
--- a/conda/js/src/components/dataformat/DataformatEditor.jsx
+++ b/conda/js/src/components/dataformat/DataformatEditor.jsx
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@ import type {
 	BeatObject,
 } from '@helpers/beat.js';
 
-import { changeObjFieldName, generateNewKey, jsonClone } from '@helpers';
+import { changeObjFieldName, generateNewKey, copyObj } from '@helpers';
 
 type Props = {
 	data: BeatObject,
diff --git a/conda/js/src/components/experiment/ExperimentEditor.jsx b/conda/js/src/components/experiment/ExperimentEditor.jsx
index 83e57058efd60fdca66fc4163abffde093ebc993..eea6bdea36fa383d7f8c6e1f4f02a927251991ea 100644
--- a/conda/js/src/components/experiment/ExperimentEditor.jsx
+++ b/conda/js/src/components/experiment/ExperimentEditor.jsx
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ import lev from 'fast-levenshtein';
 import './ExperimentEditor.css';
 import { getValidExperimentObj as getValidObj, expGetDefaultParameterValue as getDefaultParameterValue } from '@helpers/beat';
 import type { BeatObject, ParameterValue, BeatEnvironment } from '@helpers/beat';
-import { changeObjFieldName, sortObject, jsonClone } from '@helpers';
+import { changeObjFieldName, sortObject, copyObj } from '@helpers';
 
 import * as Selectors from '@store/selectors.js';
 import * as Actions from '@store/actions.js';
@@ -800,7 +800,7 @@ export class ExperimentEditor extends React.Component<Props, State> {
 										queue: queue,
 									});
 								else {
-									const newBlock = jsonClone(block);
+									const newBlock = copyObj(block);
 									delete newBlock.environment;
 									delete newBlock.queue;
 									updateBlock(newBlock);
diff --git a/conda/js/src/components/library/LibraryEditor.jsx b/conda/js/src/components/library/LibraryEditor.jsx
index 2df21e08de989bfb775e1b5ea91485892ff9fcb9..ef9f0326aa45b94da2a54335d9bd930bea95dbb4 100644
--- a/conda/js/src/components/library/LibraryEditor.jsx
+++ b/conda/js/src/components/library/LibraryEditor.jsx
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ import { connect } from 'react-redux';
 
 import { getValidLibraryObj as getValidObj } from '@helpers/beat';
 import type { BeatObject } from '@helpers/beat';
-import { changeObjFieldName, jsonClone } from '@helpers';
+import { changeObjFieldName, copyObj } from '@helpers';
 
 import * as Selectors from '@store/selectors.js';
 import { debounce } from 'throttle-debounce';
diff --git a/conda/js/src/components/plotter/PlotterEditor.jsx b/conda/js/src/components/plotter/PlotterEditor.jsx
index 08371c4f28dfd75e63bf7e6c465762ab4c2fc339..ec3c3c67fdb71dd88264c5d3dcd04f94176d6956 100644
--- a/conda/js/src/components/plotter/PlotterEditor.jsx
+++ b/conda/js/src/components/plotter/PlotterEditor.jsx
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ import { connect } from 'react-redux';
 
 import cn from 'classnames';
 
-import { changeObjFieldName, generateNewKey, jsonClone } from '@helpers';
+import { changeObjFieldName, generateNewKey, copyObj } from '@helpers';
 import { BUILTIN_TYPES, ANALYZER_RESULT_TYPES, getValidPlotterObj as getValidObj } from '@helpers/beat';
 import type { BeatObject } from '@helpers/beat';
 
@@ -78,7 +78,7 @@ export class PlotterEditor extends React.Component<Props, State> {
 	// renames a parameter (provide name & value & the old name)
 	// deletes a parameter (provide null as name, value is optional, the name)
 	updateParameter = (name: null | string, value: any, oldName: ?string) => {
-		const params = jsonClone(this.props.data.contents.parameters);
+		const params = copyObj(this.props.data.contents.parameters);
 		if(oldName)
 			delete params[oldName];
 		if(name !== null)
diff --git a/conda/js/src/components/plotterparameter/PlotterParameterEditor.jsx b/conda/js/src/components/plotterparameter/PlotterParameterEditor.jsx
index e2a214e2ec73ab3bd582bfc164e30238bafa4372..e93500cd3599cff42f855de33db3d0616f675875 100644
--- a/conda/js/src/components/plotterparameter/PlotterParameterEditor.jsx
+++ b/conda/js/src/components/plotterparameter/PlotterParameterEditor.jsx
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ import { connect } from 'react-redux';
 
 import cn from 'classnames';
 
-import { changeObjFieldName, generateNewKey, jsonClone } from '@helpers';
+import { changeObjFieldName, generateNewKey, copyObj } from '@helpers';
 import { BUILTIN_TYPES, ANALYZER_RESULT_TYPES, getValidPlotterparameterObj as getValidObj, expGetDefaultParameterValue as getDefaultParameterValue } from '@helpers/beat';
 import type { BeatObject } from '@helpers/beat';
 
diff --git a/conda/js/src/components/toolchain/ToolchainEditor.jsx b/conda/js/src/components/toolchain/ToolchainEditor.jsx
index bde16399e208daaa279dbf455802dd1edec58e7d..3c313e87d0e2e69a87100cc1cb03ac5f5e8b27e9 100644
--- a/conda/js/src/components/toolchain/ToolchainEditor.jsx
+++ b/conda/js/src/components/toolchain/ToolchainEditor.jsx
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ import {
 import { connect } from 'react-redux';
 import { ContextMenu, MenuItem, ContextMenuTrigger, SubMenu } from 'react-contextmenu';
 
-import { getRandomBrightColor, generateNewKey, jsonClone } from '@helpers';
+import { getRandomBrightColor, generateNewKey, copyObj } from '@helpers';
 import { getValidToolchainObj as getValidObj } from '@helpers/beat';
 import type { BeatObject } from '@helpers/beat';
 import { fetchLayout, genModuleApiFuncs } from '@helpers/api';
@@ -105,7 +105,7 @@ const generateNewHistory = (state: State, data: any): History => {
 	return {
 		past: [
 			...state.history.past,
-			jsonClone(data),
+			copyObj(data),
 		],
 		future: [],
 	};
@@ -182,7 +182,7 @@ export class ToolchainEditor extends React.PureComponent<Props, State> {
 		const newPast = [...this.state.history.past];
 		const newData = newPast.pop();
 
-		const newFuture = [...this.state.history.future, jsonClone(this.props.data)];
+		const newFuture = [...this.state.history.future, copyObj(this.props.data)];
 		this.setState({
 			history: {
 				past: newPast,
@@ -207,7 +207,7 @@ export class ToolchainEditor extends React.PureComponent<Props, State> {
 		const newFuture = [...this.state.history.future];
 		const newData = newFuture.pop();
 
-		const newPast = [...this.state.history.past, jsonClone(this.props.data)];
+		const newPast = [...this.state.history.past, copyObj(this.props.data)];
 		this.setState({
 			history: {
 				past: newPast,
@@ -583,7 +583,7 @@ export class ToolchainEditor extends React.PureComponent<Props, State> {
 	// as well as any connections to/from it
 	// if it was the sole member of a group, deletes the group too
 	deleteBlocks = (names: string[]) => {
-		const rep = jsonClone(this.props.data.contents.representation);
+		const rep = copyObj(this.props.data.contents.representation);
 
 		names.forEach(name => {
 			delete rep.blocks[name];
diff --git a/conda/js/src/helpers/beat.js b/conda/js/src/helpers/beat.js
index 228643f06d27d1716527386ea33e93e0b4f14f17..3ab88b3eacd5033c3922011c1e708a13cdcd31be 100644
--- a/conda/js/src/helpers/beat.js
+++ b/conda/js/src/helpers/beat.js
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 // @flow
 // BEAT-specific helpers
-import { jsonClone } from '.';
+import { copyObj } from '.';
 // all the BEAT entities
 export type BeatEntity = 'database' | 'library' | 'dataformat' | 'algorithm' | 'toolchain' | 'experiment' | 'plotter' | 'plotterparameter';
 
@@ -258,7 +258,7 @@ export const getValidAlgorithmObj = (data: BeatObject = {name: '', contents: {}}
 	const getObj = {
 		name: '',
 		contents: {},
-		...jsonClone(data)
+		...copyObj(data)
 	};
 
 	const obj = {
@@ -284,7 +284,7 @@ export const getValidDatabaseObj = (data: BeatObject = {name: '', contents: {}})
 	const getObj = {
 		name: '',
 		contents: {},
-		...jsonClone(data)
+		...copyObj(data)
 	};
 
 	if(Array.isArray(getObj.contents.protocols)){
@@ -312,7 +312,7 @@ export const getValidDataformatObj = (data: BeatObject = {name: '', contents: {}
 	const getObj = {
 		name: '',
 		contents: {},
-		...jsonClone(data)
+		...copyObj(data)
 	};
 
 	const obj = {
@@ -353,7 +353,7 @@ export const getValidExperimentObj = (data: BeatObject = {name: '', contents: {}
 	const getObj = {
 		name: '',
 		contents: {},
-		...jsonClone(data)
+		...copyObj(data)
 	};
 
 	getObj.contents.datasets = getObj.contents.datasets || {};
@@ -428,7 +428,7 @@ export const getValidLibraryObj = (data: BeatObject = {name: '', contents: {}})
 	const getObj = {
 		name: '',
 		contents: {},
-		...jsonClone(data)
+		...copyObj(data)
 	};
 
 	const obj = {
@@ -449,7 +449,7 @@ export const getValidToolchainObj = (data: BeatObject = {name: '', contents: {}}
 		name: '',
 		contents: {},
 		extraContents: {},
-		...jsonClone(data)
+		...copyObj(data)
 	};
 
 	const obj = {
@@ -480,7 +480,7 @@ export const getValidPlotterObj = (data: BeatObject = {name: '', contents: {}})
 	const getObj = {
 		name: '',
 		contents: {},
-		...jsonClone(data)
+		...copyObj(data)
 	};
 
 	const obj = {
@@ -502,7 +502,7 @@ export const getValidPlotterparameterObj = (data: BeatObject = {name: '', conten
 	const getObj = {
 		name: '',
 		contents: {},
-		...jsonClone(data)
+		...copyObj(data)
 	};
 
 	const obj = {
diff --git a/conda/js/src/helpers/index.js b/conda/js/src/helpers/index.js
index 6c12503d6c56ea52424587f1a55ba1bbd8265c02..4e5ce573d8f37b30a77477f9b4463a5539b63526 100644
--- a/conda/js/src/helpers/index.js
+++ b/conda/js/src/helpers/index.js
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 // @flow
 // basic helpers - common bits of code refactored to DRY
+import copy from 'fast-copy';
 
 // changes a field in an object to a different name
 // only required because keys are often mutable
@@ -48,9 +49,8 @@ export const sortObject = (o: any) => Object.entries(o)
 .sort(([n1, v1], [n2, v2]) => n1 > n2 ? 1 : -1)
 .reduce((o, [n, v]) => ({...o, [n]: Object((v: any)) === v ? sortObject(v) : v}), {});
 
-// clones a JSON obj via stringify/parse
-export const jsonClone = (any: any) => {
-	return JSON.parse(JSON.stringify(any));
+export const copyObj = (any: any) => {
+	return copy(any);
 };
 
 export type GenericObject = {[string]: any};