diff --git a/gun.js b/gun.js
index e9bed366..76e0348c 100644
--- a/gun.js
+++ b/gun.js
@@ -687,19 +687,33 @@
 					sat.on('in', {get: get, put: u, $: sat.$}); // TODO: BUG? Add recursive seen check?
 				},0,99);
 				return;
-			} if(cat.ask && at.has && !msg.$$ && (('string' != typeof (tmp = valid(change))) || (cat.link && cat.link != tmp))){ // whenever we are not a link, nor the same link as before, (for our layer) we need to clear out subchains, and...
-				if(cat.link !== null || (root.pass||'')[cat.id]){
-				cat.link = null; // ideally only once, don't forget pass logic, see linking logic for why.
+			}
+			if(!cat.soul && !msg.$$){
+				if(
+					(cat.link !== null || (root.pass||'')[cat.id]) &&
+					//cat.link !== u && // TODO: BUG? actually this should be if link as a property exists or not.
+					(('string' != typeof (tmp = valid(change))) || (cat.link && tmp != cat.link)) // any time there is a change in value that is different from the previous link in any way, we need to fire a clear/empty event on chains below. // However! Do this only when unique, and make sure to do it with performance in mind.
+				){
+					cat.link = null;
 					cat.next && setTimeout.each(Object.keys(cat.ask||''), function(get, sat){ // TODO: Bug? If we're a map do we want to clear out everything, wouldn't it just be the one item's subchains, not all?
 						if(!(sat = cat.next[get])){ return } // only if next, even if asked. (right?)
 						sat.on('in', {get: get, put: u, $: sat.$});
 					},0,99);
 				}
-			} // this was an absurd amount of code to handle a tiny edge case :/ maybe don't support it in future?
+			}
+			/*if(cat.ask && ((at.has && !msg.$$) || (!at.has && msg.$$)) && (('string' != typeof (tmp = valid(change))) || (cat.link && cat.link != tmp))){ // whenever we are not a link, nor the same link as before, (for our layer) we need to clear out subchains, and... // this code is so ugly & heavy, is there something easier?
+				if(cat.link !== null || (root.pass||'')[cat.id]){ cat.link = null; // ideally only once, don't forget pass logic, see linking logic for why. // TODO: What about async loaded?
+					console.log("ugggggh", msg, cat);
+					cat.next && setTimeout.each(Object.keys(cat.ask||''), function(get, sat){ // TODO: Bug? If we're a map do we want to clear out everything, wouldn't it just be the one item's subchains, not all?
+						if(!(sat = cat.next[get])){ return } // only if next, even if asked. (right?)
+						sat.on('in', {get: get, put: u, $: sat.$});
+					},0,99);
+				}
+			} // this was an absurd amount of code to handle a tiny edge case :/ maybe don't support it in future? */
 
 			if(((msg.$$||'')._||at).soul){ // comments are linear, but this line of code is non-linear, so if I were to comment what it does, you'd have to read 42 other comments first... but you can't read any of those comments until you first read this comment. What!? // shouldn't this match link's check?
 				// is there cases where it is a $$ that we do NOT want to do the following? 
-				if((sat = cat.next) && (sat = sat[key])){ // TODO: possible trick? Maybe have `ionmap` code set a sat?
+				if((sat = cat.next) && (sat = sat[key])){ // TODO: possible trick? Maybe have `ionmap` code set a sat? // TODO: Maybe we should do `cat.ask` instead? I guess does not matter.
 					tmp = {}; Object.keys(msg).forEach(function(k){ tmp[k] = msg[k] });
 					tmp.$ = (msg.$$||msg.$).get(tmp.get = key); delete tmp.$$; delete tmp.$$$;
 					sat.on('in', tmp);
diff --git a/test/common.js b/test/common.js
index be33a0b5..db859b2e 100644
--- a/test/common.js
+++ b/test/common.js
@@ -2964,7 +2964,7 @@ describe('Gun', function(){
 			}, 'parallel/later', function(){
 			gun.get('parallel/later').get('bob').get('age').get(function(at, ev){
 				var err = at.err, data = at.put, field = at.get;
-				//console.log("***** age", data, field, at); return;
+				//console.log("*****", field, data); return;
 				expect(data).to.be(29);
 				expect(field).to.be('age');
 				done.age = true;
@@ -2972,7 +2972,7 @@ describe('Gun', function(){
 			setTimeout(function(){
 				gun.get('parallel/later').get('bob').get('name').get(function(at, ev){
 					var err = at.err, data = at.put, field = at.get;
-					//console.log("*********** name", data, field); return;
+					//console.log("***********", field, data); return;
 					expect(data).to.be('Bob!');
 					expect(field).to.be('name');
 					done.name = true;
@@ -3511,7 +3511,7 @@ describe('Gun', function(){
 			}, {v2020:1});
 
 			setTimeout(function(){ // adding more rigorous test!
-
+				//console.log("------------");
 				app.get('a').get('b').get(function(d){
 					d = (d.$$||d.$)._.put;
 					//console.log('****::::', d);
@@ -3536,25 +3536,28 @@ describe('Gun', function(){
 			var app = gun.get('nl/app').get('bar');
 
 			app.get(function(d){
-				//console.log("!!", d.put);
+				//d = (d.$$||d.$)._.put;
 				if(!d || !d.put || !d.put.wat){ return }
+				console.log('should be called: {wat:1}=', d.put);
 				expect(d.put.wat).to.be(1);
 				done.a = 1;
 				if(!done.u){ return }
 				expect(done.u).to.be.ok();
 				if(done.c){ return } done.c = 1;
 				done();
-			});
+			});//, {v2020:1});
 
+			console.log("----------");
 			app.get('a').get('b').get(function(d){
-				//console.log("????", d.put);
+				console.log("empty/clear: undefined=", d.put);
+				//d = (d.$$||d.$)._.put;
 				expect(d.put).to.be(u);
 				done.u = true;
 				if(!done.a){ return }
 				expect(done.a).to.be.ok();
 				if(done.c){ return } done.c = 1;
 				done();
-			});
+			}, {v2020:1});
 			}, 1000);
 		});