diff --git a/src/edit.xsl b/src/edit.xsl
index e34da66..e830f2b 100644
--- a/src/edit.xsl
+++ b/src/edit.xsl
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ version="3.0">
 
     <!-- the page URI without its fragment: the base for RDFa resolution in the browser -->
     <xsl:function name="local:document-uri" as="xs:string">
-        <xsl:sequence select="substring-before(ixsl:get(ixsl:window(), 'location.href') || '#', '#')"/>
+        <xsl:sequence select="substring-before(ixsl:location() || '#', '#')"/>
     </xsl:function>
 
     <!-- editable regions are marked by convention with the rdfa-editor-content class
@@ -42,10 +42,7 @@ version="3.0">
 
     <!-- the region the user is working in: selection first, then the last focused host -->
     <xsl:function name="local:active-root" as="element()?">
-        <xsl:variable name="selection" select="local:selection()"/>
-        <xsl:variable name="anchor" select="if (ixsl:get($selection, 'rangeCount') ge 1)
-            then ixsl:get($selection, 'anchorNode') else ()"/>
-        <xsl:sequence select="($anchor ! local:root-of(.),
+        <xsl:sequence select="(local:anchor-node() ! local:root-of(.),
             ixsl:get(local:editor-state(), 'activeBlock') ! local:root-of(.), local:roots()[1])[1]"/>
     </xsl:function>
 
@@ -166,19 +163,14 @@ version="3.0">
     <!-- toolbar actions resolve the block from the selection, falling back to the
          last focused host (the block-type select steals focus - see ixsl:onfocusin) -->
     <xsl:function name="local:current-block" as="element()?">
-        <xsl:variable name="selection" select="local:selection()"/>
-        <xsl:variable name="anchor" select="if (ixsl:get($selection, 'rangeCount') ge 1)
-            then ixsl:get($selection, 'anchorNode') else ()"/>
-        <xsl:sequence select="($anchor ! local:block-of(.), ixsl:get(local:editor-state(), 'activeBlock') ! local:block-of(.))[1]"/>
+        <xsl:sequence select="(local:anchor-node() ! local:block-of(.),
+            ixsl:get(local:editor-state(), 'activeBlock') ! local:block-of(.))[1]"/>
     </xsl:function>
 
     <!-- host-based resolution for actions that act on the leaf block the caret
          sits in (block-type convert, quote toggle) rather than the top-level block -->
     <xsl:function name="local:current-host" as="element()?">
-        <xsl:variable name="selection" select="local:selection()"/>
-        <xsl:variable name="anchor" select="if (ixsl:get($selection, 'rangeCount') ge 1)
-            then ixsl:get($selection, 'anchorNode') else ()"/>
-        <xsl:sequence select="($anchor ! local:host-of(.),
+        <xsl:sequence select="(local:anchor-node() ! local:host-of(.),
             ixsl:get(local:editor-state(), 'activeBlock') ! local:host-of(.))[1]"/>
     </xsl:function>
 
@@ -244,11 +236,31 @@ version="3.0">
             then ixsl:call($selection, 'getRangeAt', [ 0 ]) else ()"/>
     </xsl:function>
 
+    <!-- the selection anchor as a node (empty when no range) and its offset (0 then) -->
+    <xsl:function name="local:anchor-node" as="node()?">
+        <xsl:variable name="selection" select="local:selection()"/>
+        <xsl:sequence select="if (ixsl:get($selection, 'rangeCount') ge 1)
+            then ixsl:get($selection, 'anchorNode') else ()"/>
+    </xsl:function>
+
+    <xsl:function name="local:anchor-offset" as="xs:integer">
+        <xsl:variable name="selection" select="local:selection()"/>
+        <xsl:sequence select="if (ixsl:get($selection, 'rangeCount') ge 1)
+            then xs:integer(ixsl:get($selection, 'anchorOffset')) else 0"/>
+    </xsl:function>
+
     <xsl:function name="local:element" as="element()">
         <xsl:param name="name" as="xs:string"/>
         <xsl:sequence select="ixsl:call(ixsl:page(), 'createElement', [ $name ])"/>
     </xsl:function>
 
+    <!-- the live value of the first input named $name under $scope (a dialog or form) -->
+    <xsl:function name="local:input-value" as="xs:string">
+        <xsl:param name="scope" as="element()"/>
+        <xsl:param name="name" as="xs:string"/>
+        <xsl:sequence select="string(ixsl:get(($scope//input[@name = $name])[1], 'value'))"/>
+    </xsl:function>
+
     <!-- focus the host of $node, then collapse the caret there -->
     <xsl:template name="local:focus-caret">
         <xsl:param name="node"/>
@@ -1373,11 +1385,8 @@ version="3.0">
                     <xsl:with-param name="host" select="$item"/>
                 </xsl:call-template>
                 <!-- text-node caret references survive reparenting -->
-                <xsl:variable name="selection" select="local:selection()"/>
-                <xsl:variable name="caret-node" select="if (ixsl:get($selection, 'rangeCount') ge 1)
-                    then ixsl:get($selection, 'anchorNode') else ()"/>
-                <xsl:variable name="caret-offset" as="xs:integer"
-                    select="if (exists($caret-node)) then xs:integer(ixsl:get($selection, 'anchorOffset')) else 0"/>
+                <xsl:variable name="caret-node" as="node()?" select="local:anchor-node()"/>
+                <xsl:variable name="caret-offset" as="xs:integer" select="local:anchor-offset()"/>
                 <xsl:variable name="target" as="element()?"
                     select="$prev/*[not(@data-role)][last()][self::ul or self::ol]"/>
                 <xsl:if test="empty($target)">
@@ -1437,11 +1446,8 @@ version="3.0">
                 <xsl:call-template name="local:push-undo">
                     <xsl:with-param name="host" select="$item"/>
                 </xsl:call-template>
-                <xsl:variable name="selection" select="local:selection()"/>
-                <xsl:variable name="caret-node" select="if (ixsl:get($selection, 'rangeCount') ge 1)
-                    then ixsl:get($selection, 'anchorNode') else ()"/>
-                <xsl:variable name="caret-offset" as="xs:integer"
-                    select="if (exists($caret-node)) then xs:integer(ixsl:get($selection, 'anchorOffset')) else 0"/>
+                <xsl:variable name="caret-node" as="node()?" select="local:anchor-node()"/>
+                <xsl:variable name="caret-offset" as="xs:integer" select="local:anchor-offset()"/>
                 <xsl:variable name="followers" as="element()*" select="$item/following-sibling::li"/>
                 <xsl:if test="exists($followers)">
                     <xsl:variable name="target" as="element()?"
@@ -1807,11 +1813,8 @@ version="3.0">
                 <xsl:call-template name="local:push-undo">
                     <xsl:with-param name="host" select="$quote"/>
                 </xsl:call-template>
-                <xsl:variable name="selection" select="local:selection()"/>
-                <xsl:variable name="caret-node" select="if (ixsl:get($selection, 'rangeCount') ge 1)
-                    then ixsl:get($selection, 'anchorNode') else ()"/>
-                <xsl:variable name="caret-offset" as="xs:integer"
-                    select="if (exists($caret-node)) then xs:integer(ixsl:get($selection, 'anchorOffset')) else 0"/>
+                <xsl:variable name="caret-node" as="node()?" select="local:anchor-node()"/>
+                <xsl:variable name="caret-offset" as="xs:integer" select="local:anchor-offset()"/>
                 <xsl:call-template name="local:remove-chrome">
                     <xsl:with-param name="block" select="$quote"/>
                 </xsl:call-template>
@@ -1893,16 +1896,15 @@ version="3.0">
             <xsl:with-param name="root" select="$snapshot-root"/>
             <xsl:with-param name="snapshot" select="$snapshot"/>
         </xsl:call-template>
-        <xsl:variable name="selection" select="local:selection()"/>
         <!-- host-of, not block-of: $block may be a nested host (a paragraph in a
              quote or cell) whose top-level block is the container. Restore only a
              node that MOVES with the children (a descendant); an element-level
              caret on the block itself dangles after replaceWith, so it falls back
              to the start of the new block (matters for empty-block conversions) -->
-        <xsl:variable name="caret-node" select="if (ixsl:get($selection, 'rangeCount') ge 1)
-            then ixsl:get($selection, 'anchorNode')[local:host-of(.) is $block][not(. is $block)] else ()"/>
+        <xsl:variable name="caret-node" as="node()?"
+            select="local:anchor-node()[local:host-of(.) is $block][not(. is $block)]"/>
         <xsl:variable name="caret-offset" as="xs:integer"
-            select="if (exists($caret-node)) then xs:integer(ixsl:get($selection, 'anchorOffset')) else 0"/>
+            select="if (exists($caret-node)) then local:anchor-offset() else 0"/>
 
         <xsl:variable name="new" as="element()" select="ixsl:call(ixsl:page(), 'createElement', [ $name ])"/>
         <xsl:for-each select="$block/(@about | @property | @typeof | @resource | @content
@@ -2145,7 +2147,7 @@ version="3.0">
 
     <xsl:template match="button[contains-token(@class, 'link-save')]" mode="ixsl:onclick">
         <xsl:variable name="href" as="xs:string"
-            select="string(ixsl:get((ancestor::div[@id = 'link-dialog']//input[@name = 'href'])[1], 'value'))"/>
+            select="local:input-value(ancestor::div[@id = 'link-dialog'][1], 'href')"/>
         <xsl:if test="$href ne ''">
             <xsl:variable name="editing" select="ixsl:get(local:editor-state(), 'editingLink')"/>
             <xsl:choose>
@@ -2261,17 +2263,17 @@ version="3.0">
 
     <xsl:template match="button[contains-token(@class, 'figure-save')]" mode="ixsl:onclick">
         <xsl:variable name="dialog" as="element()" select="ancestor::div[@id = 'figure-dialog']"/>
-        <xsl:variable name="src" as="xs:string" select="string(ixsl:get(($dialog//input[@name = 'src'])[1], 'value'))"/>
+        <xsl:variable name="src" as="xs:string" select="local:input-value($dialog, 'src')"/>
         <xsl:if test="$src ne ''">
             <xsl:call-template name="local:push-undo"/>
             <xsl:variable name="figure" as="element()" select="local:element('figure')"/>
             <xsl:variable name="img" as="element()" select="local:element('img')"/>
             <ixsl:set-attribute name="src" select="$src" object="$img"/>
-            <ixsl:set-attribute name="alt" select="string(ixsl:get(($dialog//input[@name = 'alt'])[1], 'value'))" object="$img"/>
+            <ixsl:set-attribute name="alt" select="local:input-value($dialog, 'alt')" object="$img"/>
             <!-- focusable so the image is a keyboard-navigation island (see local:nav-targets) -->
             <ixsl:set-attribute name="tabindex" select="'-1'" object="$img"/>
             <xsl:variable name="figcaption" as="element()" select="local:element('figcaption')"/>
-            <ixsl:set-property name="textContent" select="string(ixsl:get(($dialog//input[@name = 'caption'])[1], 'value'))" object="$figcaption"/>
+            <ixsl:set-property name="textContent" select="local:input-value($dialog, 'caption')" object="$figcaption"/>
             <ixsl:set-attribute name="contenteditable" select="'true'" object="$figcaption"/>
             <xsl:sequence select="ixsl:call($figure, 'appendChild', [ $img ])[current-date() lt xs:date('2000-01-01')]"/>
             <xsl:sequence select="ixsl:call($figure, 'appendChild', [ $figcaption ])[current-date() lt xs:date('2000-01-01')]"/>
diff --git a/src/ldh-blocks.xsl b/src/ldh-blocks.xsl
index 547e951..3e5419b 100644
--- a/src/ldh-blocks.xsl
+++ b/src/ldh-blocks.xsl
@@ -429,14 +429,14 @@ version="3.0">
     <xsl:template match="button[contains-token(@class, 'ldh-block-save')]" mode="ixsl:onclick">
         <xsl:variable name="dialog" as="element()" select="ancestor::div[@id = 'ldh-block-dialog']"/>
         <xsl:variable name="type" as="xs:string" select="string(ixsl:get(($dialog//select[@name = 'block-type-iri'])[1], 'value'))"/>
-        <xsl:variable name="about" as="xs:string" select="normalize-space(string(ixsl:get(($dialog//input[@name = 'about'])[1], 'value')))"/>
-        <xsl:variable name="reference-uri" as="xs:string" select="normalize-space(string(ixsl:get(($dialog//input[@name = 'reference-uri'])[1], 'value')))"/>
-        <xsl:variable name="view-query" as="xs:string" select="normalize-space(string(ixsl:get(($dialog//input[@name = 'view-query'])[1], 'value')))"/>
-        <xsl:variable name="view-mode" as="xs:string" select="normalize-space(string(ixsl:get(($dialog//input[@name = 'view-mode'])[1], 'value')))"/>
-        <xsl:variable name="chart-query" as="xs:string" select="normalize-space(string(ixsl:get(($dialog//input[@name = 'chart-query'])[1], 'value')))"/>
+        <xsl:variable name="about" as="xs:string" select="normalize-space(local:input-value($dialog, 'about'))"/>
+        <xsl:variable name="reference-uri" as="xs:string" select="normalize-space(local:input-value($dialog, 'reference-uri'))"/>
+        <xsl:variable name="view-query" as="xs:string" select="normalize-space(local:input-value($dialog, 'view-query'))"/>
+        <xsl:variable name="view-mode" as="xs:string" select="normalize-space(local:input-value($dialog, 'view-mode'))"/>
+        <xsl:variable name="chart-query" as="xs:string" select="normalize-space(local:input-value($dialog, 'chart-query'))"/>
         <xsl:variable name="chart-type" as="xs:string" select="string(ixsl:get(($dialog//select[@name = 'chart-type'])[1], 'value'))"/>
-        <xsl:variable name="chart-category" as="xs:string" select="normalize-space(string(ixsl:get(($dialog//input[@name = 'chart-category'])[1], 'value')))"/>
-        <xsl:variable name="chart-series" as="xs:string" select="normalize-space(string(ixsl:get(($dialog//input[@name = 'chart-series'])[1], 'value')))"/>
+        <xsl:variable name="chart-category" as="xs:string" select="normalize-space(local:input-value($dialog, 'chart-category'))"/>
+        <xsl:variable name="chart-series" as="xs:string" select="normalize-space(local:input-value($dialog, 'chart-series'))"/>
         <xsl:variable name="reference" as="xs:boolean" select="$type = 'urn:rdfa-editor:reference'"/>
         <xsl:variable name="valid" as="xs:boolean" select="
             if ($reference) then local:is-absolute-iri($reference-uri)
diff --git a/src/navigate.xsl b/src/navigate.xsl
index 777790d..7778afc 100644
--- a/src/navigate.xsl
+++ b/src/navigate.xsl
@@ -267,9 +267,7 @@ version="3.0">
     </xsl:function>
 
     <xsl:template name="local:update-breadcrumb">
-        <xsl:variable name="selection" select="local:selection()"/>
-        <xsl:variable name="node" select="(
-            (if (ixsl:get($selection, 'rangeCount') ge 1) then ixsl:get($selection, 'anchorNode') else ()),
+        <xsl:variable name="node" select="(local:anchor-node(),
             ixsl:get(local:editor-state(), 'activeBlock'))[1]"/>
         <xsl:variable name="leaf" as="element()?" select="$node/ancestor-or-self::*[1]"/>
         <xsl:choose>
@@ -443,12 +441,15 @@ version="3.0">
         <xsl:for-each select="local:roots()//*[contains-token(@class, 'rdfa-invalid')]">
             <xsl:sequence select="ixsl:call(ixsl:get(., 'classList'), 'remove', [ 'rdfa-invalid' ])[current-date() lt xs:date('2000-01-01')]"/>
         </xsl:for-each>
-        <xsl:variable name="lintable" as="element()*" select="local:roots() ! lint:lintable(.)"/>
-        <xsl:for-each select="$lintable[exists((lint:element-issues(.), lint:nesting-issues(.)))]">
+        <!-- the issue functions run once per element: markers and the badge count
+             both derive from the same evaluation (this fires on every mutation) -->
+        <xsl:variable name="linted" as="map(*)*" select="local:roots() ! lint:lintable(.) ! map{
+            'element': .,
+            'issues': count((lint:element-issues(.), lint:nesting-issues(.))) }"/>
+        <xsl:for-each select="$linted[?issues gt 0]?element">
             <xsl:sequence select="ixsl:call(ixsl:get(., 'classList'), 'add', [ 'rdfa-invalid' ])[current-date() lt xs:date('2000-01-01')]"/>
         </xsl:for-each>
-        <xsl:variable name="count" as="xs:integer"
-            select="count($lintable ! (lint:element-issues(.), lint:nesting-issues(.)))"/>
+        <xsl:variable name="count" as="xs:integer" select="sum($linted?issues)"/>
         <xsl:for-each select="id('lint-badge', ixsl:page())">
             <xsl:choose>
                 <xsl:when test="$count gt 0">
diff --git a/src/overlay.xsl b/src/overlay.xsl
index d6ea40c..ec4226c 100644
--- a/src/overlay.xsl
+++ b/src/overlay.xsl
@@ -105,15 +105,11 @@ version="3.0">
         <xsl:map>
             <xsl:map-entry key="'property'" select="local:typeahead-value($form, 'property')"/>
             <xsl:map-entry key="'typeof'" select="local:typeahead-value($form, 'typeof')"/>
-            <xsl:map-entry key="'subject'"
-                select="string(ixsl:get(($form//input[@name = 'subject'])[1], 'value'))[. ne '']"/>
-            <xsl:map-entry key="'object'"
-                select="string(ixsl:get(($form//input[@name = 'object'])[1], 'value'))[. ne '']"/>
-            <xsl:map-entry key="'value'"
-                select="string(ixsl:get(($form//input[@name = 'value'])[1], 'value'))[. ne '']"/>
+            <xsl:map-entry key="'subject'" select="local:input-value($form, 'subject')[. ne '']"/>
+            <xsl:map-entry key="'object'" select="local:input-value($form, 'object')[. ne '']"/>
+            <xsl:map-entry key="'value'" select="local:input-value($form, 'value')[. ne '']"/>
             <xsl:map-entry key="'datatype'" select="local:select-or-custom($form, 'datatype', 'custom-datatype')"/>
-            <xsl:map-entry key="'lang'"
-                select="string(ixsl:get(($form//input[@name = 'lang'])[1], 'value'))[. ne '']"/>
+            <xsl:map-entry key="'lang'" select="local:input-value($form, 'lang')[. ne '']"/>
         </xsl:map>
     </xsl:function>
 
@@ -126,7 +122,7 @@ version="3.0">
         <xsl:variable name="value" as="xs:string"
             select="string(ixsl:get(($form//select[@name = $select-name])[1], 'value'))"/>
         <xsl:sequence select="if ($value eq $local:custom)
-            then string(ixsl:get(($form//input[@name = $custom-name])[1], 'value'))[. ne '']
+            then local:input-value($form, $custom-name)[. ne '']
             else $value[. ne '']"/>
     </xsl:function>
 
diff --git a/src/select.xsl b/src/select.xsl
index 84c7ac5..688c63e 100644
--- a/src/select.xsl
+++ b/src/select.xsl
@@ -172,8 +172,10 @@ version="3.0">
                 </xsl:otherwise>
             </xsl:choose>
         </xsl:variable>
-        <xsl:variable name="island" as="element()?" select="($raw?node/ancestor-or-self::*[local:island(.)])[1]"/>
-        <xsl:variable name="chrome" as="element()?" select="($raw?node/ancestor-or-self::*[@data-role])[1]"/>
+        <!-- one ancestor walk serves both probes: this runs per mousemove during a sweep -->
+        <xsl:variable name="ancestors" as="element()*" select="$raw?node/ancestor-or-self::*"/>
+        <xsl:variable name="island" as="element()?" select="($ancestors[local:island(.)])[1]"/>
+        <xsl:variable name="chrome" as="element()?" select="($ancestors[@data-role])[1]"/>
         <xsl:choose>
             <!-- a point inside an object-block island (its rendering or its RDFa
                  spans) escapes to just after the island: sweep anchors never sit
@@ -257,9 +259,7 @@ version="3.0">
         <xsl:variable name="target" as="node()?" select="ixsl:get($event, 'target')"/>
         <xsl:variable name="button" as="xs:double" select="number(ixsl:get($event, 'button'))"/>
         <xsl:if test="$button = 0 and empty($target/ancestor-or-self::*[@data-role])">
-            <xsl:variable name="selection" select="local:selection()"/>
-            <xsl:variable name="anchor-node" select="if (ixsl:get($selection, 'rangeCount') ge 1)
-                then ixsl:get($selection, 'anchorNode') else ()"/>
+            <xsl:variable name="anchor-node" as="node()?" select="local:anchor-node()"/>
             <xsl:variable name="point" as="map(*)?" select="local:caret-at-point(
                 xs:double(ixsl:get($event, 'clientX')), xs:double(ixsl:get($event, 'clientY')))"/>
             <xsl:choose>
@@ -267,7 +267,7 @@ version="3.0">
                 <xsl:when test="ixsl:get($event, 'shiftKey') = true()
                         and exists(local:root-of($anchor-node)) and exists($point)">
                     <xsl:sequence select="ixsl:call($event, 'preventDefault', [])[current-date() lt xs:date('2000-01-01')]"/>
-                    <xsl:variable name="anchor-offset" as="xs:integer" select="xs:integer(ixsl:get($selection, 'anchorOffset'))"/>
+                    <xsl:variable name="anchor-offset" as="xs:integer" select="local:anchor-offset()"/>
                     <xsl:call-template name="local:extend-selection-to">
                         <xsl:with-param name="anchor-node" select="$anchor-node"/>
                         <xsl:with-param name="anchor-offset" select="$anchor-offset"/>
diff --git a/src/tables.xsl b/src/tables.xsl
index 3c2aacf..0d1063c 100644
--- a/src/tables.xsl
+++ b/src/tables.xsl
@@ -31,10 +31,7 @@ version="3.0">
 
     <!-- the cell the caret is in: selection first, then the last focused host -->
     <xsl:function name="local:current-cell" as="element()?">
-        <xsl:variable name="selection" select="local:selection()"/>
-        <xsl:variable name="anchor" select="if (ixsl:get($selection, 'rangeCount') ge 1)
-            then ixsl:get($selection, 'anchorNode') else ()"/>
-        <xsl:sequence select="($anchor ! local:cell-of(.),
+        <xsl:sequence select="(local:anchor-node() ! local:cell-of(.),
             ixsl:get(local:editor-state(), 'activeBlock') ! local:cell-of(.))[1][exists(local:block-of(.))]"/>
     </xsl:function>
 
@@ -158,13 +155,13 @@ version="3.0">
 
     <xsl:template match="button[contains-token(@class, 'table-save')]" mode="ixsl:onclick">
         <xsl:variable name="dialog" as="element()" select="ancestor::div[@id = 'table-dialog']"/>
-        <xsl:variable name="rows-raw" as="xs:string" select="string(ixsl:get(($dialog//input[@name = 'rows'])[1], 'value'))"/>
-        <xsl:variable name="cols-raw" as="xs:string" select="string(ixsl:get(($dialog//input[@name = 'cols'])[1], 'value'))"/>
+        <xsl:variable name="rows-raw" as="xs:string" select="local:input-value($dialog, 'rows')"/>
+        <xsl:variable name="cols-raw" as="xs:string" select="local:input-value($dialog, 'cols')"/>
         <xsl:if test="$rows-raw castable as xs:integer and $cols-raw castable as xs:integer">
             <xsl:variable name="rows" as="xs:integer" select="min((max((xs:integer($rows-raw), 1)), 50))"/>
             <xsl:variable name="cols" as="xs:integer" select="min((max((xs:integer($cols-raw), 1)), 20))"/>
             <xsl:variable name="header" as="xs:boolean" select="boolean(ixsl:get(($dialog//input[@name = 'header-row'])[1], 'checked'))"/>
-            <xsl:variable name="caption-text" as="xs:string" select="string(ixsl:get(($dialog//input[@name = 'caption'])[1], 'value'))"/>
+            <xsl:variable name="caption-text" as="xs:string" select="local:input-value($dialog, 'caption')"/>
             <xsl:call-template name="local:push-undo"/>
             <xsl:variable name="table" as="element()" select="local:element('table')"/>
             <xsl:if test="$caption-text ne ''">