diff --git a/packages/runtime-core/__tests__/rendererComponent.spec.ts b/packages/runtime-core/__tests__/rendererComponent.spec.ts
index fc004045..4d20ca80 100644
--- a/packages/runtime-core/__tests__/rendererComponent.spec.ts
+++ b/packages/runtime-core/__tests__/rendererComponent.spec.ts
@@ -298,12 +298,10 @@ describe('renderer: component', () => {
   })
 
   test('the component VNode should be cloned when reusing it', () => {
-    const Child = {
-      setup(props: any, { slots }: SetupContext) {
-        return () => {
-          const c = slots.default!()
-          return [c, c, c]
-        }
+    const App = {
+      render() {
+        const c = [h(Comp)]
+        return [c, c, c]
       }
     }
 
@@ -315,14 +313,6 @@ describe('renderer: component', () => {
       }
     }
 
-    const App = {
-      setup() {
-        return () => {
-          return h(Child, () => [h(Comp)])
-        }
-      }
-    }
-
     const root = nodeOps.createElement('div')
     render(h(App), root)
     expect(serializeInner(root)).toBe(`<h1></h1><h1></h1><h1></h1>`)
diff --git a/packages/runtime-core/src/compat/global.ts b/packages/runtime-core/src/compat/global.ts
index 8b100254..3d518f44 100644
--- a/packages/runtime-core/src/compat/global.ts
+++ b/packages/runtime-core/src/compat/global.ts
@@ -472,6 +472,7 @@ function installCompatMount(
     }
     setupComponent(instance)
     vnode.component = instance
+    vnode.isCompatRoot = true
 
     // $mount & $destroy
     // these are defined on ctx and picked up by the $mount/$destroy
diff --git a/packages/runtime-core/src/renderer.ts b/packages/runtime-core/src/renderer.ts
index 1da8cd09..36291a24 100644
--- a/packages/runtime-core/src/renderer.ts
+++ b/packages/runtime-core/src/renderer.ts
@@ -1301,7 +1301,8 @@ function baseCreateRenderer(
   ) => {
     // 2.x compat may pre-creaate the component instance before actually
     // mounting
-    const compatMountInstance = __COMPAT__ && initialVNode.component
+    const compatMountInstance =
+      __COMPAT__ && initialVNode.isCompatRoot && initialVNode.component
     const instance: ComponentInternalInstance =
       compatMountInstance ||
       (initialVNode.component = createComponentInstance(
diff --git a/packages/runtime-core/src/vnode.ts b/packages/runtime-core/src/vnode.ts
index da99f2ec..ec5a8f5d 100644
--- a/packages/runtime-core/src/vnode.ts
+++ b/packages/runtime-core/src/vnode.ts
@@ -136,6 +136,11 @@ export interface VNode<
    */
   [ReactiveFlags.SKIP]: true
 
+  /**
+   * @internal __COMPAT__ only
+   */
+  isCompatRoot?: true
+
   type: VNodeTypes
   props: (VNodeProps & ExtraProps) | null
   key: string | number | null