diff --git a/yoga/YGNode.cpp b/yoga/YGNode.cpp
index 7b741acf..2fb4510c 100644
--- a/yoga/YGNode.cpp
+++ b/yoga/YGNode.cpp
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@
  * file in the root directory of this source tree.
  */
 #include "YGNode.h"
+#include <algorithm>
 #include <iostream>
 #include "CompactValue.h"
 #include "Utils.h"
@@ -12,6 +13,31 @@
 using namespace facebook;
 using facebook::yoga::detail::CompactValue;
 
+YGNode::YGNode(YGNode&& node) {
+  context_ = node.context_;
+  hasNewLayout_ = node.hasNewLayout_;
+  isReferenceBaseline_ = node.isReferenceBaseline_;
+  isDirty_ = node.isDirty_;
+  nodeType_ = node.nodeType_;
+  measureUsesContext_ = node.measureUsesContext_;
+  baselineUsesContext_ = node.baselineUsesContext_;
+  printUsesContext_ = node.printUsesContext_;
+  measure_ = node.measure_;
+  baseline_ = node.baseline_;
+  print_ = node.print_;
+  dirtied_ = node.dirtied_;
+  style_ = node.style_;
+  layout_ = node.layout_;
+  lineIndex_ = node.lineIndex_;
+  owner_ = node.owner_;
+  children_ = std::move(node.children_);
+  config_ = node.config_;
+  resolvedDimensions_ = node.resolvedDimensions_;
+  for (auto c : children_) {
+    c->setOwner(c);
+  }
+}
+
 void YGNode::print(void* printContext) {
   if (print_.noContext != nullptr) {
     if (printUsesContext_) {
@@ -298,37 +324,6 @@ void YGNode::setPosition(
       trailing[crossAxis]);
 }
 
-YGNode& YGNode::operator=(const YGNode& node) {
-  if (&node == this) {
-    return *this;
-  }
-
-  for (auto child : children_) {
-    delete child;
-  }
-
-  context_ = node.getContext();
-  hasNewLayout_ = node.getHasNewLayout();
-  nodeType_ = node.getNodeType();
-  measureUsesContext_ = node.measureUsesContext_;
-  baselineUsesContext_ = node.baselineUsesContext_;
-  printUsesContext_ = node.printUsesContext_;
-  measure_ = node.measure_;
-  baseline_ = node.baseline_;
-  print_ = node.print_;
-  dirtied_ = node.getDirtied();
-  style_ = node.style_;
-  layout_ = node.layout_;
-  lineIndex_ = node.getLineIndex();
-  owner_ = node.getOwner();
-  children_ = node.getChildren();
-  config_ = node.getConfig();
-  isDirty_ = node.isDirty();
-  resolvedDimensions_ = node.getResolvedDimensions();
-
-  return *this;
-}
-
 YGValue YGNode::marginLeadingValue(const YGFlexDirection axis) const {
   if (YGFlexDirectionIsRow(axis) && !style_.margin[YGEdgeStart].isUndefined()) {
     return style_.margin[YGEdgeStart];
diff --git a/yoga/YGNode.h b/yoga/YGNode.h
index 42c99f00..b5ff98a5 100644
--- a/yoga/YGNode.h
+++ b/yoga/YGNode.h
@@ -55,6 +55,13 @@ private:
   void setMeasureFunc(decltype(measure_));
   void setBaselineFunc(decltype(baseline_));
 
+  // DANGER DANGER DANGER!
+  // If the the node assigned to has children, we'd either have to deallocate
+  // them (potentially incorrect) or ignore them (danger of leaks). Only ever
+  // use this after checking that there are no children.
+  // DO NOT CHANGE THE VISIBILITY OF THIS METHOD!
+  YGNode& operator=(YGNode&&) = default;
+
 public:
   YGNode()
       : hasNewLayout_{true},
@@ -66,8 +73,16 @@ public:
         printUsesContext_{false} {}
   ~YGNode() = default; // cleanup of owner/children relationships in YGNodeFree
   explicit YGNode(const YGConfigRef newConfig) : config_(newConfig){};
+
+  YGNode(YGNode&&);
+
+  // Does not expose true value semantics, as children are not cloned eagerly.
+  // Should we remove this?
   YGNode(const YGNode& node) = default;
-  YGNode& operator=(const YGNode& node);
+
+  // assignment means potential leaks of existing children, or alternatively
+  // freeing unowned memory, double free, or freeing stack memory.
+  YGNode& operator=(const YGNode&) = delete;
 
   // Getters
   void* getContext() const {