diff --git a/src/ReactWrapper.jsx b/src/ReactWrapper.jsx
index 6af2990c1..877608cef 100644
--- a/src/ReactWrapper.jsx
+++ b/src/ReactWrapper.jsx
@@ -107,6 +107,24 @@ class ReactWrapper {
     );
   }
 
+  /**
+   * Returns the wrapper's underlying node.
+   *
+   * @return {ReactElement}
+   */
+  getNode() {
+    return this.node;
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * Returns the wrapper's underlying nodes.
+   *
+   * @return {Array<ReactElement>}
+   */
+  getNodes() {
+    return this.nodes;
+  }
+
   /**
    * If the root component contained a ref, you can access it here
    * and get a wrapper around it.
diff --git a/src/ShallowWrapper.js b/src/ShallowWrapper.js
index 7ae106f2a..d86e9f3e5 100644
--- a/src/ShallowWrapper.js
+++ b/src/ShallowWrapper.js
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@ import {
  * @returns {ShallowWrapper}
  */
 function findWhereUnwrapped(wrapper, predicate, filter = treeFilter) {
-  return wrapper.flatMap(n => filter(n.node, predicate));
+  return wrapper.flatMap(n => filter(n.getNode(), predicate));
 }
 
 /**
@@ -58,7 +58,7 @@ function findWhereUnwrapped(wrapper, predicate, filter = treeFilter) {
  * @returns {ShallowWrapper}
  */
 function filterWhereUnwrapped(wrapper, predicate) {
-  return wrapper.wrap(compact(wrapper.nodes.filter(predicate)));
+  return wrapper.wrap(compact(wrapper.getNodes().filter(predicate)));
 }
 
 /**
@@ -84,34 +84,46 @@ class ShallowWrapper {
           }
         });
       });
-      Object.defineProperty(this, 'node', {
-        get() {
-          return this.renderer.getRenderOutput();
-        },
-      });
-      Object.defineProperty(this, 'nodes', {
-        get() {
-          return [this.renderer.getRenderOutput()];
-        },
-      });
       this.length = 1;
     } else {
       this.root = root;
       this.unrendered = null;
       this.renderer = null;
       if (!Array.isArray(nodes)) {
-        this.node = nodes;
-        this.nodes = [nodes];
+        this.initialNode = nodes;
+        this.initialNodes = [nodes];
       } else {
-        this.node = nodes[0];
-        this.nodes = nodes;
+        this.initialNode = nodes[0];
+        this.initialNodes = nodes;
       }
-      this.length = this.nodes.length;
+      this.length = this.initialNodes.length;
     }
     this.options = options;
     this.complexSelector = new ComplexSelector(buildPredicate, findWhereUnwrapped, childrenOfNode);
   }
 
+  /**
+   * If the current wrapper is wrapping the root component, returns the
+   * root component's latest render output. Otherwise, returns the node
+   * the wrapper was created with.
+   *
+   * @return {ReactElement}
+   */
+  getNode() {
+    return this.initialNode || this.renderer.getRenderOutput();
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * If the current wrapper is wrapping the root component, returns the
+   * root component's latest render output wrapped in an array. Otherwise,
+   * returns the nodes the wrapper was created with.
+   *
+   * @return {Array<ReactElement>}
+   */
+  getNodes() {
+    return this.initialNodes || [this.renderer.getRenderOutput()];
+  }
+
   /**
    * Gets the instance of the component being rendered as the root node passed into `shallow()`.
    *
@@ -201,7 +213,6 @@ class ShallowWrapper {
             ) {
               instance.componentDidUpdate(prevProps, state, prevContext);
             }
-            this.update();
           }
           if (originalComponentWillReceiveProps) {
             instance.componentWillReceiveProps = originalComponentWillReceiveProps;
@@ -255,7 +266,6 @@ class ShallowWrapper {
     this.single('setState', () => {
       withSetStateAllowed(() => {
         this.instance().setState(state, callback);
-        this.update();
       });
     });
     return this;
@@ -393,7 +403,7 @@ class ShallowWrapper {
    * @returns {Boolean}
    */
   equals(node) {
-    return this.single('equals', () => nodeEqual(this.node, node));
+    return this.single('equals', () => nodeEqual(this.getNode(), node));
   }
 
   /**
@@ -414,7 +424,7 @@ class ShallowWrapper {
    * @returns {Boolean}
    */
   matchesElement(node) {
-    return this.single('matchesElement', () => nodeEqual(node, this.node, (a, b) => a <= b));
+    return this.single('matchesElement', () => nodeEqual(node, this.getNode(), (a, b) => a <= b));
   }
 
   /**
@@ -547,7 +557,6 @@ class ShallowWrapper {
         batchedUpdates(() => {
           handler(...args);
         });
-        this.root.update();
       });
     }
     return this;
@@ -620,7 +629,7 @@ class ShallowWrapper {
    * @returns {ShallowWrapper}
    */
   children(selector) {
-    const allChildren = this.flatMap(n => childrenOfNode(n.node));
+    const allChildren = this.flatMap(n => childrenOfNode(n.getNode()));
     return selector ? allChildren.filter(selector) : allChildren;
   }
 
@@ -644,7 +653,7 @@ class ShallowWrapper {
    * @returns {ShallowWrapper}
    */
   parents(selector) {
-    const allParents = this.wrap(this.single('parents', n => parentsOfNode(n, this.root.node)));
+    const allParents = this.wrap(this.single('parents', n => parentsOfNode(n, this.root.getNode())));
     return selector ? allParents.filter(selector) : allParents;
   }
 
@@ -745,7 +754,7 @@ class ShallowWrapper {
    * @returns {ShallowWrapper}
    */
   forEach(fn) {
-    this.nodes.forEach((n, i) => fn.call(this, this.wrap(n), i));
+    this.getNodes().forEach((n, i) => fn.call(this, this.wrap(n), i));
     return this;
   }
 
@@ -757,7 +766,7 @@ class ShallowWrapper {
    * @returns {Array}
    */
   map(fn) {
-    return this.nodes.map((n, i) => fn.call(this, this.wrap(n), i));
+    return this.getNodes().map((n, i) => fn.call(this, this.wrap(n), i));
   }
 
   /**
@@ -769,7 +778,7 @@ class ShallowWrapper {
    * @returns {*}
    */
   reduce(fn, initialValue) {
-    return this.nodes.reduce(
+    return this.getNodes().reduce(
       (accum, n, i) => fn.call(this, accum, this.wrap(n), i),
       initialValue
     );
@@ -784,7 +793,7 @@ class ShallowWrapper {
    * @returns {*}
    */
   reduceRight(fn, initialValue) {
-    return this.nodes.reduceRight(
+    return this.getNodes().reduceRight(
       (accum, n, i) => fn.call(this, accum, this.wrap(n), i),
       initialValue
     );
@@ -801,7 +810,7 @@ class ShallowWrapper {
       throw new Error('ShallowWrapper::some() can not be called on the root');
     }
     const predicate = buildPredicate(selector);
-    return this.nodes.some(predicate);
+    return this.getNodes().some(predicate);
   }
 
   /**
@@ -811,7 +820,7 @@ class ShallowWrapper {
    * @returns {Boolean}
    */
   someWhere(predicate) {
-    return this.nodes.some((n, i) => predicate.call(this, this.wrap(n), i));
+    return this.getNodes().some((n, i) => predicate.call(this, this.wrap(n), i));
   }
 
   /**
@@ -822,7 +831,7 @@ class ShallowWrapper {
    */
   every(selector) {
     const predicate = buildPredicate(selector);
-    return this.nodes.every(predicate);
+    return this.getNodes().every(predicate);
   }
 
   /**
@@ -832,7 +841,7 @@ class ShallowWrapper {
    * @returns {Boolean}
    */
   everyWhere(predicate) {
-    return this.nodes.every((n, i) => predicate.call(this, this.wrap(n), i));
+    return this.getNodes().every((n, i) => predicate.call(this, this.wrap(n), i));
   }
 
   /**
@@ -844,7 +853,7 @@ class ShallowWrapper {
    * @returns {ShallowWrapper}
    */
   flatMap(fn) {
-    const nodes = this.nodes.map((n, i) => fn.call(this, this.wrap(n), i));
+    const nodes = this.getNodes().map((n, i) => fn.call(this, this.wrap(n), i));
     const flattened = flatten(nodes, true);
     const uniques = unique(flattened);
     const compacted = compact(uniques);
@@ -870,7 +879,7 @@ class ShallowWrapper {
    * @returns {ReactElement}
    */
   get(index) {
-    return this.nodes[index];
+    return this.getNodes()[index];
   }
 
   /**
@@ -880,7 +889,7 @@ class ShallowWrapper {
    * @returns {ShallowWrapper}
    */
   at(index) {
-    return this.wrap(this.nodes[index]);
+    return this.wrap(this.getNodes()[index]);
   }
 
   /**
@@ -926,7 +935,7 @@ class ShallowWrapper {
         `Method “${fnName}” is only meant to be run on a single node. ${this.length} found instead.`
       );
     }
-    return callback.call(this, this.node);
+    return callback.call(this, this.getNode());
   }
 
   /**
@@ -949,7 +958,7 @@ class ShallowWrapper {
    * @returns {String}
    */
   debug() {
-    return debugNodes(this.nodes);
+    return debugNodes(this.getNodes());
   }
 
   /**
diff --git a/test/ShallowWrapper-spec.jsx b/test/ShallowWrapper-spec.jsx
index 688ca5b38..47ff4c660 100644
--- a/test/ShallowWrapper-spec.jsx
+++ b/test/ShallowWrapper-spec.jsx
@@ -2166,7 +2166,7 @@ describe('shallow', () => {
         </div>
       );
 
-      const nodes = wrapper.find('.foo').flatMap(w => w.children().nodes);
+      const nodes = wrapper.find('.foo').flatMap(w => w.children().getNodes());
 
       expect(nodes.length).to.equal(6);
       expect(nodes.at(0).hasClass('bar')).to.equal(true);
@@ -2415,10 +2415,10 @@ describe('shallow', () => {
           <div className="bar baz" />
         </div>
       );
-      expect(wrapper.find('.bar').get(0)).to.equal(wrapper.find('.foo').node);
-      expect(wrapper.find('.bar').get(1)).to.equal(wrapper.find('.bax').node);
-      expect(wrapper.find('.bar').get(2)).to.equal(wrapper.find('.bux').node);
-      expect(wrapper.find('.bar').get(3)).to.equal(wrapper.find('.baz').node);
+      expect(wrapper.find('.bar').get(0)).to.equal(wrapper.find('.foo').getNode());
+      expect(wrapper.find('.bar').get(1)).to.equal(wrapper.find('.bax').getNode());
+      expect(wrapper.find('.bar').get(2)).to.equal(wrapper.find('.bux').getNode());
+      expect(wrapper.find('.bar').get(3)).to.equal(wrapper.find('.baz').getNode());
     });
   });