diff --git a/svelte/core-v2/src/App.svelte b/svelte/core-v2/src/App.svelte
index 26e880641..ff2b5f8cf 100644
--- a/svelte/core-v2/src/App.svelte
+++ b/svelte/core-v2/src/App.svelte
@@ -6,28 +6,24 @@
     import Footer from "./lib/Footer.svelte";
 
     import DORAlogo from "./assets/dora-icon-color-alt.svg";
-
-    let selected_entity = "unspecified";
-
-    let view_mode = "summary";
 </script>
 
 <!-- Popover shows summaries of entities -->
-<Popover {selected_entity} />
+<Popover />
 
 <div class="header">
     <div class="title"><img src="{DORAlogo}" alt="DORA"><h1>Core Model</h1></div>
-    <div class="view-control"><ViewControl bind:view_mode /></div>
+    <div class="view-control"><ViewControl /></div>
 </div>
 
 <div class="coremodel">
-    <Column column="capabilities" {view_mode} bind:selected_entity />
-    <Arrow text="predict" {view_mode} />
-    <Column column="performance" {view_mode} bind:selected_entity />
-    <Arrow text="predicts" {view_mode} />
-    <Column column="outcomes" {view_mode} bind:selected_entity />
+    <Column column="capabilities" />
+    <Arrow text="predict" />
+    <Column column="performance" />
+    <Arrow text="predicts" />
+    <Column column="outcomes" />
 </div>
-<Footer {view_mode} />
+<Footer />
 
 <style lang="scss">
     .header {
diff --git a/svelte/core-v2/src/lib/Arrow.svelte b/svelte/core-v2/src/lib/Arrow.svelte
index ef5e4c58f..f64fc22ce 100644
--- a/svelte/core-v2/src/lib/Arrow.svelte
+++ b/svelte/core-v2/src/lib/Arrow.svelte
@@ -1,9 +1,12 @@
 <script>
-    export let text = "predicts";
-    export let view_mode = "summary";
+    import { appState } from "./state.svelte.js";
+
+    let {
+        text = "predicts"
+    } = $props();
 </script>
 
-<div class={view_mode}>
+<div class={appState.view_mode}>
     <span class="text">{text}</span> <span>→</span>
 </div>
 
diff --git a/svelte/core-v2/src/lib/Column.svelte b/svelte/core-v2/src/lib/Column.svelte
index bae138bac..e4e9a08e1 100644
--- a/svelte/core-v2/src/lib/Column.svelte
+++ b/svelte/core-v2/src/lib/Column.svelte
@@ -4,13 +4,12 @@
     import EntityGroup from "./EntityGroup.svelte";
 
     import core_data from "./core_data.json";
+    import { appState } from "./state.svelte.js";
 
-    export let column;
-    export let selected_entity;
-    export let view_mode = "summary";
+    let { column } = $props();
 </script>
 
-<section class="{column} {view_mode}">
+<section class="{column} {appState.view_mode}">
     <div class="heading">{sentenceCase(column)}</div>
     <div class="entities">
         {#each Object.entries(core_data[column]) as [entity_group_id, entity_group]}
@@ -18,8 +17,6 @@
                 {column}
                 {entity_group_id}
                 {entity_group}
-                {view_mode}
-                bind:selected_entity
             />
         {/each}
     </div>
diff --git a/svelte/core-v2/src/lib/Entity.svelte b/svelte/core-v2/src/lib/Entity.svelte
index 9fd4e61b2..5d8fc48d1 100644
--- a/svelte/core-v2/src/lib/Entity.svelte
+++ b/svelte/core-v2/src/lib/Entity.svelte
@@ -1,18 +1,16 @@
 <script>
-    export let entity;
-    export let details;
-    export let view_mode;
-    export let selected_entity;
+    import { appState } from "./state.svelte.js";
+
+    let {
+        entity,
+        details
+    } = $props();
 
-    function openPopover(entity) {
-        selected_entity = entity;
-        document.getElementById("entityPopover").showPopover();
-    }
 </script>
 
 <div
-    class={view_mode}
-    on:click={() => openPopover(entity)}
+    class={appState.view_mode}
+    onclick={() => appState.selected_entity = entity}
     role="link"
     tabindex="-1"
 >
diff --git a/svelte/core-v2/src/lib/EntityGroup.svelte b/svelte/core-v2/src/lib/EntityGroup.svelte
index b53fe5041..a10803efd 100644
--- a/svelte/core-v2/src/lib/EntityGroup.svelte
+++ b/svelte/core-v2/src/lib/EntityGroup.svelte
@@ -1,22 +1,19 @@
 <script>
     import Entity from "./Entity.svelte";
+    import { appState } from "./state.svelte.js";
 
-    export let column; // column containing this group (e.g. "capabilities")
-    export let entity_group_id;
-    export let entity_group;
-    export let view_mode;
-    export let selected_entity;
+    let {
+        column,
+        entity_group_id,
+        entity_group
+    } = $props();
 
-    function openPopover(entity) {
-        selected_entity = entity;
-        document.getElementById("entityPopover").showPopover();
-    }
 </script>
 
-<div class="entity-group {view_mode} {column}">
+<div class="entity-group {appState.view_mode} {column}">
     <div
         class="group-name"
-        on:click={() => openPopover(entity_group_id)}
+        onclick={() => appState.selected_entity = entity_group_id}
         role="link"
         tabindex="-1"
     >
@@ -24,14 +21,14 @@
         {#if entity_group["measured_by"]}
             <small>measured by</small>
             <h5>
-                {entity_group["measured_by"]}{#if view_mode === "detail"}:{/if}
+                {entity_group["measured_by"]}{#if appState.view_mode === "detail"}:{/if}
             </h5>
         {/if}
     </div>
     <div class="entities-wrapper" id={entity_group_id}>
         <div class="entities">
             {#each Object.entries(entity_group["entities"]) as [entity, details]}
-                <Entity {entity} {details} {view_mode} bind:selected_entity />
+                <Entity {entity} {details} />
             {/each}
         </div>
     </div>
diff --git a/svelte/core-v2/src/lib/Footer.svelte b/svelte/core-v2/src/lib/Footer.svelte
index b9e77abcf..ad4788594 100644
--- a/svelte/core-v2/src/lib/Footer.svelte
+++ b/svelte/core-v2/src/lib/Footer.svelte
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 <script>
-    export let view_mode = "summary";
+    import { appState } from "./state.svelte.js";
     import png_url_summary from "../assets/png/dora-core-v2.1.0-summary.png";
     import png_url_detail from "../assets/png/dora-core-v2.1.0-detail.png";
     import pdf_url_summary from "../assets/pdf/dora-core-v2.1.0-summary.pdf";
@@ -21,8 +21,8 @@
     <div class="version">DORA Core model v2.1.0</div>
     <div>
         download:
-        <a href={download_urls["png"][view_mode]} target="_blank">PNG</a>
-        <a href={download_urls["pdf"][view_mode]} target="_blank">PDF</a>
+        <a href={download_urls["png"][appState.view_mode]} target="_blank">PNG</a>
+        <a href={download_urls["pdf"][appState.view_mode]} target="_blank">PDF</a>
     </div>
 </div>
 
diff --git a/svelte/core-v2/src/lib/Popover.svelte b/svelte/core-v2/src/lib/Popover.svelte
index d57c5d846..73868d669 100644
--- a/svelte/core-v2/src/lib/Popover.svelte
+++ b/svelte/core-v2/src/lib/Popover.svelte
@@ -1,70 +1,64 @@
 <script>
     import core_data from "./core_data.json";
-
-    export let selected_entity = "unspecified";
-
-    let name = "";
-    let summary = "";
-    let link = "";
-
-    // TODO: this can probably be made more spiffy/functional
-    function populateDetails(entity) {
-        for (const column in core_data) {
-            for (const entity_group in core_data[column]) {
-                if (entity_group === selected_entity) {
-                    // user has clicked on a group title
-                    name = core_data[column][entity_group]["name"];
-                    summary = core_data[column][entity_group]["summary"];
-                    link = core_data[column][entity_group]["link"];
-                } else {
-                    // user has clicked on an entity title
-                    for (const entity in core_data[column][entity_group][
-                        "entities"
-                    ]) {
-                        if (entity === selected_entity) {
-                            name =
-                                core_data[column][entity_group]["entities"][
-                                    entity
-                                ]["name"];
-                            summary =
-                                core_data[column][entity_group]["entities"][
-                                    entity
-                                ]["summary"];
-                            link =
-                                core_data[column][entity_group]["entities"][
-                                    entity
-                                ]["link"];
-                        }
-                    }
-                }
+    import { appState } from "./state.svelte.js";
+
+    // Create a flat dictionary once on load
+    const entityLookup = {};
+    for (const column in core_data) {
+        for (const group in core_data[column]) {
+            entityLookup[group] = core_data[column][group];
+            for (const entity in core_data[column][group].entities) {
+                entityLookup[entity] = core_data[column][group].entities[entity];
             }
         }
     }
 
-    // when the selected entity changes, find its associated info
-    $: populateDetails(selected_entity);
+    let details = $derived(
+        entityLookup[appState.selected_entity] || { name: "", summary: "", link: "" }
+    );
+
+    let popoverElement;
+
+    $effect(() => {
+        const entity = appState.selected_entity;
+        if (entity !== "unspecified") {
+            if (popoverElement && !popoverElement.matches(':popover-open')) {
+                popoverElement.showPopover();
+            }
+        } else {
+            if (popoverElement && popoverElement.matches(':popover-open')) {
+                popoverElement.hidePopover();
+            }
+        }
+    });
+
+    function handleToggle(event) {
+        if (event.newState === "closed") {
+            appState.selected_entity = "unspecified";
+        }
+    }
 </script>
 
-<div id="entityPopover" popover="auto">
+<div bind:this={popoverElement} id="entityPopover" popover="auto" ontoggle={handleToggle}>
     <div class="header">
-        <h1>{name}</h1>
+        <h1>{details.name}</h1>
         <div>
             <a
                 href="."
-                on:click={(e) => {
+                onclick={(e) => {
                     e.preventDefault();
-                    document.getElementById("entityPopover").hidePopover();
+                    appState.selected_entity = "unspecified";
                 }}>&times;</a
             >
         </div>
     </div>
 
-    <p>{@html summary}</p>
+    <p>{@html details.summary}</p>
     <div class="footer">
         <!-- TODO: Remove this conditional check. To permanently remove the "Learn more" links for these items, remove the "link" property from the corresponding entries in src/core_data.json -->
-        {#if link && !["Climate for learning", "Fast flow", "Fast feedback"].includes(name)}
-            <a href={link} target="_blank"
-                >Learn more about {name.toLowerCase()}</a
+        {#if details.link && !["Climate for learning", "Fast flow", "Fast feedback"].includes(details.name)}
+            <a href={details.link} target="_blank"
+                >Learn more about {details.name.toLowerCase()}</a
             >
         {/if}
     </div>
diff --git a/svelte/core-v2/src/lib/ViewControl.svelte b/svelte/core-v2/src/lib/ViewControl.svelte
index 88005d65b..6601b90a3 100644
--- a/svelte/core-v2/src/lib/ViewControl.svelte
+++ b/svelte/core-v2/src/lib/ViewControl.svelte
@@ -1,19 +1,18 @@
 <script>
     import { onMount } from "svelte";
-
-    export let view_mode = "summary";
+    import { appState } from "./state.svelte.js";
 
     // Function to update view_mode based on URL query parameter
     const updateViewModeFromQuery = () => {
         const urlParams = new URLSearchParams(window.location.search);
         const mode = urlParams.get("view");
-        view_mode = mode === "detail" ? "detail" : "summary";
+        appState.view_mode = mode === "detail" ? "detail" : "summary";
     };
 
     // Function to update URL query parameter based on view_mode
     const updateUrlQuery = () => {
         const urlParams = new URLSearchParams(window.location.search);
-        urlParams.set("view", view_mode);
+        urlParams.set("view", appState.view_mode);
         window.history.replaceState(
             {},
             "",
@@ -23,33 +22,31 @@
 
     onMount(() => {
         updateViewModeFromQuery();
-        window.addEventListener("popstate", updateViewModeFromQuery); // Handle back/forward
-        return () => {
-            window.removeEventListener("popstate", updateViewModeFromQuery);
-        };
     });
 </script>
 
+<svelte:window onpopstate={updateViewModeFromQuery} />
+
 <div class="viewcontrol">
     View mode:
-    <label for="summary" class:active={view_mode === "summary"}>
+    <label for="summary" class:active={appState.view_mode === "summary"}>
         <input
             type="radio"
             name="view_mode"
-            bind:group={view_mode}
+            bind:group={appState.view_mode}
             value="summary"
             id="summary"
-            on:change={updateUrlQuery}
+            onchange={updateUrlQuery}
         />summary
     </label>
-    <label for="detail" class:active={view_mode === "detail"}>
+    <label for="detail" class:active={appState.view_mode === "detail"}>
         <input
             type="radio"
             name="view_mode"
-            bind:group={view_mode}
+            bind:group={appState.view_mode}
             value="detail"
             id="detail"
-            on:change={updateUrlQuery}
+            onchange={updateUrlQuery}
         />detail
     </label>
 </div>
diff --git a/svelte/core-v2/src/lib/state.svelte.js b/svelte/core-v2/src/lib/state.svelte.js
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..839610b36
--- /dev/null
+++ b/svelte/core-v2/src/lib/state.svelte.js
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+export const appState = $state({
+    selected_entity: "unspecified",
+    view_mode: "summary"
+});