diff --git a/packages/runtime-core/src/renderer.ts b/packages/runtime-core/src/renderer.ts
index 05c4ac345..a7f84dac7 100644
--- a/packages/runtime-core/src/renderer.ts
+++ b/packages/runtime-core/src/renderer.ts
@@ -2484,10 +2484,14 @@ export function traverseStaticChildren(
       if (c2.type === Text) {
         c2.el = c1.el
       }
-      // also inherit for comment nodes, but not placeholders (e.g. v-if which
-      // would have received .el during block patch)
-      if (__DEV__ && c2.type === Comment && !c2.el) {
-        c2.el = c1.el
+      if (__DEV__) {
+        // #2324 also inherit for comment nodes, but not placeholders (e.g. v-if which
+        // would have received .el during block patch)
+        if (c2.type === Comment && !c2.el) {
+          c2.el = c1.el
+        }
+
+        c2.el && (c2.el.__vnode = c2)
       }
     }
   }