diff --git a/packages/@lwc/integration-karma/test/light-dom/root/index.spec.js b/packages/@lwc/integration-karma/test/light-dom/root/index.spec.js
index 7055e5f3a9..ad5e11ce10 100644
--- a/packages/@lwc/integration-karma/test/light-dom/root/index.spec.js
+++ b/packages/@lwc/integration-karma/test/light-dom/root/index.spec.js
@@ -78,5 +78,7 @@ describe('root light element', () => {
         expect(nodes['x-list'].querySelector('button')).toEqual(nodes.button);
         expect(nodes['x-list'].getElementsByTagName('button')[0]).toEqual(nodes.button);
         expect(nodes['x-list'].getElementsByClassName('button')[0]).toEqual(nodes.button);
+        expect(nodes['x-list'].childNodes[0]).toEqual(nodes.button);
+        expect(nodes['x-list'].children[0]).toEqual(nodes.button);
     });
 });
diff --git a/packages/@lwc/synthetic-shadow/src/faux-shadow/element.ts b/packages/@lwc/synthetic-shadow/src/faux-shadow/element.ts
index 528d32f838..97c9b9d8a2 100644
--- a/packages/@lwc/synthetic-shadow/src/faux-shadow/element.ts
+++ b/packages/@lwc/synthetic-shadow/src/faux-shadow/element.ts
@@ -92,7 +92,11 @@ function shadowRootGetterPatched(this: Element): ShadowRoot | null {
 
 function childrenGetterPatched(this: Element): HTMLCollectionOf<Element> {
     const owner = getNodeOwner(this);
-    const childNodes = isNull(owner) ? [] : getAllMatches(owner, getFilteredChildNodes(this));
+    const filteredChildNodes = getFilteredChildNodes(this);
+    // No need to filter by owner for non-shadowed nodes
+    const childNodes = isNull(owner)
+        ? filteredChildNodes
+        : getAllMatches(owner, filteredChildNodes);
     return createStaticHTMLCollection(
         ArrayFilter.call(childNodes, (node: Node | Element) => node instanceof Element)
     );
diff --git a/packages/@lwc/synthetic-shadow/src/faux-shadow/node.ts b/packages/@lwc/synthetic-shadow/src/faux-shadow/node.ts
index 493ee5b644..e1a7a89595 100644
--- a/packages/@lwc/synthetic-shadow/src/faux-shadow/node.ts
+++ b/packages/@lwc/synthetic-shadow/src/faux-shadow/node.ts
@@ -173,7 +173,11 @@ function cloneNodePatched(this: Node, deep?: boolean): Node {
 function childNodesGetterPatched(this: Node): NodeListOf<Node> {
     if (isSyntheticShadowHost(this)) {
         const owner = getNodeOwner(this);
-        const childNodes = isNull(owner) ? [] : getAllMatches(owner, getFilteredChildNodes(this));
+        const filteredChildNodes = getFilteredChildNodes(this);
+        // No need to filter by owner for non-shadowed nodes
+        const childNodes = isNull(owner)
+            ? filteredChildNodes
+            : getAllMatches(owner, filteredChildNodes);
         return createStaticNodeList(childNodes);
     }
     // nothing to do here since this does not have a synthetic shadow attached to it
diff --git a/packages/@lwc/synthetic-shadow/src/shared/node-ownership.ts b/packages/@lwc/synthetic-shadow/src/shared/node-ownership.ts
index 63ddd73b56..eac9d58502 100644
--- a/packages/@lwc/synthetic-shadow/src/shared/node-ownership.ts
+++ b/packages/@lwc/synthetic-shadow/src/shared/node-ownership.ts
@@ -58,6 +58,8 @@ export function getNodeNearestOwnerKey(node: Node): number | undefined {
         }
         host = parentNodeGetter.call(host) as ShadowedNode | null;
 
+        // Elements slotted from top level light DOM into synthetic shadow
+        // reach the slot tag from the shadow element first
         if (!isNull(host) && isSyntheticSlotElement(host)) {
             return undefined;
         }