diff --git a/servers/visual/visual_server_canvas.cpp b/servers/visual/visual_server_canvas.cpp
index 4ca3cd0fb44..bb020274795 100644
--- a/servers/visual/visual_server_canvas.cpp
+++ b/servers/visual/visual_server_canvas.cpp
@@ -68,6 +68,13 @@ void _collect_ysort_children(VisualServerCanvas::Item *p_canvas_item, Transform2
 	}
 }
 
+void _mark_ysort_dirty(VisualServerCanvas::Item *ysort_owner, RID_Owner<VisualServerCanvas::Item> &canvas_item_owner) {
+	while (ysort_owner && ysort_owner->sort_y) {
+		ysort_owner->ysort_children_count = -1;
+		ysort_owner = canvas_item_owner.owns(ysort_owner->parent) ? canvas_item_owner.getornull(ysort_owner->parent) : NULL;
+	}
+}
+
 void VisualServerCanvas::_render_canvas_item(Item *p_canvas_item, const Transform2D &p_transform, const Rect2 &p_clip_rect, const Color &p_modulate, int p_z, RasterizerCanvas::Item **z_list, RasterizerCanvas::Item **z_last_list, Item *p_canvas_clip, Item *p_material_owner) {
 
 	Item *ci = p_canvas_item;
@@ -336,11 +343,7 @@ void VisualServerCanvas::canvas_item_set_parent(RID p_item, RID p_parent) {
 			Item *item_owner = canvas_item_owner.get(canvas_item->parent);
 			item_owner->child_items.erase(canvas_item);
 
-			Item *ysort_owner = item_owner;
-			while (ysort_owner && ysort_owner->sort_y) {
-				item_owner->ysort_children_count = -1;
-				ysort_owner = canvas_item_owner.owns(ysort_owner->parent) ? canvas_item_owner.getornull(ysort_owner->parent) : NULL;
-			}
+			_mark_ysort_dirty(item_owner, canvas_item_owner);
 		}
 
 		canvas_item->parent = RID();
@@ -360,11 +363,7 @@ void VisualServerCanvas::canvas_item_set_parent(RID p_item, RID p_parent) {
 			item_owner->child_items.push_back(canvas_item);
 			item_owner->children_order_dirty = true;
 
-			Item *ysort_owner = item_owner;
-			while (ysort_owner && ysort_owner->sort_y) {
-				item_owner->ysort_children_count = -1;
-				ysort_owner = canvas_item_owner.owns(ysort_owner->parent) ? canvas_item_owner.getornull(ysort_owner->parent) : NULL;
-			}
+			_mark_ysort_dirty(item_owner, canvas_item_owner);
 
 		} else {
 
@@ -873,7 +872,8 @@ void VisualServerCanvas::canvas_item_set_sort_children_by_y(RID p_item, bool p_e
 	ERR_FAIL_COND(!canvas_item);
 
 	canvas_item->sort_y = p_enable;
-	canvas_item->ysort_children_count = -1;
+
+	_mark_ysort_dirty(canvas_item, canvas_item_owner);
 }
 void VisualServerCanvas::canvas_item_set_z_index(RID p_item, int p_z) {
 
@@ -1351,11 +1351,7 @@ bool VisualServerCanvas::free(RID p_rid) {
 				Item *item_owner = canvas_item_owner.get(canvas_item->parent);
 				item_owner->child_items.erase(canvas_item);
 
-				Item *ysort_owner = item_owner;
-				while (ysort_owner && ysort_owner->sort_y) {
-					item_owner->ysort_children_count = -1;
-					ysort_owner = canvas_item_owner.owns(ysort_owner->parent) ? canvas_item_owner.getornull(ysort_owner->parent) : NULL;
-				}
+				_mark_ysort_dirty(item_owner, canvas_item_owner);
 			}
 		}