diff --git a/include/nlohmann/json_view.hpp b/include/nlohmann/json_view.hpp
index 13c9db53a..31e37d9c0 100644
--- a/include/nlohmann/json_view.hpp
+++ b/include/nlohmann/json_view.hpp
@@ -295,7 +295,7 @@ class basic_json_view
             }
             detail::view::throw_type_error(305, "cannot use operator[] with a numeric argument with ", type_name());
         }
-        return idx < m_node->len ? basic_json_view(m_doc, navigation::value(detail::view::element_at<Editable>(*m_doc, m_node, idx))) : basic_json_view();
+        return idx < m_node->len ? element(idx) : basic_json_view();
     }
 
     /// any other integer type (int, unsigned, long, std::int64_t, ...; a
@@ -358,7 +358,7 @@ class basic_json_view
         {
             detail::view::throw_out_of_range(401, detail::concat("array index ", std::to_string(idx), " is out of range"));
         }
-        return basic_json_view(m_doc, navigation::value(detail::view::element_at<Editable>(*m_doc, m_node, idx)));
+        return element(idx);
     }
 
     /// any other integer type, see operator[]; negative values are out of
@@ -444,7 +444,8 @@ class basic_json_view
     {
         if (is_structured() && m_node->len != 0)
         {
-            return basic_json_view(m_doc, navigation::value(detail::view::last_child<Editable>(*m_doc, m_node) + (is_object() ? 1 : 0)));
+            return unedited() ? basic_json_view(m_doc, detail::view::last_child<false>(*m_doc, m_node) + (is_object() ? 1 : 0))
+                   : basic_json_view(m_doc, navigation::value(detail::view::last_child<Editable>(*m_doc, m_node) + (is_object() ? 1 : 0)));
         }
         return front();
     }
@@ -461,7 +462,8 @@ class basic_json_view
         {
             return end();
         }
-        const node* const k = detail::view::find_member<Editable>(*m_doc, m_node, key.data(), key.size());
+        const node* const k = unedited() ? detail::view::find_member<false>(*m_doc, m_node, key.data(), key.size())
+                              : detail::view::find_member<Editable>(*m_doc, m_node, key.data(), key.size());
         return k != nullptr ? iterator(m_doc, k, true) : end();
     }
 
@@ -478,7 +480,8 @@ class basic_json_view
     /// whether this is an object with a member with this key
     bool contains(string_view_t key) const
     {
-        return is_object() && detail::view::find_member<Editable>(*m_doc, m_node, key.data(), key.size()) != nullptr;
+        return is_object() && (unedited() ? detail::view::find_member<false>(*m_doc, m_node, key.data(), key.size()) != nullptr
+                               : detail::view::find_member<Editable>(*m_doc, m_node, key.data(), key.size()) != nullptr);
     }
 
     bool contains(const char* key) const
@@ -638,7 +641,14 @@ class basic_json_view
         // the compact writer keeps 64 bytes of slack, so that it does not grow
         // the buffer just before the end
         const std::size_t estimate = source_extent() + (style.pretty ? source_extent() / 2 : 0) + 160;
-        detail::view::view_serializer<BasicJsonType, Editable>(*m_doc, out, estimate, style).dump(m_node);
+        if (unedited())
+        {
+            detail::view::view_serializer<BasicJsonType, false>(*m_doc, out, estimate, style).dump(m_node);
+        }
+        else
+        {
+            detail::view::view_serializer<BasicJsonType, Editable>(*m_doc, out, estimate, style).dump(m_node);
+        }
         return out;
     }
 
@@ -718,7 +728,7 @@ class basic_json_view
         {
             return BasicJsonType(value_t::discarded);
         }
-        return detail::view::materialize<BasicJsonType, Editable>(*m_doc, m_node);
+        return unedited() ? detail::view::materialize<BasicJsonType, false>(*m_doc, m_node) : detail::view::materialize<BasicJsonType, Editable>(*m_doc, m_node);
     }
 
     /// byte offset of this value in the source text (for strings: of the
@@ -796,10 +806,32 @@ class basic_json_view
     /// (object required)
     NLOHMANN_VIEW_ALWAYS_INLINE basic_json_view lookup(string_view_t key) const noexcept
     {
+        if (unedited())
+        {
+            const node* const k = detail::view::find_member<false>(*m_doc, m_node, key.data(), key.size());
+            return k != nullptr ? basic_json_view(m_doc, k + 1) : basic_json_view();
+        }
         const node* const k = detail::view::find_member<Editable>(*m_doc, m_node, key.data(), key.size());
         return k != nullptr ? basic_json_view(m_doc, navigation::value(k + 1)) : basic_json_view();
     }
 
+    /// whether the document has not been edited yet: until the first edit, its index is walked like that of a
+    /// read-only document (nothing is moved or linked), which is cheaper
+    NLOHMANN_VIEW_ALWAYS_INLINE bool unedited() const noexcept
+    {
+        return !navigation::editable() || m_doc->edits == nullptr;
+    }
+
+    /// the element of an array at an index below its size
+    NLOHMANN_VIEW_ALWAYS_INLINE basic_json_view element(size_type idx) const
+    {
+        if (unedited())
+        {
+            return basic_json_view(m_doc, detail::view::element_at<false>(*m_doc, m_node, idx));
+        }
+        return basic_json_view(m_doc, navigation::value(detail::view::element_at<Editable>(*m_doc, m_node, idx)));
+    }
+
     // --- get() dispatch ---
 
     bool get_impl(detail::view::value_tag<bool> /*unused*/, detail::priority_tag<2> /*unused*/) const
diff --git a/single_include/nlohmann/json_view.hpp b/single_include/nlohmann/json_view.hpp
index 960d204d7..3ca6f7fad 100644
--- a/single_include/nlohmann/json_view.hpp
+++ b/single_include/nlohmann/json_view.hpp
@@ -7875,7 +7875,7 @@ class basic_json_view
             }
             detail::view::throw_type_error(305, "cannot use operator[] with a numeric argument with ", type_name());
         }
-        return idx < m_node->len ? basic_json_view(m_doc, navigation::value(detail::view::element_at<Editable>(*m_doc, m_node, idx))) : basic_json_view();
+        return idx < m_node->len ? element(idx) : basic_json_view();
     }
 
     /// any other integer type (int, unsigned, long, std::int64_t, ...; a
@@ -7938,7 +7938,7 @@ class basic_json_view
         {
             detail::view::throw_out_of_range(401, detail::concat("array index ", std::to_string(idx), " is out of range"));
         }
-        return basic_json_view(m_doc, navigation::value(detail::view::element_at<Editable>(*m_doc, m_node, idx)));
+        return element(idx);
     }
 
     /// any other integer type, see operator[]; negative values are out of
@@ -8024,7 +8024,8 @@ class basic_json_view
     {
         if (is_structured() && m_node->len != 0)
         {
-            return basic_json_view(m_doc, navigation::value(detail::view::last_child<Editable>(*m_doc, m_node) + (is_object() ? 1 : 0)));
+            return unedited() ? basic_json_view(m_doc, detail::view::last_child<false>(*m_doc, m_node) + (is_object() ? 1 : 0))
+                   : basic_json_view(m_doc, navigation::value(detail::view::last_child<Editable>(*m_doc, m_node) + (is_object() ? 1 : 0)));
         }
         return front();
     }
@@ -8041,7 +8042,8 @@ class basic_json_view
         {
             return end();
         }
-        const node* const k = detail::view::find_member<Editable>(*m_doc, m_node, key.data(), key.size());
+        const node* const k = unedited() ? detail::view::find_member<false>(*m_doc, m_node, key.data(), key.size())
+                              : detail::view::find_member<Editable>(*m_doc, m_node, key.data(), key.size());
         return k != nullptr ? iterator(m_doc, k, true) : end();
     }
 
@@ -8058,7 +8060,8 @@ class basic_json_view
     /// whether this is an object with a member with this key
     bool contains(string_view_t key) const
     {
-        return is_object() && detail::view::find_member<Editable>(*m_doc, m_node, key.data(), key.size()) != nullptr;
+        return is_object() && (unedited() ? detail::view::find_member<false>(*m_doc, m_node, key.data(), key.size()) != nullptr
+                               : detail::view::find_member<Editable>(*m_doc, m_node, key.data(), key.size()) != nullptr);
     }
 
     bool contains(const char* key) const
@@ -8218,7 +8221,14 @@ class basic_json_view
         // the compact writer keeps 64 bytes of slack, so that it does not grow
         // the buffer just before the end
         const std::size_t estimate = source_extent() + (style.pretty ? source_extent() / 2 : 0) + 160;
-        detail::view::view_serializer<BasicJsonType, Editable>(*m_doc, out, estimate, style).dump(m_node);
+        if (unedited())
+        {
+            detail::view::view_serializer<BasicJsonType, false>(*m_doc, out, estimate, style).dump(m_node);
+        }
+        else
+        {
+            detail::view::view_serializer<BasicJsonType, Editable>(*m_doc, out, estimate, style).dump(m_node);
+        }
         return out;
     }
 
@@ -8298,7 +8308,7 @@ class basic_json_view
         {
             return BasicJsonType(value_t::discarded);
         }
-        return detail::view::materialize<BasicJsonType, Editable>(*m_doc, m_node);
+        return unedited() ? detail::view::materialize<BasicJsonType, false>(*m_doc, m_node) : detail::view::materialize<BasicJsonType, Editable>(*m_doc, m_node);
     }
 
     /// byte offset of this value in the source text (for strings: of the
@@ -8376,10 +8386,32 @@ class basic_json_view
     /// (object required)
     NLOHMANN_VIEW_ALWAYS_INLINE basic_json_view lookup(string_view_t key) const noexcept
     {
+        if (unedited())
+        {
+            const node* const k = detail::view::find_member<false>(*m_doc, m_node, key.data(), key.size());
+            return k != nullptr ? basic_json_view(m_doc, k + 1) : basic_json_view();
+        }
         const node* const k = detail::view::find_member<Editable>(*m_doc, m_node, key.data(), key.size());
         return k != nullptr ? basic_json_view(m_doc, navigation::value(k + 1)) : basic_json_view();
     }
 
+    /// whether the document has not been edited yet: until the first edit, its index is walked like that of a
+    /// read-only document (nothing is moved or linked), which is cheaper
+    NLOHMANN_VIEW_ALWAYS_INLINE bool unedited() const noexcept
+    {
+        return !navigation::editable() || m_doc->edits == nullptr;
+    }
+
+    /// the element of an array at an index below its size
+    NLOHMANN_VIEW_ALWAYS_INLINE basic_json_view element(size_type idx) const
+    {
+        if (unedited())
+        {
+            return basic_json_view(m_doc, detail::view::element_at<false>(*m_doc, m_node, idx));
+        }
+        return basic_json_view(m_doc, navigation::value(detail::view::element_at<Editable>(*m_doc, m_node, idx)));
+    }
+
     // --- get() dispatch ---
 
     bool get_impl(detail::view::value_tag<bool> /*unused*/, detail::priority_tag<2> /*unused*/) const
diff --git a/tests/src/unit-json_view_edit.cpp b/tests/src/unit-json_view_edit.cpp
index 4546ad05b..4a6fbe69d 100644
--- a/tests/src/unit-json_view_edit.cpp
+++ b/tests/src/unit-json_view_edit.cpp
@@ -724,6 +724,52 @@ TEST_CASE("json_view edits: materializing values nested deeper than the document
     CHECK(d.root().get<json>() == expected);
 }
 
+TEST_CASE("json_view edits: an editable document before and after its first edit")
+{
+    // until the first edit, an editable document is read like a read-only one; views made before the edit
+    // keep working after it
+    const std::string text = R"({"a":[1,2,{"x":"y"},4],"b":{"c":true,"d":null},"e":"text","f":[]})";
+    const json_document read_only = json_document::parse(text);
+    json_editable_document d = json_editable_document::parse(text);
+    const auto root = d.root();
+    const auto same_as_read_only = [&]
+    {
+        CHECK(root.dump() == read_only.root().dump());
+        CHECK(root.dump(2) == read_only.root().dump(2));
+        CHECK(root.materialize() == read_only.root().materialize());
+        CHECK(root["a"][2]["x"].get_string() == "y");
+        CHECK(root["a"].at(3).get<int>() == 4);
+        CHECK(root["a"].back().get<int>() == 4);
+        CHECK(root.contains("b"));
+        CHECK(!root.contains("zz"));
+        CHECK(root.find("e")->get_string() == "text");
+        CHECK(root.find("zz") == root.end());
+        CHECK(root["b"]["c"].get<bool>());
+        CHECK(root.value("e", "none") == "text");
+        std::size_t count = 0;
+        for (const auto m : root["a"])
+        {
+            CHECK(m.materialize() == read_only.root()["a"][count].materialize());
+            ++count;
+        }
+        CHECK(count == 4);
+    };
+    same_as_read_only();
+    // an edit that changes a scalar in place, then one that moves an array
+    d.set(root["e"], "other");
+    CHECK(root["e"].get_string() == "other");
+    CHECK(root["a"][2]["x"].get_string() == "y");
+    CHECK(root["a"].back().get<int>() == 4);
+    d.push_back(root["f"], 7);
+    CHECK(root["f"][0].get<int>() == 7);
+    CHECK(root["f"].back().get<int>() == 7);
+    CHECK(root.dump() == R"({"a":[1,2,{"x":"y"},4],"b":{"c":true,"d":null},"e":"other","f":[7]})");
+    d.set(root["a"], 2, json::array({1, 2}));
+    CHECK(root["a"][2][1].get<int>() == 2);
+    CHECK(root["a"].dump() == "[1,2,[1,2],4]");
+    CHECK(root.materialize() == json::parse(R"({"a":[1,2,[1,2],4],"b":{"c":true,"d":null},"e":"other","f":[7]})"));
+}
+
 namespace
 {
 // reads of "a" in an object that repeats it: the first member wins, however the