diff --git a/package-lock.json b/package-lock.json
index 6280aa6..f3e55f4 100644
--- a/package-lock.json
+++ b/package-lock.json
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@
         "@testing-library/user-event": "^14.4.3",
         "@types/history": "^4.7.7",
         "@types/jest": "^28.1.4",
+        "@types/node": "^20.4.9",
         "@types/react": "^17.0.29",
         "@types/react-dom": "^18.0.6",
         "@types/testing-library__jest-dom": "^5.14.1",
@@ -3060,9 +3061,9 @@
       "dev": true
     },
     "node_modules/@types/node": {
-      "version": "18.0.3",
-      "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/@types/node/-/node-18.0.3.tgz",
-      "integrity": "sha512-HzNRZtp4eepNitP+BD6k2L6DROIDG4Q0fm4x+dwfsr6LGmROENnok75VGw40628xf+iR24WeMFcHuuBDUAzzsQ==",
+      "version": "20.4.9",
+      "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/@types/node/-/node-20.4.9.tgz",
+      "integrity": "sha512-8e2HYcg7ohnTUbHk8focoklEQYvemQmu9M/f43DZVx43kHn0tE3BY/6gSDxS7k0SprtS0NHvj+L80cGLnoOUcQ==",
       "dev": true
     },
     "node_modules/@types/normalize-package-data": {
@@ -20876,9 +20877,9 @@
       "dev": true
     },
     "@types/node": {
-      "version": "18.0.3",
-      "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/@types/node/-/node-18.0.3.tgz",
-      "integrity": "sha512-HzNRZtp4eepNitP+BD6k2L6DROIDG4Q0fm4x+dwfsr6LGmROENnok75VGw40628xf+iR24WeMFcHuuBDUAzzsQ==",
+      "version": "20.4.9",
+      "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/@types/node/-/node-20.4.9.tgz",
+      "integrity": "sha512-8e2HYcg7ohnTUbHk8focoklEQYvemQmu9M/f43DZVx43kHn0tE3BY/6gSDxS7k0SprtS0NHvj+L80cGLnoOUcQ==",
       "dev": true
     },
     "@types/normalize-package-data": {
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 9b73e29..33c2788 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -37,6 +37,7 @@
     "@testing-library/user-event": "^14.4.3",
     "@types/history": "^4.7.7",
     "@types/jest": "^28.1.4",
+    "@types/node": "^20.4.9",
     "@types/react": "^17.0.29",
     "@types/react-dom": "^18.0.6",
     "@types/testing-library__jest-dom": "^5.14.1",
@@ -72,9 +73,9 @@
   },
   "peerDependencies": {
     "@xstate/react": "^3.x",
+    "react": ">= 16.8.0 < 19.0.0",
     "xstate": ">= 4.20 < 5.0.0",
-    "zod": "^3.x",
-    "react": ">= 16.8.0 < 19.0.0"
+    "zod": "^3.x"
   },
   "scripts": {
     "lint": "eslint 'src/**/*'",
diff --git a/src/routing/Link.tsx b/src/routing/Link.tsx
index 40fe71e..5ee8621 100644
--- a/src/routing/Link.tsx
+++ b/src/routing/Link.tsx
@@ -61,7 +61,7 @@ export function Link<TRoute extends AnyRoute>({
   // and everything that consumes params/query already checks for undefined
   const { params, query, meta, ...props } = rest;
 
-  let timeout: number | undefined;
+  let timeout: ReturnType<typeof setTimeout> | undefined;
   const href = useHref(to, params, query);
   const onMouseDown: React.MouseEventHandler<HTMLAnchorElement> | undefined =
     preloadOnInteraction
diff --git a/src/routing/index.ts b/src/routing/index.ts
index da775c1..59c31da 100644
--- a/src/routing/index.ts
+++ b/src/routing/index.ts
@@ -23,4 +23,8 @@ export {
 export { useIsRouteActive } from "./useIsRouteActive";
 export { useRouteArgsIfActive } from "./useRouteArgsIfActive";
 
-export { RoutingContext, TestRoutingContext } from "./providers";
+export {
+  RoutingContext,
+  TestRoutingContext,
+  useInRoutingContext,
+} from "./providers";
diff --git a/src/routing/providers.tsx b/src/routing/providers.tsx
index 67f75c4..19d7461 100644
--- a/src/routing/providers.tsx
+++ b/src/routing/providers.tsx
@@ -21,6 +21,15 @@ function useRoutingContext() {
   return context;
 }
 
+/**
+ * @private
+ */
+export function useInRoutingContext(): boolean {
+  const context = useContext(RoutingContext);
+
+  return context !== undefined;
+}
+
 export function useActiveRouteEvents() {
   try {
     const context = useRoutingContext();
diff --git a/src/xstateTree.spec.tsx b/src/xstateTree.spec.tsx
index f7b0b88..06e2f04 100644
--- a/src/xstateTree.spec.tsx
+++ b/src/xstateTree.spec.tsx
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 import { render } from "@testing-library/react";
 import { assign } from "@xstate/immer";
+import { createMemoryHistory } from "history";
 import React from "react";
 import { createMachine, interpret } from "xstate";
 
@@ -262,4 +263,81 @@ describe("xstate-tree", () => {
       expect(view2).toBe(getMultiSlotViewForChildren(interpreter2, "ignored"));
     });
   });
+
+  describe("rendering a root inside of a root", () => {
+    it("throws an error during rendering if both are routing roots", async () => {
+      const machine = createMachine({
+        id: "test",
+        initial: "idle",
+        states: {
+          idle: {},
+        },
+      });
+
+      const RootMachine = createXStateTreeMachine(machine, {
+        View() {
+          return <p>I am root</p>;
+        },
+      });
+      const Root = buildRootComponent(RootMachine, {
+        basePath: "/",
+        history: createMemoryHistory(),
+        routes: [],
+      });
+
+      const Root2Machine = createXStateTreeMachine(machine, {
+        View() {
+          return <Root />;
+        },
+      });
+      const Root2 = buildRootComponent(Root2Machine, {
+        basePath: "/",
+        history: createMemoryHistory(),
+        routes: [],
+      });
+
+      try {
+        const { rerender } = render(<Root2 />);
+        rerender(<Root2 />);
+      } catch (e: any) {
+        expect(e.message).toMatchInlineSnapshot(
+          `"Routing root rendered inside routing context, this implies a bug"`
+        );
+        return;
+      }
+
+      throw new Error("Should have thrown");
+    });
+
+    it("does not throw an error if either or one are a routing root", async () => {
+      const machine = createMachine({
+        id: "test",
+        initial: "idle",
+        states: {
+          idle: {},
+        },
+      });
+
+      const RootMachine = createXStateTreeMachine(machine, {
+        View() {
+          return <p>I am root</p>;
+        },
+      });
+      const Root = buildRootComponent(RootMachine);
+
+      const Root2Machine = createXStateTreeMachine(machine, {
+        View() {
+          return <Root />;
+        },
+      });
+      const Root2 = buildRootComponent(Root2Machine, {
+        basePath: "/",
+        history: createMemoryHistory(),
+        routes: [],
+      });
+
+      const { rerender } = render(<Root2 />);
+      rerender(<Root2 />);
+    });
+  });
 });
diff --git a/src/xstateTree.tsx b/src/xstateTree.tsx
index f9a3035..8647c05 100644
--- a/src/xstateTree.tsx
+++ b/src/xstateTree.tsx
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ import {
   RoutingContext,
   RoutingEvent,
   SharedMeta,
+  useInRoutingContext,
 } from "./routing";
 import { useActiveRouteEvents } from "./routing/providers";
 import { GetSlotNames, Slot } from "./slots";
@@ -353,6 +354,16 @@ export function buildRootComponent(
     const setActiveRouteEvents = (events: RoutingEvent<any>[]) => {
       activeRouteEventsRef.current = events;
     };
+    const insideRoutingContext = useInRoutingContext();
+    if (insideRoutingContext && typeof routing !== "undefined") {
+      const m =
+        "Routing root rendered inside routing context, this implies a bug";
+      if (process.env.NODE_ENV !== "production") {
+        throw new Error(m);
+      }
+
+      console.error(m);
+    }
 
     useEffect(() => {
       function handler(event: GlobalEvents) {
diff --git a/tsconfig.json b/tsconfig.json
index e450ecc..90e47b3 100644
--- a/tsconfig.json
+++ b/tsconfig.json
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@
     "moduleResolution": "node",
     "esModuleInterop": true,
     "declarationMap": true,
-    "types": ["jest"],
+    "types": ["jest", "node"],
     "paths": {
       "@koordinates/xstate-tree": ["./src/index.ts"]
     },