diff --git a/lib/route.h b/lib/route.h
index 37f0db3d..d965ed2a 100644
--- a/lib/route.h
+++ b/lib/route.h
@@ -235,11 +235,22 @@ typedef struct eattr {
 typedef struct ea_list {
   struct ea_list *next;			/* In case we have an override list */
   byte flags;				/* Flags: EALF_... */
-  byte rfu;
+  byte stored:5;			/* enum ea_stored */
+  byte rfu:3;
   word count;				/* Number of attributes */
   eattr attrs[0];			/* Attribute definitions themselves */
 } ea_list;
 
+enum ea_stored {
+  EALS_NONE = 0,			/* This is a temporary ea_list */
+  EALS_PREIMPORT = 1,			/* State when route entered rte_update() */
+  EALS_FILTERED = 2,			/* State after filters */
+  EALS_IN_TABLE = 3,			/* State in table */
+  EALS_KEY = 4,				/* EA list used as key */
+  EALS_CUSTOM = 0x10,			/* OR this with custom values */
+  EALS_MAX = 0x20,
+};
+
 struct ea_storage {
   struct ea_storage *next_hash;		/* Next in hash chain */
   struct ea_storage **pprev_hash;	/* Previous in hash chain */
@@ -250,7 +261,6 @@ struct ea_storage {
 
 #define EALF_SORTED 1			/* Attributes are sorted by code */
 #define EALF_BISECT 2			/* Use interval bisection for searching */
-#define EALF_CACHED 4			/* List is cached */
 #define EALF_HUGE   8			/* List is too big to fit into slab */
 
 struct ea_class {
@@ -332,12 +342,12 @@ static inline eattr *ea_find_by_name(ea_list *l, const char *name)
 eattr *ea_walk(struct ea_walk_state *s, uint id, uint max);
 void ea_dump(ea_list *);
 int ea_same(ea_list *x, ea_list *y);	/* Test whether two ea_lists are identical */
-uint ea_hash(ea_list *e);	/* Calculate 16-bit hash value */
+uint ea_hash(ea_list *e);		/* Calculate attributes hash value */
 ea_list *ea_append(ea_list *to, ea_list *what);
 void ea_format_bitfield(const struct eattr *a, byte *buf, int bufsize, const char **names, int min, int max);
 
 /* Normalize ea_list; allocates the result from tmp_linpool */
-ea_list *ea_normalize(ea_list *e, int overlay);
+ea_list *ea_normalize(ea_list *e, u32 upto);
 
 uint ea_list_size(ea_list *);
 void ea_list_copy(ea_list *dest, ea_list *src, uint size);
@@ -522,18 +532,39 @@ static inline int rte_dest(const rte *r)
 }
 
 void rta_init(void);
-ea_list *ea_lookup(ea_list *, int overlay);		/* Get a cached (and normalized) variant of this attribute list */
-static inline int ea_is_cached(const ea_list *r) { return r->flags & EALF_CACHED; }
+
+ea_list *ea_lookup_slow(ea_list *r, u32 squash_upto, enum ea_stored oid);
+
 static inline struct ea_storage *ea_get_storage(ea_list *r)
 {
-  ASSERT_DIE(ea_is_cached(r));
+  ASSERT_DIE(r->stored);
   return SKIP_BACK(struct ea_storage, l[0], r);
 }
 
-static inline ea_list *ea_clone(ea_list *r) {
+static inline ea_list *ea_ref(ea_list *r)
+{
   ASSERT_DIE(0 < atomic_fetch_add_explicit(&ea_get_storage(r)->uc, 1, memory_order_acq_rel));
   return r;
 }
+
+static inline ea_list *ea_lookup(ea_list *r, u32 squash_upto, enum ea_stored oid)
+{
+  ASSERT_DIE(oid);
+  if ((r->stored == oid) || BIT32_TEST(&squash_upto, r->stored))
+    return ea_ref(r);
+  else
+    return ea_lookup_slow(r, squash_upto, oid);
+}
+
+static inline ea_list *ea_strip_to(ea_list *r, u32 strip_to)
+{
+  ASSERT_DIE(strip_to);
+  while (r && !BIT32_TEST(&strip_to, r->stored))
+    r = r->next;
+
+  return r;
+}
+
 void ea__free(struct ea_storage *r);
 static inline void ea_free(ea_list *l) {
   if (!l) return;
@@ -545,9 +576,4 @@ void ea_dump(ea_list *);
 void ea_dump_all(void);
 void ea_show_list(struct cli *, ea_list *);
 
-#define rta_lookup	ea_lookup
-#define rta_is_cached	ea_is_cached
-#define rta_clone	ea_clone
-#define rta_free	ea_free
-
 #endif
diff --git a/nest/mpls.c b/nest/mpls.c
index 5400bcba..eceaeba4 100644
--- a/nest/mpls.c
+++ b/nest/mpls.c
@@ -1225,7 +1225,7 @@ mpls_get_key_attrs(struct mpls_fec_map *m, ea_list *src)
   ea.a[ea.l.count++] = EA_LITERAL_EMBEDDED(&ea_gen_source, 0, m->mpls_rts);
   PUT_ATTR(&ea_gen_mpls_class);
 
-  return ea_get_storage(ea_lookup(&ea.l, 0));
+  return ea_get_storage(ea_lookup(&ea.l, 0, EALS_KEY));
 }
 
 static void
diff --git a/nest/rt-attr.c b/nest/rt-attr.c
index 99eddc7b..52fb8568 100644
--- a/nest/rt-attr.c
+++ b/nest/rt-attr.c
@@ -1027,7 +1027,7 @@ ea_sort(ea_list *e)
  * a given &ea_list after merging with ea_merge().
  */
 static unsigned
-ea_scan(const ea_list *e, int overlay)
+ea_scan(const ea_list *e, u32 upto)
 {
   unsigned cnt = 0;
 
@@ -1035,7 +1035,7 @@ ea_scan(const ea_list *e, int overlay)
     {
       cnt += e->count;
       e = e->next;
-      if (e && overlay && ea_is_cached(e))
+      if (e && BIT32_TEST(&upto, e->stored))
 	break;
     }
   return sizeof(ea_list) + sizeof(eattr)*cnt;
@@ -1056,7 +1056,7 @@ ea_scan(const ea_list *e, int overlay)
  * by calling ea_sort().
  */
 static void
-ea_merge(ea_list *e, ea_list *t, int overlay)
+ea_merge(ea_list *e, ea_list *t, u32 upto)
 {
   eattr *d = t->attrs;
 
@@ -1070,7 +1070,7 @@ ea_merge(ea_list *e, ea_list *t, int overlay)
       d += e->count;
       e = e->next;
 
-      if (e && overlay && ea_is_cached(e))
+      if (e && BIT32_TEST(&upto, e->stored))
 	break;
     }
 
@@ -1078,22 +1078,22 @@ ea_merge(ea_list *e, ea_list *t, int overlay)
 }
 
 ea_list *
-ea_normalize(ea_list *e, int overlay)
+ea_normalize(ea_list *e, u32 upto)
 {
 #if 0
   debug("(normalize)");
   ea_dump(e);
   debug(" ----> ");
 #endif
-  ea_list *t = tmp_alloc(ea_scan(e, overlay));
-  ea_merge(e, t, overlay);
+  ea_list *t = tmp_allocz(ea_scan(e, upto));
+  ea_merge(e, t, upto);
   ea_sort(t);
 #if 0
   ea_dump(t);
   debug("\n");
 #endif
 
-  return t->count ? t : t->next;
+  return t;
 }
 
 static _Bool
@@ -1214,10 +1214,7 @@ ea_list_ref(ea_list *l)
     }
 
   if (l->next)
-  {
-    ASSERT_DIE(ea_is_cached(l->next));
-    ea_clone(l->next);
-  }
+    ea_ref(l->next);
 }
 
 static void ea_free_nested(ea_list *l);
@@ -1503,11 +1500,11 @@ ea_dump(ea_list *e)
     }
   while (e)
     {
-      struct ea_storage *s = ea_is_cached(e) ? ea_get_storage(e) : NULL;
-      debug("[%c%c%c] uc=%d h=%08x",
+      struct ea_storage *s = e->stored ? ea_get_storage(e) : NULL;
+      debug("[%c%c] overlay=%d uc=%d h=%08x",
 	    (e->flags & EALF_SORTED) ? 'S' : 's',
 	    (e->flags & EALF_BISECT) ? 'B' : 'b',
-	    (e->flags & EALF_CACHED) ? 'C' : 'c',
+	    e->stored,
 	    s ? atomic_load_explicit(&s->uc, memory_order_relaxed) : 0,
 	    s ? s->hash_key : 0);
       for(i=0; i<e->count; i++)
@@ -1553,7 +1550,7 @@ ea_dump(ea_list *e)
  * ea_hash() takes an extended attribute list and calculated a hopefully
  * uniformly distributed hash value from its contents.
  */
-inline uint
+uint
 ea_hash(ea_list *e)
 {
   const u64 mul = 0x68576150f3d6847;
@@ -1670,19 +1667,22 @@ rta_rehash(void)
  * converted to the normalized form.
  */
 ea_list *
-ea_lookup(ea_list *o, int overlay)
+ea_lookup_slow(ea_list *o, u32 squash_upto, enum ea_stored oid)
 {
   struct ea_storage *r;
   uint h;
 
-  ASSERT(!ea_is_cached(o));
-  o = ea_normalize(o, overlay);
+  ASSERT(o->stored != oid);
+  ASSERT(oid);
+  o = ea_normalize(o, squash_upto);
   h = ea_hash(o);
 
+  squash_upto |= BIT32_VAL(oid);
+
   RTA_LOCK;
 
   for(r=rta_hash_table[h & rta_cache_mask]; r; r=r->next_hash)
-    if (r->hash_key == h && ea_same(r->l, o))
+    if (r->hash_key == h && ea_same(r->l, o) && BIT32_TEST(&squash_upto, r->l->stored))
     {
       atomic_fetch_add_explicit(&r->uc, 1, memory_order_acq_rel);
       RTA_UNLOCK;
@@ -1705,7 +1705,8 @@ ea_lookup(ea_list *o, int overlay)
   ea_list_copy(r->l, o, elen);
   ea_list_ref(r->l);
 
-  r->l->flags |= EALF_CACHED | huge;
+  r->l->flags |= huge;
+  r->l->stored = oid;
   r->hash_key = h;
   atomic_store_explicit(&r->uc, 1, memory_order_release);
 
diff --git a/nest/rt-show.c b/nest/rt-show.c
index e705c253..1c978d72 100644
--- a/nest/rt-show.c
+++ b/nest/rt-show.c
@@ -54,9 +54,9 @@ rt_show_rte(struct cli *c, byte *ia, rte *e, struct rt_show_data *d, int primary
   else
     from[0] = 0;
 
-  /* Need to normalize the extended attributes */
-  if (d->verbose && !rta_is_cached(a) && a)
-    a = ea_normalize(a, 0);
+  /* Need to normalize the attributes for dumping */
+  if (d->verbose && !a->stored)
+    a = ea_normalize(a, EALS_NONE);
 
   get_route_info = e->src->owner->class ? e->src->owner->class->get_route_info : NULL;
   if (get_route_info)
diff --git a/nest/rt-table.c b/nest/rt-table.c
index 20c57ad7..e1bce674 100644
--- a/nest/rt-table.c
+++ b/nest/rt-table.c
@@ -494,10 +494,7 @@ rte_store(const rte *r, struct netindex *i, struct rtable_private *tab)
 
   rt_lock_source(e->src);
 
-  if (ea_is_cached(e->attrs))
-    e->attrs = rta_clone(e->attrs);
-  else
-    e->attrs = rta_lookup(e->attrs, 1);
+  e->attrs = ea_lookup(e->attrs, BIT32_ALL(EALS_PREIMPORT, EALS_FILTERED), EALS_IN_TABLE);
 
 #if 0
   debug("(store) %N ", i->addr);
@@ -524,7 +521,7 @@ rte_free(struct rte_storage *e, struct rtable_private *tab)
 
   rt_unlock_source(e->rte.src);
 
-  rta_free(e->rte.attrs);
+  ea_free(e->rte.attrs);
   sl_free(e);
 }
 
@@ -1456,7 +1453,7 @@ rte_same(const rte *x, const rte *y)
   return
     (x == y) || (
      (x->attrs == y->attrs) ||
-     ((!(x->attrs->flags & EALF_CACHED) || !(y->attrs->flags & EALF_CACHED)) && ea_same(x->attrs, y->attrs))
+     ((!x->attrs->stored || !y->attrs->stored) && ea_same(x->attrs, y->attrs))
     ) &&
     x->src == y->src &&
     rte_is_filtered(x) == rte_is_filtered(y);
@@ -1719,14 +1716,11 @@ rte_update(struct channel *c, const net_addr *n, rte *new, struct rte_src *src)
 
   ASSERT(c->channel_state == CS_UP);
 
-  ea_list *ea_tmp[2] = {};
+  ea_list *ea_prefilter = NULL, *ea_postfilter = NULL;
 
-  /* The import reloader requires prefilter routes to be the first layer */
+  /* Storing prefilter routes as an explicit layer */
   if (new && (c->in_keep & RIK_PREFILTER))
-    ea_tmp[0] = new->attrs =
-      (ea_is_cached(new->attrs) && !new->attrs->next) ?
-      ea_clone(new->attrs) :
-      ea_lookup(new->attrs, 0);
+    ea_prefilter = new->attrs = ea_lookup(new->attrs, 0, EALS_PREIMPORT);
 
 #if 0
   debug("%s.%s -(prefilter)-> %s: %N ", c->proto->name, c->name, c->table->name, n);
@@ -1769,8 +1763,8 @@ rte_update(struct channel *c, const net_addr *n, rte *new, struct rte_src *src)
 
       if (new)
       {
-	ea_tmp[1] = new->attrs =
-	  ea_is_cached(new->attrs) ? ea_clone(new->attrs) : ea_lookup(new->attrs, !!ea_tmp[0]);
+	ea_postfilter = new->attrs = ea_lookup(new->attrs,
+	    ea_prefilter ? BIT32_ALL(EALS_PREIMPORT) : 0, EALS_FILTERED);
 
 	if (net_is_flow(n))
 	  rt_flowspec_resolve_rte(new, c);
@@ -1798,9 +1792,8 @@ rte_update(struct channel *c, const net_addr *n, rte *new, struct rte_src *src)
 
   /* Now the route attributes are kept by the in-table cached version
    * and we may drop the local handles */
-  for (uint k = 0; k < ARRAY_SIZE(ea_tmp); k++)
-    if (ea_tmp[k])
-      ea_free(ea_tmp[k]);
+  ea_free(ea_prefilter);
+  ea_free(ea_postfilter);
 }
 
 void
@@ -3138,7 +3131,10 @@ rt_next_hop_update_rte(const rte *old, rte *new)
   if (!head)
     return 0;
 
+  /* Get the state of the route just before nexthop was resolved */
   *new = *old;
+  new->attrs = ea_strip_to(new->attrs, BIT32_ALL(EALS_PREIMPORT, EALS_FILTERED));
+
   RT_LOCKED(head->he->owner, tab)
     rta_apply_hostentry(tab, &new->attrs, head);
   return 1;
@@ -3229,7 +3225,7 @@ rt_flowspec_check(rtable *tab_ip, rtable *tab_flow, const net_addr *n, ea_list *
     if (nb)
     {
       rb = RTE_COPY_VALID(RTE_OR_NULL(nb->routes));
-      rta_clone(rb.attrs);
+      ea_ref(rb.attrs);
       net_copy(&nau.n, nb->routes->rte.net);
       rb.net = &nau.n;
     }
@@ -3310,6 +3306,7 @@ rt_flowspec_update_rte(rtable *tab, const rte *r, rte *new)
     return 0;
 
   *new = *r;
+  new->attrs = ea_strip_to(new->attrs, BIT32_ALL(EALS_PREIMPORT, EALS_FILTERED));
   ea_set_attr_u32(&new->attrs, &ea_gen_flowspec_valid, 0, valid);
   return 1;
 #else
@@ -4101,8 +4098,7 @@ void channel_reload_export_bulk(struct rt_export_request *req, const net_addr *n
       rte new = rte_init_from(feed[i]);
 
       /* Strip the later attribute layers */
-      while (new.attrs->next)
-	new.attrs = new.attrs->next;
+      new.attrs = ea_strip_to(new.attrs, BIT32_ALL(EALS_PREIMPORT));
 
       /* And reload the route */
       rte_update(c, net, &new, new.src);
@@ -4203,7 +4199,7 @@ hc_new_hostentry(struct hostcache *hc, pool *p, ip_addr a, ip_addr ll, rtable *d
 static void
 hc_delete_hostentry(struct hostcache *hc, pool *p, struct hostentry *he)
 {
-  rta_free(he->src);
+  ea_free(he->src);
 
   rem_node(&he->ln);
   hc_remove(hc, he);
@@ -4288,7 +4284,7 @@ rt_free_hostcache(struct rtable_private *tab)
   WALK_LIST(n, hc->hostentries)
     {
       struct hostentry *he = SKIP_BACK(struct hostentry, ln, n);
-      rta_free(he->src);
+      ea_free(he->src);
 
       if (!lfuc_finished(&he->uc))
 	log(L_ERR "Hostcache is not empty in table %s", tab->name);
@@ -4384,7 +4380,7 @@ rt_update_hostentry(struct rtable_private *tab, struct hostentry *he)
 		direct++;
 	      }
 
-      he->src = rta_clone(a);
+      he->src = ea_ref(a);
       he->nexthop_linkable = !direct;
       he->igp_metric = rt_get_igp_metric(&e->rte);
     }
@@ -4393,7 +4389,7 @@ done:
   /* Add a prefix range to the trie */
   trie_add_prefix(tab->hostcache->trie, &he_addr, pxlen, he_addr.pxlen);
 
-  rta_free(old_src);
+  ea_free(old_src);
   return old_src != he->src;
 }
 
diff --git a/proto/aggregator/aggregator.c b/proto/aggregator/aggregator.c
index c13b93ad..cc1b2862 100644
--- a/proto/aggregator/aggregator.c
+++ b/proto/aggregator/aggregator.c
@@ -265,10 +265,7 @@ aggregator_rt_notify(struct proto *P, struct channel *src_ch, const net_addr *ne
     }
 
     /* Store the route attributes */
-    if (rta_is_cached(new->attrs))
-      rta_clone(new->attrs);
-    else
-      new->attrs = rta_lookup(new->attrs, 0);
+    new->attrs = ea_lookup(new->attrs, 0, EALS_KEY);
 
     /* Insert the new route into the bucket */
     struct aggregator_route *arte = sl_alloc(p->route_slab);
@@ -296,7 +293,7 @@ aggregator_rt_notify(struct proto *P, struct channel *src_ch, const net_addr *ne
 
     old_bucket->count--;
     HASH_REMOVE2(p->routes, AGGR_RTE, p->p.pool, old_route);
-    rta_free(old_route->rte.attrs);
+    ea_free(old_route->rte.attrs);
     sl_free(old_route);
   }
 
@@ -408,7 +405,7 @@ aggregator_shutdown(struct proto *P)
       b->rte = arte->next_rte;
       b->count--;
       HASH_REMOVE(p->routes, AGGR_RTE, arte);
-      rta_free(arte->rte.attrs);
+      ea_free(arte->rte.attrs);
       sl_free(arte);
     }
 
diff --git a/proto/bgp/packets.c b/proto/bgp/packets.c
index ce722645..52c08289 100644
--- a/proto/bgp/packets.c
+++ b/proto/bgp/packets.c
@@ -1541,7 +1541,7 @@ bgp_rte_update(struct bgp_parse_state *s, const net_addr *n, u32 path_id, ea_lis
 
   /* Prepare cached route attributes */
   if (!s->mpls && (s->cached_ea == NULL))
-    a0 = s->cached_ea = ea_lookup(a0, 0);
+    a0 = s->cached_ea = ea_lookup(a0, 0, EALS_CUSTOM);
 
   rte e0 = {
     .attrs = a0,
@@ -1600,7 +1600,7 @@ bgp_decode_mpls_labels(struct bgp_parse_state *s, byte **pos, uint *len, uint *p
   bgp_apply_mpls_labels(s, to, lnum, labels);
 
   /* Attributes were changed, invalidate cached entry */
-  rta_free(s->cached_ea);
+  ea_free(s->cached_ea);
   s->cached_ea = NULL;
 
   return;
@@ -2717,7 +2717,7 @@ bgp_decode_nlri(struct bgp_parse_state *s, u32 afi, byte *nlri, uint len, ea_lis
 
   c->desc->decode_nlri(s, nlri, len, ea);
 
-  rta_free(s->cached_ea);
+  ea_free(s->cached_ea);
   s->cached_ea = NULL;
 
   rt_unlock_source(s->last_src);
@@ -2826,7 +2826,7 @@ bgp_rx_update(struct bgp_conn *conn, byte *pkt, uint len)
 		    ea, s.mp_next_hop_data, s.mp_next_hop_len);
 
 done:
-  rta_free(s.cached_ea);
+  ea_free(s.cached_ea);
   lp_restore(tmp_linpool, tmpp);
   return;
 }
diff --git a/proto/ospf/rt.c b/proto/ospf/rt.c
index 59ae6cf0..8f28eeb1 100644
--- a/proto/ospf/rt.c
+++ b/proto/ospf/rt.c
@@ -2097,7 +2097,7 @@ again1:
 
 	ASSERT_DIE(ARRAY_SIZE(eattrs.a) >= eattrs.l.count);
 
-	ea_list *eal = ea_lookup(&eattrs.l, 0);
+	ea_list *eal = ea_lookup(&eattrs.l, 0, EALS_CUSTOM);
 	ea_free(nf->old_ea);
 	nf->old_ea = eal;
 
@@ -2116,7 +2116,7 @@ again1:
     else if (nf->old_ea)
     {
       /* Remove the route */
-      rta_free(nf->old_ea);
+      ea_free(nf->old_ea);
       nf->old_ea = NULL;
 
       rte_update(p->p.main_channel, nf->fn.addr, NULL, p->p.main_source);
diff --git a/proto/perf/perf.c b/proto/perf/perf.c
index 227b51be..eb524970 100644
--- a/proto/perf/perf.c
+++ b/proto/perf/perf.c
@@ -156,10 +156,10 @@ perf_loop(void *data)
       ea_set_attr_data(&ea, &ea_gen_nexthop, 0,
 	  &nhad.ad.data, sizeof nhad - sizeof nhad.ad);
 
-      p->data[i].a = rta_lookup(ea, 0);
+      p->data[i].a = ea_lookup(ea, 0, EALS_CUSTOM);
     }
     else
-      p->data[i].a = rta_clone(p->data[i-1].a);
+      p->data[i].a = ea_ref(p->data[i-1].a);
   }
 
   clock_gettime(CLOCK_MONOTONIC, &ts_generated);