diff --git a/applications/visualizer/frontend/src/components/viewers/TwoD/TwoDViewer.tsx b/applications/visualizer/frontend/src/components/viewers/TwoD/TwoDViewer.tsx
index 73ddb075..38532bd1 100644
--- a/applications/visualizer/frontend/src/components/viewers/TwoD/TwoDViewer.tsx
+++ b/applications/visualizer/frontend/src/components/viewers/TwoD/TwoDViewer.tsx
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ import {Box} from "@mui/material";
 import {ColoringOptions, getColor} from "../../../helpers/twoD/coloringHelper";
 import ContextMenu from "./ContextMenu";
 import {computeGraphDifferences, updateHighlighted} from "../../../helpers/twoD/graphRendering.ts";
+import {areSetsEqual} from "../../../helpers/utils.ts";
 
 cytoscape.use(fcose);
 cytoscape.use(dagre);
@@ -118,7 +119,7 @@ const TwoDViewer = () => {
         if (cyRef.current) {
             updateGraphElements(cyRef.current, connections);
         }
-    }, [connections, hiddenNodes, workspace.neuronGroups, includePostEmbryonic]);
+    }, [connections, hiddenNodes, workspace.neuronGroups, includePostEmbryonic, splitJoinState]);
 
     useEffect(() => {
         if (cyRef.current) {
@@ -241,7 +242,9 @@ const TwoDViewer = () => {
             }
         });
 
-        workspace.setActiveNeurons(activeNeurons);
+        if(!areSetsEqual(activeNeurons, workspace.activeNeurons)){
+            workspace.setActiveNeurons(activeNeurons);
+        }
     }, [splitJoinState, workspace.id]);
 
     // Effect to handle includeLabels state
diff --git a/applications/visualizer/frontend/src/helpers/utils.ts b/applications/visualizer/frontend/src/helpers/utils.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..a35af0f6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/applications/visualizer/frontend/src/helpers/utils.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+export function areSetsEqual<T>(setA: Set<T>, setB: Set<T>): boolean {
+    if (setA.size !== setB.size) {
+        return false;
+    }
+    for (let item of setA) {
+        if (!setB.has(item)) {
+            return false;
+        }
+    }
+    return true;
+}
\ No newline at end of file