diff --git a/packages/svelte/src/internal/client/dom/blocks/each.js b/packages/svelte/src/internal/client/dom/blocks/each.js
index 672575e7a3..32babbf0b6 100644
--- a/packages/svelte/src/internal/client/dom/blocks/each.js
+++ b/packages/svelte/src/internal/client/dom/blocks/each.js
@@ -8,11 +8,10 @@ import {
 } from '../../../../constants.js';
 import {
 	current_hydration_fragment,
-	get_hydration_fragment,
 	hydrate_block_anchor,
 	hydrating,
-	set_current_hydration_fragment,
-	set_hydrating
+	set_hydrating,
+	update_hydration_fragment
 } from '../hydration.js';
 import { empty } from '../operations.js';
 import { insert, remove } from '../reconciler.js';
@@ -124,11 +123,11 @@ function each(anchor, get_collection, flags, get_key, render_fn, fallback_fn, re
 			var hydrating_node = hydration_list[0];
 
 			for (var i = 0; i < length; i++) {
-				var fragment = get_hydration_fragment(hydrating_node);
-				set_current_hydration_fragment(fragment);
-				if (!fragment) {
-					// If fragment is null, then that means that the server rendered less items than what
-					// the client code specifies -> break out and continue with client-side node creation
+				var fragment = update_hydration_fragment(hydrating_node);
+
+				if (fragment === null) {
+					// If fragment is null, then that means that the server rendered fewer items than what
+					// expected, so break out and continue appending non-hydrated items
 					mismatch = true;
 					set_hydrating(false);
 					break;
diff --git a/packages/svelte/src/internal/client/dom/blocks/svelte-head.js b/packages/svelte/src/internal/client/dom/blocks/svelte-head.js
index 3c6bfbcf68..ea7f50a434 100644
--- a/packages/svelte/src/internal/client/dom/blocks/svelte-head.js
+++ b/packages/svelte/src/internal/client/dom/blocks/svelte-head.js
@@ -1,8 +1,8 @@
 import {
 	current_hydration_fragment,
-	get_hydration_fragment,
 	hydrating,
-	set_current_hydration_fragment
+	set_current_hydration_fragment,
+	update_hydration_fragment
 } from '../hydration.js';
 import { empty } from '../operations.js';
 import { render_effect } from '../../reactivity/effects.js';
@@ -15,14 +15,12 @@ import { remove } from '../reconciler.js';
 export function head(render_fn) {
 	// The head function may be called after the first hydration pass and ssr comment nodes may still be present,
 	// therefore we need to skip that when we detect that we're not in hydration mode.
-	let hydration_fragment = null;
 	let previous_hydration_fragment = null;
+	let was_hydrating = hydrating;
 
-	let is_hydrating = hydrating;
-	if (is_hydrating) {
-		hydration_fragment = get_hydration_fragment(document.head.firstChild);
+	if (hydrating) {
 		previous_hydration_fragment = current_hydration_fragment;
-		set_current_hydration_fragment(hydration_fragment);
+		update_hydration_fragment(document.head.firstChild);
 	}
 
 	try {
@@ -50,7 +48,7 @@ export function head(render_fn) {
 			}
 		};
 	} finally {
-		if (is_hydrating) {
+		if (was_hydrating) {
 			set_current_hydration_fragment(previous_hydration_fragment);
 		}
 	}
diff --git a/packages/svelte/src/internal/client/dom/hydration.js b/packages/svelte/src/internal/client/dom/hydration.js
index 1466f91f86..a85d47d141 100644
--- a/packages/svelte/src/internal/client/dom/hydration.js
+++ b/packages/svelte/src/internal/client/dom/hydration.js
@@ -27,17 +27,26 @@ export let current_hydration_fragment = /** @type {any} */ (null);
  * @returns {void}
  */
 export function set_current_hydration_fragment(fragment) {
-	// hydrating = fragment !== null;
 	current_hydration_fragment = /** @type {import('#client').TemplateNode[]} */ (fragment);
 }
 
+/**
+ * @param {Node | null} first
+ * @param {boolean} [insert_text] Whether to insert an empty text node if the fragment is empty
+ */
+export function update_hydration_fragment(first, insert_text) {
+	const fragment = get_hydration_fragment(first, insert_text);
+	set_current_hydration_fragment(fragment);
+	return fragment;
+}
+
 /**
  * Returns all nodes between the first `<!--ssr:...-->` comment tag pair encountered.
  * @param {Node | null} node
  * @param {boolean} [insert_text] Whether to insert an empty text node if the fragment is empty
  * @returns {import('#client').TemplateNode[] | null}
  */
-export function get_hydration_fragment(node, insert_text = false) {
+function get_hydration_fragment(node, insert_text = false) {
 	/** @type {import('#client').TemplateNode[]} */
 	const fragment = [];
 
@@ -46,13 +55,17 @@ export function get_hydration_fragment(node, insert_text = false) {
 
 	/** @type {null | string} */
 	let target_depth = null;
+
 	while (current_node !== null) {
 		const node_type = current_node.nodeType;
 		const next_sibling = current_node.nextSibling;
+
 		if (node_type === 8) {
 			const data = /** @type {Comment} */ (current_node).data;
+
 			if (data.startsWith('ssr:')) {
 				const depth = data.slice(4);
+
 				if (target_depth === null) {
 					target_depth = depth;
 				} else if (depth === target_depth) {
@@ -65,15 +78,19 @@ export function get_hydration_fragment(node, insert_text = false) {
 				} else {
 					fragment.push(/** @type {Text | Comment | Element} */ (current_node));
 				}
+
 				current_node = next_sibling;
 				continue;
 			}
 		}
+
 		if (target_depth !== null) {
 			fragment.push(/** @type {Text | Comment | Element} */ (current_node));
 		}
+
 		current_node = next_sibling;
 	}
+
 	return null;
 }
 
@@ -101,3 +118,24 @@ export function hydrate_block_anchor(node) {
 		set_current_hydration_fragment(first_child === null ? [] : [first_child]);
 	}
 }
+
+/**
+ * Expects to only be called in hydration mode
+ * @param {Node} node
+ * @returns {Node}
+ */
+export function capture_fragment_from_node(node) {
+	if (
+		node.nodeType === 8 &&
+		/** @type {Comment} */ (node).data.startsWith('ssr:') &&
+		current_hydration_fragment[current_hydration_fragment.length - 1] !== node
+	) {
+		const fragment = /** @type {Array<Element | Text | Comment>} */ (get_hydration_fragment(node));
+		const last_child = fragment[fragment.length - 1] || node;
+		const target = /** @type {Node} */ (last_child.nextSibling);
+		// @ts-ignore
+		target.$$fragment = fragment;
+		return target;
+	}
+	return node;
+}
diff --git a/packages/svelte/src/internal/client/dom/operations.js b/packages/svelte/src/internal/client/dom/operations.js
index 8b8746cb3f..e3532cbf12 100644
--- a/packages/svelte/src/internal/client/dom/operations.js
+++ b/packages/svelte/src/internal/client/dom/operations.js
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-import { current_hydration_fragment, get_hydration_fragment, hydrating } from './hydration.js';
+import { capture_fragment_from_node, current_hydration_fragment, hydrating } from './hydration.js';
 import { get_descriptor } from '../utils.js';
 
 // We cache the Node and Element prototype methods, so that we can avoid doing
@@ -226,24 +226,3 @@ export function clear_text_content(node) {
 export function create_element(name) {
 	return document.createElement(name);
 }
-
-/**
- * Expects to only be called in hydration mode
- * @param {Node} node
- * @returns {Node}
- */
-function capture_fragment_from_node(node) {
-	if (
-		node.nodeType === 8 &&
-		/** @type {Comment} */ (node).data.startsWith('ssr:') &&
-		current_hydration_fragment[current_hydration_fragment.length - 1] !== node
-	) {
-		const fragment = /** @type {Array<Element | Text | Comment>} */ (get_hydration_fragment(node));
-		const last_child = fragment[fragment.length - 1] || node;
-		const target = /** @type {Node} */ (last_child.nextSibling);
-		// @ts-ignore
-		target.$$fragment = fragment;
-		return target;
-	}
-	return node;
-}
diff --git a/packages/svelte/src/internal/client/render.js b/packages/svelte/src/internal/client/render.js
index 4259b4436d..f775a7d682 100644
--- a/packages/svelte/src/internal/client/render.js
+++ b/packages/svelte/src/internal/client/render.js
@@ -6,11 +6,11 @@ import { flush_sync, push, pop, current_component_context } from './runtime.js';
 import { render_effect, destroy_effect } from './reactivity/effects.js';
 import {
 	current_hydration_fragment,
-	get_hydration_fragment,
 	hydrate_block_anchor,
 	hydrating,
 	set_current_hydration_fragment,
-	set_hydrating
+	set_hydrating,
+	update_hydration_fragment
 } from './dom/hydration.js';
 import { array_from } from './utils.js';
 import { handle_event_propagation } from './dom/elements/events.js';
@@ -142,11 +142,12 @@ export function hydrate(component, options) {
 	init_operations();
 	const container = options.target;
 	const first_child = /** @type {ChildNode} */ (container.firstChild);
+	const previous_hydration_fragment = current_hydration_fragment;
+
 	// Call with insert_text == true to prevent empty {expressions} resulting in an empty
 	// fragment array, resulting in a hydration error down the line
-	const hydration_fragment = get_hydration_fragment(first_child, true);
-	const previous_hydration_fragment = current_hydration_fragment;
-	set_current_hydration_fragment(hydration_fragment);
+	// TODO is both this and the `container.appendChild(anchor)` below necessary?
+	const hydration_fragment = update_hydration_fragment(first_child, true);
 	set_hydrating(true);
 
 	/** @type {null | Text} */