diff --git a/src/Extensions/ElementalAreasExtension.php b/src/Extensions/ElementalAreasExtension.php
index 6a1b82d0..50415c08 100644
--- a/src/Extensions/ElementalAreasExtension.php
+++ b/src/Extensions/ElementalAreasExtension.php
@@ -187,7 +187,6 @@ public function updateCMSFields(FieldList $fields)
 
     /**
      * Make sure there is always an ElementalArea for adding Elements
-     *
      */
     public function onBeforeWrite()
     {
@@ -207,8 +206,6 @@ public function onBeforeWrite()
                 $area->OwnerClassName = $this->owner->ClassName;
                 $area->write();
                 $this->owner->$areaID = $area->ID;
-            } elseif ($area = ElementalArea::get()->filter('ID', $this->owner->$areaID)->first()) {
-                $area->write();
             }
         }
 
diff --git a/src/Extensions/ElementalDuplicationExtension.php b/src/Extensions/ElementalDuplicationExtension.php
deleted file mode 100644
index 47f8b98c..00000000
--- a/src/Extensions/ElementalDuplicationExtension.php
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,60 +0,0 @@
-<?php
-
-namespace DNADesign\Elemental\Extensions;
-
-use SilverStripe\Core\Config\Config;
-use SilverStripe\ORM\DataExtension;
-
-/**
- * @deprecated 2.1..3.0 This extension is not implemented by default, and will be removed
- *                      in 3.0.0. Please use the `$owns` API with `$cascade_duplicates` instead.
- *                      See {@link ElementalPageExtension} for an example of this.
- */
-class ElementalDuplicationExtension extends DataExtension
-{
-    /**
-     * Duplicate items
-     *
-     */
-    public function onAfterDuplicate($original, $doWrite = true)
-    {
-        $thisClass = $this->owner->ClassName;
-
-        // Duplicate has_one's and has_many's
-        $duplicateRelations = Config::inst()->get($thisClass, 'duplicate_relations');
-        if ($duplicateRelations && !empty($duplicateRelations)) {
-            foreach ($duplicateRelations as $relation) {
-                $items = $original->$relation();
-                foreach ($items as $item) {
-                    $duplicateItem = $item->duplicate(false);
-                    $duplicateItem->{$thisClass.'ID'} = $this->owner->ID;
-                    $duplicateItem->write();
-                }
-            }
-        }
-
-        // Duplicate many_many's
-        $duplicateManyManyRelations = Config::inst()->get($thisClass, 'duplicate_many_many_relations');
-        if ($duplicateManyManyRelations && !empty($duplicateManyManyRelations)) {
-            foreach ($duplicateManyManyRelations as $relation) {
-                $items = $original->$relation();
-                foreach ($items as $item) {
-                    $this->owner->$relation()->add($item);
-                }
-            }
-        }
-    }
-
-    public function onBeforeDuplicate($original, $doWrite = true)
-    {
-        $thisClass = $this->owner->ClassName;
-        $clearRelations = Config::inst()->get($thisClass, 'duplicate_clear_relations');
-
-        if ($clearRelations && !empty($clearRelations)) {
-            foreach ($clearRelations as $clearRelation) {
-                $clearRelation = $clearRelation . 'ID';
-                $this->owner->$clearRelation = 0;
-            }
-        }
-    }
-}
diff --git a/src/Models/BaseElement.php b/src/Models/BaseElement.php
index 552b3c61..f706133b 100644
--- a/src/Models/BaseElement.php
+++ b/src/Models/BaseElement.php
@@ -229,21 +229,16 @@ public function canCreate($member = null, $context = array())
     }
 
     /**
-     * @throws \SilverStripe\ORM\ValidationException
+     * Increment the sort order if one hasn't been already defined. This ensures that new elements are created
+     * at the end of the list by default.
+     *
+     * {@inheritDoc}
      */
     public function onBeforeWrite()
     {
         parent::onBeforeWrite();
 
-        if ($areaID = $this->ParentID) {
-            if ($elementalArea = ElementalArea::get()->byID($areaID)) {
-                $elementalArea->write();
-            }
-        }
-
         if (!$this->Sort) {
-            $parentID = ($this->ParentID) ? $this->ParentID : 0;
-
             $this->Sort = static::get()->max('Sort') + 1;
         }
     }
diff --git a/tests/ElementalAreaTest.php b/tests/ElementalAreaTest.php
index d6c0edcc..606c595c 100644
--- a/tests/ElementalAreaTest.php
+++ b/tests/ElementalAreaTest.php
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@
 use DNADesign\Elemental\Tests\Src\TestPage;
 use Page;
 use SilverStripe\Dev\SapphireTest;
+use SilverStripe\Versioned\Versioned;
 
 class ElementalAreaTest extends SapphireTest
 {
@@ -49,12 +50,15 @@ public function testCanBePublished()
     {
         $member = $this->logInWithPermission('SITETREE_EDIT_ALL');
 
+        /** @var Page $page */
         $page = $this->objFromFixture(TestPage::class, 'page1');
         $this->assertTrue($page->canPublish($member));
 
+        /** @var ElementalArea|Versioned $area */
         $area = $this->objFromFixture(ElementalArea::class, 'area1');
         $this->assertTrue($area->canPublish($member));
 
+        /** @var TestElement|Versioned $element */
         $element = $this->objFromFixture(TestElement::class, 'element1');
         $this->assertTrue($element->canPublish($member));
     }