diff --git a/parser/converter.js b/parser/converter.js
index 6560cf8a..0d81fbd3 100644
--- a/parser/converter.js
+++ b/parser/converter.js
@@ -100,7 +100,7 @@ export default class TagConverter {
         parentTag: parentTag.longName,
       })
     }
-    if (childTag !== undefined && parentTag && (childTag.parent === undefined || childTag.parent !== parentTag)) {
+    if (childTag !== undefined && i > 0 && (childTag.parent === undefined || childTag.parent !== parentTag)) {
       IssueError.generateAndThrow('invalidParentNode', {
         tag: this.tagLevels[i],
         parentTag: childTag.longName,
diff --git a/parser/parsedHedGroup.js b/parser/parsedHedGroup.js
index 0eb0c8eb..cc5c23cb 100644
--- a/parser/parsedHedGroup.js
+++ b/parser/parsedHedGroup.js
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ import { generateIssue, IssueError } from '../common/issues/issues'
 import { getParsedParentTags } from '../utils/hedData'
 import { getTagName } from '../utils/hedStrings'
 import ParsedHedSubstring from './parsedHedSubstring'
-import { ParsedHedTag } from './parsedHedTag'
+import { ParsedHed3Tag, ParsedHedTag } from './parsedHedTag'
 import ParsedHedColumnSplice from './parsedHedColumnSplice'
 
 /**
@@ -73,13 +73,12 @@ export class ParsedHedGroup extends ParsedHedSubstring {
     if (!hedSchemas.isHed3) {
       return undefined
     }
-    const parsedTags = getParsedParentTags(hedSchemas, shortTag)
     const tags = group.tags.filter((tag) => {
-      if (!(tag instanceof ParsedHedTag)) {
+      if (!(tag instanceof ParsedHed3Tag)) {
         return false
       }
-      const parsedTag = parsedTags.get(tag.schema)
-      return tag.isDescendantOf(parsedTag)
+      const schemaTag = tag.schemaTag
+      return schemaTag.name === shortTag
     })
     switch (tags.length) {
       case 0:
diff --git a/parser/parsedHedTag.js b/parser/parsedHedTag.js
index 6542f74e..edc2465c 100644
--- a/parser/parsedHedTag.js
+++ b/parser/parsedHedTag.js
@@ -379,31 +379,32 @@ export class ParsedHed3Tag extends ParsedHedTag {
   }
 
   /**
-   * Get the value-taking form of this tag.
+   * Get the schema tag object for this tag.
    *
-   * @returns {string} The value-taking form of this tag.
+   * @returns {SchemaTag} The schema tag object for this tag.
    */
-  get takesValueFormattedTag() {
-    return this._memoize('takesValueFormattedTag', () => {
-      const takesValueType = 'takesValue'
-      for (const ancestor of ParsedHedTag.ancestorIterator(this.formattedTag)) {
-        const takesValueTag = replaceTagNameWithPound(ancestor)
-        if (this.schema?.tagHasAttribute(takesValueTag, takesValueType)) {
-          return takesValueTag
-        }
+  get schemaTag() {
+    return this._memoize('takesValueTag', () => {
+      if (this._schemaTag instanceof SchemaValueTag) {
+        return this._schemaTag.parent
+      } else {
+        return this._schemaTag
       }
-      return null
     })
   }
 
   /**
    * Get the schema tag object for this tag's value-taking form.
    *
-   * @returns {SchemaTag} The schema tag object for this tag's value-taking form.
+   * @returns {SchemaValueTag} The schema tag object for this tag's value-taking form.
    */
   get takesValueTag() {
     return this._memoize('takesValueTag', () => {
-      return this._schemaTag
+      if (this._schemaTag instanceof SchemaValueTag) {
+        return this._schemaTag
+      } else {
+        return undefined
+      }
     })
   }
 
@@ -414,7 +415,7 @@ export class ParsedHed3Tag extends ParsedHedTag {
    */
   get takesValue() {
     return this._memoize('takesValue', () => {
-      return this.takesValueFormattedTag !== null
+      return this.takesValueTag !== undefined
     })
   }
 
diff --git a/validator/event/hed3.js b/validator/event/hed3.js
index 5ea382bb..648ea3f7 100644
--- a/validator/event/hed3.js
+++ b/validator/event/hed3.js
@@ -396,9 +396,6 @@ export class Hed3Validator extends HedValidator {
     const definitionShortTag = 'Definition'
     const defExpandShortTag = 'Def-expand'
     const defShortTag = 'Def'
-    const definitionParentTags = getParsedParentTags(this.hedSchemas, definitionShortTag)
-    const defExpandParentTags = getParsedParentTags(this.hedSchemas, defExpandShortTag)
-    const defParentTags = getParsedParentTags(this.hedSchemas, defShortTag)
 
     const definitionName = tagGroup.definitionNameAndValue
 
@@ -421,14 +418,10 @@ export class Hed3Validator extends HedValidator {
           })
         }
         for (const innerTag of tag.tagIterator()) {
-          const nestedDefinitionParentTags = [
-            ...definitionParentTags.values(),
-            ...defExpandParentTags.values(),
-            ...defParentTags.values(),
-          ]
+          const nestedDefinitionParentTags = [definitionShortTag, defExpandShortTag, defShortTag]
           if (
             nestedDefinitionParentTags.some((parentTag) => {
-              return innerTag.isDescendantOf(parentTag)
+              return innerTag.schemaTag?.name === parentTag
             })
           ) {
             this.pushIssue('nestedDefinition', {
@@ -441,7 +434,7 @@ export class Hed3Validator extends HedValidator {
           definition: definitionName,
           column: tag.originalTag,
         })
-      } else if (!tag.isDescendantOf(definitionParentTags.get(tag.schema))) {
+      } else if (tag.schemaTag?.name !== 'Definition') {
         this.pushIssue('illegalDefinitionGroupTag', {
           tag: tag,
           definition: definitionName,
@@ -453,12 +446,11 @@ export class Hed3Validator extends HedValidator {
   /**
    * Check for missing HED 3 definitions.
    *
-   * @param {ParsedHedTag} tag The HED tag.
+   * @param {ParsedHed3Tag} tag The HED tag.
    * @param {string} defShortTag The short tag to check for.
    */
   checkForMissingDefinitions(tag, defShortTag = 'Def') {
-    const defParentTags = getParsedParentTags(this.hedSchemas, defShortTag)
-    if (!tag.isDescendantOf(defParentTags.get(tag.schema))) {
+    if (tag.schemaTag?.name !== defShortTag) {
       return
     }
     const defName = ParsedHedGroup.findDefinitionName(tag.canonicalTag, defShortTag)