diff --git a/R/dummy_functions.R b/R/dummy_functions.R
index 7e6765dfbc..fd3f067699 100644
--- a/R/dummy_functions.R
+++ b/R/dummy_functions.R
@@ -20,10 +20,7 @@ example_module <- function(label = "example teal module", datanames = "all", tra
     server = function(id, data) {
       checkmate::assert_class(isolate(data()), "teal_data")
       moduleServer(id, function(input, output, session) {
-        datanames_rv <- reactive({
-          .teal_data_ls(req(data()))
-        })
-
+        datanames_rv <- reactive(ls(teal.code::get_env((req(data())))))
         observeEvent(datanames_rv(), {
           selected <- input$dataname
           if (identical(selected, "")) {
diff --git a/R/init.R b/R/init.R
index ca5820e0a0..e6cb66953b 100644
--- a/R/init.R
+++ b/R/init.R
@@ -207,16 +207,16 @@ init <- function(data,
 
   ## `data` - `modules`
   if (inherits(data, "teal_data")) {
-    if (length(.teal_data_ls(data)) == 0) {
+    if (length(ls(teal.code::get_env(data))) == 0) {
       stop("The environment of `data` is empty.")
     }
 
-    is_modules_ok <- check_modules_datanames(modules, .teal_data_ls(data))
+    is_modules_ok <- check_modules_datanames(modules, ls(teal.code::get_env(data)))
     if (!isTRUE(is_modules_ok) && length(unlist(extract_transformers(modules))) == 0) {
       lapply(is_modules_ok$string, warning, call. = FALSE)
     }
 
-    is_filter_ok <- check_filter_datanames(filter, .teal_data_ls(data))
+    is_filter_ok <- check_filter_datanames(filter, ls(teal.code::get_env(data)))
     if (!isTRUE(is_filter_ok)) {
       warning(is_filter_ok)
       # we allow app to continue if applied filters are outside
diff --git a/R/module_data_summary.R b/R/module_data_summary.R
index f9c6beaeae..e793c53f70 100644
--- a/R/module_data_summary.R
+++ b/R/module_data_summary.R
@@ -62,7 +62,7 @@ srv_data_summary <- function(id, teal_data) {
 
       summary_table <- reactive({
         req(inherits(teal_data(), "teal_data"))
-        if (!length(.teal_data_ls(teal_data()))) {
+        if (!length(ls(teal.code::get_env(teal_data())))) {
           return(NULL)
         }
 
@@ -143,16 +143,15 @@ get_filter_overview <- function(teal_data) {
 
   filtered_data_objs <- sapply(
     datanames,
-    function(name) teal.code::get_env(teal_data())[[name]],
+    function(name) teal.code::get_var(teal_data(), name),
     simplify = FALSE
   )
-  unfiltered_data_objs <- teal.code::get_env(teal_data())[[".raw_data"]]
+  unfiltered_data_objs <- teal.code::get_var(teal_data(), ".raw_data")
 
   rows <- lapply(
     datanames,
     function(dataname) {
       parent <- teal.data::parent(joinkeys, dataname)
-
       # todo: what should we display for a parent dataset?
       #     - Obs and Subjects
       #     - Obs only
diff --git a/R/module_init_data.R b/R/module_init_data.R
index 824f4bf0cc..e79909a1f9 100644
--- a/R/module_init_data.R
+++ b/R/module_init_data.R
@@ -107,7 +107,7 @@ srv_init_data <- function(id, data, modules, filter = teal_slices()) {
         )
       }
 
-      is_filter_ok <- check_filter_datanames(filter, .teal_data_ls(data_validated()))
+      is_filter_ok <- check_filter_datanames(filter, ls(teal.code::get_env(data_validated())))
       if (!isTRUE(is_filter_ok)) {
         showNotification(
           "Some filters were not applied because of incompatibility with data. Contact app developer.",
@@ -154,7 +154,7 @@ srv_init_data <- function(id, data, modules, filter = teal_slices()) {
       list(code = trimws(c(teal.code::get_code(data), hashes), which = "right")),
       list(join_keys = teal.data::join_keys(data)),
       sapply(
-        .teal_data_ls(data),
+        ls(teal.code::get_env(data)),
         teal.code::get_var,
         object = data,
         simplify = FALSE
@@ -174,7 +174,7 @@ srv_init_data <- function(id, data, modules, filter = teal_slices()) {
 #' @return A character vector with the code lines.
 #' @keywords internal
 #'
-.get_hashes_code <- function(data, datanames = .teal_data_ls(data)) {
+.get_hashes_code <- function(data, datanames = ls(teal.code::get_env(data))) {
   vapply(
     datanames,
     function(dataname, datasets) {
diff --git a/R/module_nested_tabs.R b/R/module_nested_tabs.R
index 7bc3a72fbf..76ead65b33 100644
--- a/R/module_nested_tabs.R
+++ b/R/module_nested_tabs.R
@@ -301,11 +301,11 @@ srv_teal_module.teal_module <- function(id,
 .resolve_module_datanames <- function(data, modules) {
   stopifnot("data_rv must be teal_data object." = inherits(data, "teal_data"))
   if (is.null(modules$datanames) || identical(modules$datanames, "all")) {
-    .teal_data_ls(data)
+    .topologically_sort_datanames(ls(teal.code::get_env(data)), teal.data::join_keys(data))
   } else {
     intersect(
-      include_parent_datanames(modules$datanames, teal.data::join_keys(data)),
-      .teal_data_ls(data)
+      .include_parent_datanames(modules$datanames, teal.data::join_keys(data)),
+      ls(teal.code::get_env(data))
     )
   }
 }
diff --git a/R/module_teal_data.R b/R/module_teal_data.R
index f1c6087575..943f635136 100644
--- a/R/module_teal_data.R
+++ b/R/module_teal_data.R
@@ -161,7 +161,10 @@ srv_validate_reactive_teal_data <- function(id, # nolint: object_length
 
     output$shiny_warnings <- renderUI({
       if (inherits(data_out_r(), "teal_data")) {
-        is_modules_ok <- check_modules_datanames(modules = modules, datanames = .teal_data_ls(data_validated()))
+        is_modules_ok <- check_modules_datanames(
+          modules = modules,
+          datanames = ls(teal.code::get_env(data_validated()))
+        )
         if (!isTRUE(is_modules_ok)) {
           tags$div(
             is_modules_ok$html(
diff --git a/R/teal_data_utils.R b/R/teal_data_utils.R
index 1ecac9c3f6..f02b3d4bcf 100644
--- a/R/teal_data_utils.R
+++ b/R/teal_data_utils.R
@@ -42,9 +42,9 @@ NULL
 .subset_teal_data <- function(data, datanames) {
   checkmate::assert_class(data, "teal_data")
   checkmate::assert_class(datanames, "character")
-  datanames_corrected <- intersect(datanames, .teal_data_ls(data))
+  datanames_corrected <- intersect(datanames, ls(teal.code::get_env(data)))
   datanames_corrected_with_raw <- c(datanames_corrected, ".raw_data")
-  if (!length(datanames)) {
+  if (!length(datanames_corrected)) {
     return(teal_data())
   }
 
@@ -67,12 +67,3 @@ NULL
   teal.data::datanames(new_data) <- datanames_corrected
   new_data
 }
-
-#' @rdname teal_data_utilities
-.teal_data_ls <- function(data) {
-  datanames <- ls(
-    teal.code::get_env(data),
-    all.names = FALSE # doesn't consider objects prefixed by `.` as datanames (including filtered datanames)
-  )
-  include_parent_datanames(datanames, teal.data::join_keys(data)) # for topological sort
-}
diff --git a/R/utils.R b/R/utils.R
index 36cd81f564..d2bedef4e3 100644
--- a/R/utils.R
+++ b/R/utils.R
@@ -44,20 +44,28 @@ get_teal_bs_theme <- function() {
 #' Return parentnames along with datanames.
 #' @noRd
 #' @keywords internal
-include_parent_datanames <- function(dataname, join_keys) {
-  ordered_datanames <- dataname
-  for (i in dataname) {
+.include_parent_datanames <- function(datanames, join_keys) {
+  ordered_datanames <- datanames
+  for (i in datanames) {
     parents <- character(0)
     while (length(i) > 0) {
       parent_i <- teal.data::parent(join_keys, i)
       parents <- c(parent_i, parents)
       i <- parent_i
     }
-    ordered_datanames <- c(parents, dataname, ordered_datanames)
+    ordered_datanames <- c(parents, ordered_datanames)
   }
   unique(ordered_datanames)
 }
 
+#' Return topologicaly sorted datanames
+#' @noRd
+#' @keywords internal
+.topologically_sort_datanames <- function(datanames, join_keys) {
+  datanames_with_parents <- .include_parent_datanames(datanames, join_keys)
+  intersect(datanames, datanames_with_parents)
+}
+
 #' Create a `FilteredData`
 #'
 #' Create a `FilteredData` object from a `teal_data` object.
@@ -66,7 +74,7 @@ include_parent_datanames <- function(dataname, join_keys) {
 #' @param datanames (`character`) vector of data set names to include; must be subset of `datanames(x)`
 #' @return A `FilteredData` object.
 #' @keywords internal
-teal_data_to_filtered_data <- function(x, datanames = .teal_data_ls(x)) {
+teal_data_to_filtered_data <- function(x, datanames = ls(teal.code::get_env(x))) {
   checkmate::assert_class(x, "teal_data")
   checkmate::assert_character(datanames, min.chars = 1L, any.missing = FALSE)
   # Otherwise, FilteredData will be created in the modules' scope later
@@ -79,6 +87,7 @@ teal_data_to_filtered_data <- function(x, datanames = .teal_data_ls(x)) {
   )
 }
 
+
 #' Template function for `TealReportCard` creation and customization
 #'
 #' This function generates a report card with a title,
diff --git a/man/dot-get_hashes_code.Rd b/man/dot-get_hashes_code.Rd
index 07280ef587..2b6d519312 100644
--- a/man/dot-get_hashes_code.Rd
+++ b/man/dot-get_hashes_code.Rd
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@
 \alias{.get_hashes_code}
 \title{Get code that tests the integrity of the reproducible data}
 \usage{
-.get_hashes_code(data, datanames = .teal_data_ls(data))
+.get_hashes_code(data, datanames = ls(teal.code::get_env(data)))
 }
 \arguments{
 \item{data}{(\code{teal_data}) object holding the data}
diff --git a/man/teal_data_to_filtered_data.Rd b/man/teal_data_to_filtered_data.Rd
index 4d7d53e38e..d6eecd90cd 100644
--- a/man/teal_data_to_filtered_data.Rd
+++ b/man/teal_data_to_filtered_data.Rd
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@
 \alias{teal_data_to_filtered_data}
 \title{Create a \code{FilteredData}}
 \usage{
-teal_data_to_filtered_data(x, datanames = .teal_data_ls(x))
+teal_data_to_filtered_data(x, datanames = ls(teal.code::get_env(x)))
 }
 \arguments{
 \item{x}{(\code{teal_data}) object}
diff --git a/man/teal_data_utilities.Rd b/man/teal_data_utilities.Rd
index a9fc37eb9a..07f850f124 100644
--- a/man/teal_data_utilities.Rd
+++ b/man/teal_data_utilities.Rd
@@ -5,7 +5,6 @@
 \alias{.append_evaluated_code}
 \alias{.append_modified_data}
 \alias{.subset_teal_data}
-\alias{.teal_data_ls}
 \title{\code{teal_data} utils}
 \usage{
 .append_evaluated_code(data, code)
@@ -13,8 +12,6 @@
 .append_modified_data(data, objects)
 
 .subset_teal_data(data, datanames)
-
-.teal_data_ls(data)
 }
 \arguments{
 \item{data}{(\code{teal_data})}