diff --git a/compat/test/browser/render.test.js b/compat/test/browser/render.test.js
index 6245fc39fa..7781acb6d8 100644
--- a/compat/test/browser/render.test.js
+++ b/compat/test/browser/render.test.js
@@ -545,6 +545,40 @@ describe('compat render', () => {
 		expect(scratch.textContent).to.equal('foo');
 	});
 
+	it('should allow context as a component', () => {
+		const Context = createContext(null);
+		const CONTEXT = { a: 'a' };
+
+		let receivedContext;
+
+		class Inner extends Component {
+			render(props) {
+				return <div>{props.a}</div>;
+			}
+		}
+
+		sinon.spy(Inner.prototype, 'render');
+
+		render(
+			<Context value={CONTEXT}>
+				<div>
+					<Context.Consumer>
+						{data => {
+							receivedContext = data;
+							return <Inner {...data} />;
+						}}
+					</Context.Consumer>
+				</div>
+			</Context>,
+			scratch
+		);
+
+		// initial render does not invoke anything but render():
+		expect(Inner.prototype.render).to.have.been.calledWithMatch(CONTEXT);
+		expect(receivedContext).to.equal(CONTEXT);
+		expect(scratch.innerHTML).to.equal('<div><div>a</div></div>');
+	});
+
 	it("should support recoils's usage of __SECRET_INTERNALS_DO_NOT_USE_OR_YOU_WILL_BE_FIRED", () => {
 		// Simplified version of: https://github.com/facebookexperimental/Recoil/blob/c1b97f3a0117cad76cbc6ab3cb06d89a9ce717af/packages/recoil/core/Recoil_ReactMode.js#L36-L44
 		function useStateWrapper(init) {
diff --git a/compat/test/ts/index.tsx b/compat/test/ts/index.tsx
index f636ce6d5f..2e322931d9 100644
--- a/compat/test/ts/index.tsx
+++ b/compat/test/ts/index.tsx
@@ -15,3 +15,26 @@ React.unmountComponentAtNode(document.body.shadowRoot!);
 React.createPortal(<div />, document.createElement('div'));
 React.createPortal(<div />, document.createDocumentFragment());
 React.createPortal(<div />, document.body.shadowRoot!);
+
+const Ctx = React.createContext({ contextValue: '' });
+class SimpleComponentWithContextAsProvider extends React.Component {
+	componentProp = 'componentProp';
+	render() {
+		// Render inside div to ensure standard JSX elements still work
+		return (
+			<Ctx value={{ contextValue: 'value' }}>
+				<div>
+					{/* Ensure context still works */}
+					<Ctx.Consumer>
+						{({ contextValue }) => contextValue.toLowerCase()}
+					</Ctx.Consumer>
+				</div>
+			</Ctx>
+		);
+	}
+}
+
+React.render(
+	<SimpleComponentWithContextAsProvider />,
+	document.createElement('div')
+);
diff --git a/hooks/test/browser/useContext.test.js b/hooks/test/browser/useContext.test.js
index 67b7851406..6a47b107d8 100644
--- a/hooks/test/browser/useContext.test.js
+++ b/hooks/test/browser/useContext.test.js
@@ -206,6 +206,38 @@ describe('useContext', () => {
 		expect(values).to.deep.equal([13, 42, 69]);
 	});
 
+	it('should only subscribe a component once (non-provider)', () => {
+		const values = [];
+		const Context = createContext(13);
+		let provider, subSpy;
+
+		function Comp() {
+			const value = useContext(Context);
+			values.push(value);
+			return null;
+		}
+
+		render(<Comp />, scratch);
+
+		render(
+			<Context ref={p => (provider = p)} value={42}>
+				<Comp />
+			</Context>,
+			scratch
+		);
+		subSpy = sinon.spy(provider, 'sub');
+
+		render(
+			<Context value={69}>
+				<Comp />
+			</Context>,
+			scratch
+		);
+		expect(subSpy).to.not.have.been.called;
+
+		expect(values).to.deep.equal([13, 42, 69]);
+	});
+
 	it('should maintain context', done => {
 		const context = createContext(null);
 		const { Provider } = context;
diff --git a/mangle.json b/mangle.json
index dfbca39c3d..8c518f89fe 100644
--- a/mangle.json
+++ b/mangle.json
@@ -62,8 +62,8 @@
       "$_globalContext": "__n",
       "$_context": "c",
       "$_defaultValue": "__",
-      "$_id": "__c",
-      "$_contextRef": "__",
+      "$_id": "__l",
+      "$_contextRef": "__c",
       "$_parentDom": "__P",
       "$_originalParentDom": "__O",
       "$_prevState": "__u",
diff --git a/src/create-context.js b/src/create-context.js
index 1bb9868f6d..8ecaec9ea5 100644
--- a/src/create-context.js
+++ b/src/create-context.js
@@ -2,64 +2,58 @@ import { enqueueRender } from './component';
 
 export let i = 0;
 
-export function createContext(defaultValue, contextId) {
-	contextId = '__cC' + i++;
-
-	const context = {
-		_id: contextId,
-		_defaultValue: defaultValue,
-		/** @type {import('./internal').FunctionComponent} */
-		Consumer(props, contextValue) {
-			// return props.children(
-			// 	context[contextId] ? context[contextId].props.value : defaultValue
-			// );
-			return props.children(contextValue);
-		},
-		/** @type {import('./internal').FunctionComponent} */
-		Provider(props) {
-			if (!this.getChildContext) {
-				/** @type {Set<import('./internal').Component> | null} */
-				let subs = new Set();
-				let ctx = {};
-				ctx[contextId] = this;
-
-				this.getChildContext = () => ctx;
-
-				this.componentWillUnmount = () => {
-					subs = null;
-				};
-
-				this.shouldComponentUpdate = function (_props) {
-					if (this.props.value !== _props.value) {
-						subs.forEach(c => {
-							c._force = true;
-							enqueueRender(c);
-						});
+export function createContext(defaultValue) {
+	function Context(props) {
+		if (!this.getChildContext) {
+			/** @type {Set<import('./internal').Component> | null} */
+			let subs = new Set();
+			let ctx = {};
+			ctx[Context._id] = this;
+
+			this.getChildContext = () => ctx;
+
+			this.componentWillUnmount = () => {
+				subs = null;
+			};
+
+			this.shouldComponentUpdate = function (_props) {
+				// @ts-expect-error even
+				if (this.props.value !== _props.value) {
+					subs.forEach(c => {
+						c._force = true;
+						enqueueRender(c);
+					});
+				}
+			};
+
+			this.sub = c => {
+				subs.add(c);
+				let old = c.componentWillUnmount;
+				c.componentWillUnmount = () => {
+					if (subs) {
+						subs.delete(c);
 					}
+					if (old) old.call(c);
 				};
+			};
+		}
 
-				this.sub = c => {
-					subs.add(c);
-					let old = c.componentWillUnmount;
-					c.componentWillUnmount = () => {
-						if (subs) {
-							subs.delete(c);
-						}
-						if (old) old.call(c);
-					};
-				};
-			}
+		return props.children;
+	}
 
-			return props.children;
-		}
+	Context._id = '__cC' + i++;
+	Context._defaultValue = defaultValue;
+
+	/** @type {import('./internal').FunctionComponent} */
+	Context.Consumer = (props, contextValue) => {
+		return props.children(contextValue);
 	};
 
-	// Devtools needs access to the context object when it
-	// encounters a Provider. This is necessary to support
-	// setting `displayName` on the context object instead
-	// of on the component itself. See:
-	// https://reactjs.org/docs/context.html#contextdisplayname
+	// we could also get rid of _contextRef entirely
+	Context.Provider =
+		Context._contextRef =
+		Context.Consumer.contextType =
+			Context;
 
-	return (context.Provider._contextRef = context.Consumer.contextType =
-		context);
+	return Context;
 }
diff --git a/src/index.d.ts b/src/index.d.ts
index 279af93ab2..8ab4570dc5 100644
--- a/src/index.d.ts
+++ b/src/index.d.ts
@@ -388,11 +388,12 @@ export type ContextType<C extends Context<any>> = C extends Context<infer T>
 	? T
 	: never;
 
-export interface Context<T> {
-	Consumer: Consumer<T>;
-	Provider: Provider<T>;
+export interface Context<T> extends preact.Provider<T> {
+	Consumer: preact.Consumer<T>;
+	Provider: preact.Provider<T>;
 	displayName?: string;
 }
+
 export interface PreactContext<T> extends Context<T> {}
 
 export function createContext<T>(defaultValue: T): Context<T>;
diff --git a/test/browser/createContext.test.js b/test/browser/createContext.test.js
index f5af75db58..41850aad90 100644
--- a/test/browser/createContext.test.js
+++ b/test/browser/createContext.test.js
@@ -57,6 +57,40 @@ describe('createContext', () => {
 		expect(scratch.innerHTML).to.equal('<div><div>a</div></div>');
 	});
 
+	it('should pass context to a consumer (non-provider)', () => {
+		const Ctx = createContext(null);
+		const CONTEXT = { a: 'a' };
+
+		let receivedContext;
+
+		class Inner extends Component {
+			render(props) {
+				return <div>{props.a}</div>;
+			}
+		}
+
+		sinon.spy(Inner.prototype, 'render');
+
+		render(
+			<Ctx value={CONTEXT}>
+				<div>
+					<Ctx.Consumer>
+						{data => {
+							receivedContext = data;
+							return <Inner {...data} />;
+						}}
+					</Ctx.Consumer>
+				</div>
+			</Ctx>,
+			scratch
+		);
+
+		// initial render does not invoke anything but render():
+		expect(Inner.prototype.render).to.have.been.calledWithMatch(CONTEXT);
+		expect(receivedContext).to.equal(CONTEXT);
+		expect(scratch.innerHTML).to.equal('<div><div>a</div></div>');
+	});
+
 	// This optimization helps
 	// to prevent a Provider from rerendering the children, this means
 	// we only propagate to children.
@@ -152,7 +186,8 @@ describe('createContext', () => {
 	it('should preserve provider context between different providers', () => {
 		const { Provider: ThemeProvider, Consumer: ThemeConsumer } =
 			createContext(null);
-		const { Provider: DataProvider, Consumer: DataConsumer } = createContext(null);
+		const { Provider: DataProvider, Consumer: DataConsumer } =
+			createContext(null);
 		const THEME_CONTEXT = { theme: 'black' };
 		const DATA_CONTEXT = { global: 'a' };
 
diff --git a/test/ts/custom-elements.tsx b/test/ts/custom-elements.tsx
index c606d6a7f8..f943b7c930 100644
--- a/test/ts/custom-elements.tsx
+++ b/test/ts/custom-elements.tsx
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@ interface WhateveElAttributes extends createElement.JSX.HTMLAttributes {
 }
 
 // Ensure context still works
-const { Provider, Consumer } = createContext({ contextValue: '' });
+const Ctx = createContext({ contextValue: '' });
 
 // Sample component that uses custom elements
 
@@ -50,7 +50,7 @@ class SimpleComponent extends Component {
 	render() {
 		// Render inside div to ensure standard JSX elements still work
 		return (
-			<Provider value={{ contextValue: 'value' }}>
+			<Ctx.Provider value={{ contextValue: 'value' }}>
 				<div>
 					<clickable-ce
 						onClick={e => {
@@ -73,13 +73,30 @@ class SimpleComponent extends Component {
 					></custom-whatever>
 
 					{/* Ensure context still works */}
-					<Consumer>
+					<Ctx.Consumer>
 						{({ contextValue }) => contextValue.toLowerCase()}
-					</Consumer>
+					</Ctx.Consumer>
 				</div>
-			</Provider>
+			</Ctx.Provider>
 		);
 	}
 }
 
 const component = <SimpleComponent />;
+class SimpleComponentWithContextAsProvider extends Component {
+	componentProp = 'componentProp';
+	render() {
+		// Render inside div to ensure standard JSX elements still work
+		return (
+			<Ctx value={{ contextValue: 'value' }}>
+				<div>
+					{/* Ensure context still works */}
+					<Ctx.Consumer>
+						{({ contextValue }) => contextValue.toLowerCase()}
+					</Ctx.Consumer>
+				</div>
+			</Ctx>
+		);
+	}
+}
+const component2 = <SimpleComponentWithContextAsProvider />;