diff --git a/android/src/main/java/com/facebook/flipper/plugins/uidebugger/descriptors/ActivityDescriptor.kt b/android/src/main/java/com/facebook/flipper/plugins/uidebugger/descriptors/ActivityDescriptor.kt
index 7fd837e42..7aeda3a2d 100644
--- a/android/src/main/java/com/facebook/flipper/plugins/uidebugger/descriptors/ActivityDescriptor.kt
+++ b/android/src/main/java/com/facebook/flipper/plugins/uidebugger/descriptors/ActivityDescriptor.kt
@@ -17,11 +17,15 @@ object ActivityDescriptor : ChainedDescriptor<Activity>() {
     return node.javaClass.simpleName
   }
 
-  override fun onGetChildren(node: Activity, children: MutableList<Any>) {
+  override fun onGetChildren(node: Activity): List<Any> {
+    val children = mutableListOf<Any>()
+
     node.window?.let { window -> children.add(window) }
 
     val fragments = FragmentTracker.getDialogFragments(node)
     fragments.forEach { fragment -> children.add(fragment) }
+
+    return children
   }
 
   override fun onGetData(
diff --git a/android/src/main/java/com/facebook/flipper/plugins/uidebugger/descriptors/ApplicationRefDescriptor.kt b/android/src/main/java/com/facebook/flipper/plugins/uidebugger/descriptors/ApplicationRefDescriptor.kt
index 644ffda5d..d18131f47 100644
--- a/android/src/main/java/com/facebook/flipper/plugins/uidebugger/descriptors/ApplicationRefDescriptor.kt
+++ b/android/src/main/java/com/facebook/flipper/plugins/uidebugger/descriptors/ApplicationRefDescriptor.kt
@@ -31,7 +31,9 @@ object ApplicationRefDescriptor : ChainedDescriptor<ApplicationRef>() {
     else node.application.getString(stringId)
   }
 
-  override fun onGetChildren(node: ApplicationRef, children: MutableList<Any>) {
+  override fun onGetChildren(node: ApplicationRef): List<Any> {
+    val children = mutableListOf<Any>()
+
     val activeRoots = node.rootViews
 
     val added = mutableSetOf<View>()
@@ -47,5 +49,7 @@ object ApplicationRefDescriptor : ChainedDescriptor<ApplicationRef>() {
         added.add(root)
       }
     }
+
+    return children
   }
 }
diff --git a/android/src/main/java/com/facebook/flipper/plugins/uidebugger/descriptors/ChainedDescriptor.kt b/android/src/main/java/com/facebook/flipper/plugins/uidebugger/descriptors/ChainedDescriptor.kt
index e39145903..49b394ebf 100644
--- a/android/src/main/java/com/facebook/flipper/plugins/uidebugger/descriptors/ChainedDescriptor.kt
+++ b/android/src/main/java/com/facebook/flipper/plugins/uidebugger/descriptors/ChainedDescriptor.kt
@@ -65,23 +65,12 @@ abstract class ChainedDescriptor<T> : NodeDescriptor<T> {
 
   open fun onGetBounds(node: T): Bounds? = null
 
-  /** The children this node exposes in the inspector. */
   final override fun getChildren(node: T): List<Any> {
-    val builder = mutableListOf<Any>()
-    onGetChildren(node, builder)
-
-    var curDescriptor: ChainedDescriptor<T>? = mSuper
-    while (curDescriptor != null) {
-      curDescriptor.onGetChildren(node, builder)
-      curDescriptor = curDescriptor.mSuper
-    }
-
-    return builder
+    val children = onGetChildren(node) ?: mSuper?.getChildren(node)
+    return children ?: listOf()
   }
 
-  // this probably should not be chained as its unlikely you would want children to come from >1
-  // descriptor
-  open fun onGetChildren(node: T, children: MutableList<Any>) {}
+  open fun onGetChildren(node: T): List<Any>? = null
 
   final override fun getData(node: T): Map<SectionName, InspectableObject> {
     val builder = mutableMapOf<String, InspectableObject>()
diff --git a/android/src/main/java/com/facebook/flipper/plugins/uidebugger/descriptors/FragmentFrameworkDescriptor.kt b/android/src/main/java/com/facebook/flipper/plugins/uidebugger/descriptors/FragmentFrameworkDescriptor.kt
index 20469c319..4e05d9bb2 100644
--- a/android/src/main/java/com/facebook/flipper/plugins/uidebugger/descriptors/FragmentFrameworkDescriptor.kt
+++ b/android/src/main/java/com/facebook/flipper/plugins/uidebugger/descriptors/FragmentFrameworkDescriptor.kt
@@ -15,9 +15,8 @@ object FragmentFrameworkDescriptor : ChainedDescriptor<android.app.Fragment>() {
     return node.javaClass.simpleName
   }
 
-  override fun onGetChildren(node: android.app.Fragment, children: MutableList<Any>) {
-    node.view?.let { view -> children.add(view) }
-  }
+  override fun onGetChildren(node: android.app.Fragment): List<Any> =
+      node.view?.let { view -> listOf(view) } ?: listOf()
 
   override fun onGetData(
       node: android.app.Fragment,
diff --git a/android/src/main/java/com/facebook/flipper/plugins/uidebugger/descriptors/FragmentSupportDescriptor.kt b/android/src/main/java/com/facebook/flipper/plugins/uidebugger/descriptors/FragmentSupportDescriptor.kt
index 2ae61f604..0f3481558 100644
--- a/android/src/main/java/com/facebook/flipper/plugins/uidebugger/descriptors/FragmentSupportDescriptor.kt
+++ b/android/src/main/java/com/facebook/flipper/plugins/uidebugger/descriptors/FragmentSupportDescriptor.kt
@@ -15,9 +15,8 @@ object FragmentSupportDescriptor : ChainedDescriptor<androidx.fragment.app.Fragm
     return node.javaClass.simpleName
   }
 
-  override fun onGetChildren(node: androidx.fragment.app.Fragment, children: MutableList<Any>) {
-    node.view?.let { view -> children.add(view) }
-  }
+  override fun onGetChildren(node: androidx.fragment.app.Fragment): List<Any> =
+      node.view?.let { view -> listOf(view) } ?: listOf()
 
   override fun onGetData(
       node: androidx.fragment.app.Fragment,
diff --git a/android/src/main/java/com/facebook/flipper/plugins/uidebugger/descriptors/ViewGroupDescriptor.kt b/android/src/main/java/com/facebook/flipper/plugins/uidebugger/descriptors/ViewGroupDescriptor.kt
index dc2823e4b..8e2d6c92d 100644
--- a/android/src/main/java/com/facebook/flipper/plugins/uidebugger/descriptors/ViewGroupDescriptor.kt
+++ b/android/src/main/java/com/facebook/flipper/plugins/uidebugger/descriptors/ViewGroupDescriptor.kt
@@ -20,7 +20,9 @@ object ViewGroupDescriptor : ChainedDescriptor<ViewGroup>() {
     return node.javaClass.simpleName
   }
 
-  override fun onGetChildren(node: ViewGroup, children: MutableList<Any>) {
+  override fun onGetChildren(node: ViewGroup): List<Any> {
+    val children = mutableListOf<Any>()
+
     val count = node.childCount - 1
     for (i in 0..count) {
       val child: View = node.getChildAt(i)
@@ -29,6 +31,8 @@ object ViewGroupDescriptor : ChainedDescriptor<ViewGroup>() {
         children.add(fragment)
       } else children.add(child)
     }
+
+    return children
   }
 
   override fun onGetData(
diff --git a/android/src/main/java/com/facebook/flipper/plugins/uidebugger/descriptors/WindowDescriptor.kt b/android/src/main/java/com/facebook/flipper/plugins/uidebugger/descriptors/WindowDescriptor.kt
index 500722891..f6e126e7f 100644
--- a/android/src/main/java/com/facebook/flipper/plugins/uidebugger/descriptors/WindowDescriptor.kt
+++ b/android/src/main/java/com/facebook/flipper/plugins/uidebugger/descriptors/WindowDescriptor.kt
@@ -15,7 +15,5 @@ object WindowDescriptor : ChainedDescriptor<Window>() {
     return node.javaClass.simpleName
   }
 
-  override fun onGetChildren(node: Window, children: MutableList<Any>) {
-    children.add(node.decorView)
-  }
+  override fun onGetChildren(node: Window): List<Any> = listOf(node.decorView)
 }