diff --git a/application/core/EA_Loader.php b/application/core/EA_Loader.php
index a6734da8..abbfe8b5 100644
--- a/application/core/EA_Loader.php
+++ b/application/core/EA_Loader.php
@@ -41,21 +41,25 @@
  */
 class EA_Loader extends CI_Loader {
     /**
-     * Override the original view loader method so that layouts are also supported. 
-     * 
+     * Override the original view loader method so that layouts are also supported.
+     *
      * @param string $view View filename.
      * @param array $vars An associative array of data to be extracted for use in the view.
      * @param bool $return Whether to return the view output or leave it to the Output class.
-     * 
+     *
      * @return object|string
      */
     public function view($view, $vars = [], $return = FALSE)
     {
+        $layout = config('layout');
+
+        $is_layout_page = empty($layout); // This is a layout page if "layout" was undefined before the page got rendered.
+        
         $result = $this->_ci_load(['_ci_view' => $view, '_ci_vars' => $this->_ci_prepare_view_vars($vars), '_ci_return' => $return]);
 
         $layout = config('layout');
 
-        if ($layout)
+        if ($layout && $is_layout_page)
         {
             $result = $this->_ci_load(['_ci_view' => $layout['filename'], '_ci_vars' => $this->_ci_prepare_view_vars($vars), '_ci_return' => $return]);
         }
diff --git a/application/helpers/html_helper.php b/application/helpers/html_helper.php
index 3bbf706a..db2e4069 100644
--- a/application/helpers/html_helper.php
+++ b/application/helpers/html_helper.php
@@ -32,30 +32,16 @@ if ( ! function_exists('component'))
      * 
      * @return string Return the HTML if the $return argument is TRUE or NULL. 
      */
-    function component(string $component, string $attributes = '', array $params = [], bool $return = FALSE): ?string
+    function component(string $component, string $attributes = '', array $params = [], bool $return = FALSE)
     {
+        /** @var EA_Controller $CI */
+        $CI = get_instance();
+        
         $vars = array_merge($params, [
             'attributes' => $attributes
         ]);
         
-        extract($vars); 
-        
-        ob_start(); 
-        
-        require APPPATH . 'views/components/' . $component . '.php'; 
-        
-        $html = ob_get_clean();
-        
-        if ($return)
-        {
-            return $html;
-        }
-        else
-        {
-            echo $html; 
-            
-            return NULL;
-        }
+        return $CI->load->view('components/' . $component, $vars, $return);
     }
 }