diff --git a/src/canvas.class.js b/src/canvas.class.js
index 5dca652a..5ff0b815 100644
--- a/src/canvas.class.js
+++ b/src/canvas.class.js
@@ -477,9 +477,7 @@
      * @return {Boolean}
      */
     isTargetTransparent: function (target, x, y) {
-      var hasBorders = target.hasBorders,
-          transparentCorners = target.transparentCorners,
-          ctx = this.contextCache,
+      var ctx = this.contextCache,
           originalColor = target.selectionBackgroundColor;
 
       target.hasBorders = target.transparentCorners = false;
@@ -490,10 +488,11 @@
       target.render(ctx);
       ctx.restore();
 
-      target.active && target._renderControls(ctx);
+      target === this._activeObject && target._renderControls(ctx, {
+        hasBorders: false,
+        transparentCorners: false
+      });
 
-      target.hasBorders = hasBorders;
-      target.transparentCorners = transparentCorners;
       target.selectionBackgroundColor = originalColor;
 
       var isTransparent = fabric.util.isTransparent(
@@ -1454,7 +1453,6 @@
         return false;
       }
       this._activeObject = object;
-      object.set('active', true);
       return true;
     },
 
@@ -1468,7 +1466,6 @@
         if (obj.onDeselect({ e: e, object: object })) {
           return false;
         }
-        obj.set('active', false);
         this._activeObject = null;
       }
       return true;
diff --git a/src/mixins/animation.mixin.js b/src/mixins/animation.mixin.js
index e95287a3..031933c2 100644
--- a/src/mixins/animation.mixin.js
+++ b/src/mixins/animation.mixin.js
@@ -98,9 +98,6 @@ fabric.util.object.extend(fabric.StaticCanvas.prototype, /** @lends fabric.Stati
       startValue: object.opacity,
       endValue: 0,
       duration: this.FX_DURATION,
-      onStart: function() {
-        object.set('active', false);
-      },
       onChange: function(value) {
         object.set('opacity', value);
         _this.requestRenderAll();
diff --git a/src/mixins/object_interactivity.mixin.js b/src/mixins/object_interactivity.mixin.js
index 0ffbae74..8507a539 100644
--- a/src/mixins/object_interactivity.mixin.js
+++ b/src/mixins/object_interactivity.mixin.js
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@
     _findTargetCorner: function(pointer) {
       // objects in group, anykind, are not self modificable,
       // must not return an hovered corner.
-      if (!this.hasControls || !this.active || this.group) {
+      if (!this.hasControls || this.group || (!this.canvas || this.canvas._activeObject !== this)) {
         return false;
       }
 
@@ -117,8 +117,10 @@
      * @chainable
      */
     drawSelectionBackground: function(ctx) {
-      if (!this.selectionBackgroundColor || !this.active ||
-        (this.canvas && !this.canvas.interactive)) {
+      if (!this.selectionBackgroundColor ||
+        (this.canvas && !this.canvas.interactive) ||
+        (this.canvas && this.canvas._activeObject !== this)
+      ) {
         return this;
       }
       ctx.save();
diff --git a/src/mixins/object_straightening.mixin.js b/src/mixins/object_straightening.mixin.js
index d4dbcfef..f8373623 100644
--- a/src/mixins/object_straightening.mixin.js
+++ b/src/mixins/object_straightening.mixin.js
@@ -50,9 +50,6 @@ fabric.util.object.extend(fabric.Object.prototype, /** @lends fabric.Object.prot
         _this.setCoords();
         onComplete();
       },
-      onStart: function() {
-        _this.set('active', false);
-      }
     });
 
     return this;
diff --git a/src/shapes/itext.class.js b/src/shapes/itext.class.js
index ec8c9a69..4efbd9ee 100644
--- a/src/shapes/itext.class.js
+++ b/src/shapes/itext.class.js
@@ -306,7 +306,7 @@
      * Prepare and clean the contextTop
      */
     clearContextTop: function(skipRestore) {
-      if (!this.active || !this.isEditing) {
+      if (!this.isEditing) {
         return;
       }
       if (this.canvas && this.canvas.contextTop) {
@@ -324,7 +324,7 @@
      * Renders cursor or selection (depending on what exists)
      */
     renderCursorOrSelection: function() {
-      if (!this.active || !this.isEditing) {
+      if (!this.isEditing) {
         return;
       }
       var boundaries = this._getCursorBoundaries(), ctx;
diff --git a/src/shapes/object.class.js b/src/shapes/object.class.js
index 2ef389d6..ab11753a 100644
--- a/src/shapes/object.class.js
+++ b/src/shapes/object.class.js
@@ -1385,12 +1385,10 @@
       }
 
       var origParams = {
-        active: this.active,
         left: this.left,
         top: this.top
       };
 
-      this.set('active', false);
       this.setPositionByOrigin(new fabric.Point(canvas.width / 2, canvas.height / 2), 'center', 'center');
 
       var originalCanvas = this.canvas;
diff --git a/test/unit/canvas.js b/test/unit/canvas.js
index c191010d..663543c0 100644
--- a/test/unit/canvas.js
+++ b/test/unit/canvas.js
@@ -1239,10 +1239,10 @@
     canvas.add(rect1, rect2);
 
     canvas.setActiveObject(rect1);
-    ok(rect1.active);
+    ok(rect1 === canvas._activeObject);
 
     canvas.setActiveObject(rect2);
-    ok(rect2.active);
+    ok(rect2 === canvas._activeObject);
   });
 
   test('getActiveObject', function() {
@@ -1610,7 +1610,7 @@
       clientY: canvasOffset.top + 100,
       target: rect
     };
-    rect.active = true;
+    canvas.setActiveObject(rect)
     canvas._setupCurrentTransform(eventStub, rect);
     var t = canvas._currentTransform;
     equal(t.target, rect, 'should have rect as a target');
diff --git a/test/unit/object_interactivity.js b/test/unit/object_interactivity.js
index 4094665a..545fc1b1 100644
--- a/test/unit/object_interactivity.js
+++ b/test/unit/object_interactivity.js
@@ -86,7 +86,7 @@
 
   test('_setCornerCoords', function(){
     var cObj = new fabric.Object({ top: 10, left: 10, width: 10, height: 10, strokeWidth: 0 });
-    ok(typeof cObj._setCornerCoords == 'function', '_setCornerCoords should exist');
+    ok(typeof cObj._setCornerCoords === 'function', '_setCornerCoords should exist');
     cObj.setCoords();
 
     equal(cObj.oCoords.tl.corner.tl.x.toFixed(2), 3.5);
@@ -136,7 +136,9 @@
     var cObj = new fabric.Object({ top: 10, left: 10, width: 30, height: 30, strokeWidth: 0 });
     ok(typeof cObj._findTargetCorner == 'function', '_findTargetCorner should exist');
     cObj.setCoords();
-    cObj.active = true;
+    cObj.canvas = {
+      _activeObject: cObj
+    };
     equal(cObj._findTargetCorner(cObj.oCoords.br), 'br');
     equal(cObj._findTargetCorner(cObj.oCoords.tl), 'tl');
     equal(cObj._findTargetCorner(cObj.oCoords.tr), 'tr');