diff --git a/lib/network/mixins/ManipulationMixin.js b/lib/network/mixins/ManipulationMixin.js
index 54e0498d..233f5f55 100644
--- a/lib/network/mixins/ManipulationMixin.js
+++ b/lib/network/mixins/ManipulationMixin.js
@@ -337,6 +337,7 @@ exports._releaseControlNode = function(pointer) {
 exports._handleConnect = function(pointer) {
   if (this._getSelectedNodeCount() == 0) {
     var node = this._getNodeAt(pointer);
+    var supportNodes, targetNode, targetViaNode, connectionEdge;
 
     if (node != null) {
       if (node.clusterSize > 1) {
@@ -344,31 +345,35 @@ exports._handleConnect = function(pointer) {
       }
       else {
         this._selectObject(node,false);
-        // create a node the temporary line can look at
-        this.sectors['support']['nodes']['targetNode'] = new Node({id:'targetNode'},{},{},this.constants);
-        this.sectors['support']['nodes']['targetNode'].x = node.x;
-        this.sectors['support']['nodes']['targetNode'].y = node.y;
-        this.sectors['support']['nodes']['targetViaNode'] = new Node({id:'targetViaNode'},{},{},this.constants);
-        this.sectors['support']['nodes']['targetViaNode'].x = node.x;
-        this.sectors['support']['nodes']['targetViaNode'].y = node.y;
-        this.sectors['support']['nodes']['targetViaNode'].parentEdgeId = "connectionEdge";
+        supportNodes = this.sectors['support']['nodes'];
+
+          // create a node the temporary line can look at
+        supportNodes['targetNode'] = targetNode = new Node({id:'targetNode'},{},{},this.constants);
+        targetNode.x = node.x;
+        targetNode.y = node.y;
+
+        supportNodes['targetViaNode'] = targetViaNode = new Node({id:'targetViaNode'},{},{},this.constants);
+        targetViaNode.x = node.x;
+        targetViaNode.y = node.y;
+        targetViaNode.parentEdgeId = "connectionEdge";
 
         // create a temporary edge
-        this.edges['connectionEdge'] = new Edge({id:"connectionEdge",from:node.id,to:this.sectors['support']['nodes']['targetNode'].id}, this, this.constants);
-        this.edges['connectionEdge'].from = node;
-        this.edges['connectionEdge'].connected = true;
-        this.edges['connectionEdge'].smooth = true;
-        this.edges['connectionEdge'].selected = true;
-        this.edges['connectionEdge'].to = this.sectors['support']['nodes']['targetNode'];
-        this.edges['connectionEdge'].via = this.sectors['support']['nodes']['targetViaNode'];
+        this.edges['connectionEdge'] = connectionEdge = new Edge({id:"connectionEdge",from:node.id,to:targetNode.id}, this, this.constants);
+        connectionEdge.from = node;
+        connectionEdge.connected = true;
+        connectionEdge.smooth = true;
+        connectionEdge.selected = true;
+        connectionEdge.to = targetNode;
+        connectionEdge.via = targetViaNode;
 
         this.cachedFunctions["_handleOnDrag"] = this._handleOnDrag;
         this._handleOnDrag = function(event) {
           var pointer = this._getPointer(event.gesture.center);
-          this.sectors['support']['nodes']['targetNode'].x = this._XconvertDOMtoCanvas(pointer.x);
-          this.sectors['support']['nodes']['targetNode'].y = this._YconvertDOMtoCanvas(pointer.y);
-          this.sectors['support']['nodes']['targetViaNode'].x = 0.5 * (this._XconvertDOMtoCanvas(pointer.x) + this.edges['connectionEdge'].from.x);
-          this.sectors['support']['nodes']['targetViaNode'].y = this._YconvertDOMtoCanvas(pointer.y);
+          var supportNodes = this.sectors['support']['nodes'];
+          supportNodes['targetNode'].x = this._XconvertDOMtoCanvas(pointer.x);
+          supportNodes['targetNode'].y = this._YconvertDOMtoCanvas(pointer.y);
+          supportNodes['targetViaNode'].x = 0.5 * (this._XconvertDOMtoCanvas(pointer.x) + this.edges['connectionEdge'].from.x);
+          supportNodes['targetViaNode'].y = this._YconvertDOMtoCanvas(pointer.y);
         };
 
         this.moving = true;