diff --git a/docs/stacks/vue/layers/viewmodels.md b/docs/stacks/vue/layers/viewmodels.md
index f418d4e33..3ff72e1cb 100644
--- a/docs/stacks/vue/layers/viewmodels.md
+++ b/docs/stacks/vue/layers/viewmodels.md
@@ -319,9 +319,18 @@ The following members can be found on the generated ListViewModels, exported fro
 
 <Prop def="readonly $items: T[]" lang="ts" />
 
-Collection holding the results of the last successful invocation of the `$load` [API Caller](/stacks/vue/layers/api-clients.md#api-callers).
+Collection holding the ViewModel instances from the last successful invocation of the `$load` [API Caller](/stacks/vue/layers/api-clients.md#api-callers).
 
 
+<Prop def="readonly $modelItems: T[]" lang="ts" />
+
+Collection holding plain Model instances from the last successful invocation of the `$load` [API Caller](/stacks/vue/layers/api-clients.md#api-callers).
+
+
+<Prop def="$modelOnlyMode: boolean" lang="ts" />
+
+When model-only mode is enabled, `$items` will not be populated with ViewModel instances. Result can instead be read from `$modelItems`. This mode allows much better performance when loading large quantities of data, especially in read-only contexts where the features of ViewModel instances aren't needed.
+
 
 ### Parameters & API Callers
 
diff --git a/src/coalesce-vue-vuetify3/src/components/admin/c-admin-audit-log-page.vue b/src/coalesce-vue-vuetify3/src/components/admin/c-admin-audit-log-page.vue
index 28abbb82d..e25b4fe31 100644
--- a/src/coalesce-vue-vuetify3/src/components/admin/c-admin-audit-log-page.vue
+++ b/src/coalesce-vue-vuetify3/src/components/admin/c-admin-audit-log-page.vue
@@ -108,10 +108,7 @@
               </tr>
             </thead>
             <tbody>
-              <tr
-                v-for="(auditLog, index) in list.$items"
-                :key="auditLog.$stableId"
-              >
+              <tr v-for="(auditLog, index) in items" :key="auditLog.id!">
                 <td class="c-audit-logs--column-user-date">
                   <c-display
                     v-if="userPropMeta"
@@ -144,8 +141,8 @@
                     "
                   />
                   <pre
-                    :class="timeDiffClass(auditLog, list.$items[index + 1])"
-                    v-text="timeDiff(auditLog, list.$items[index + 1])"
+                    :class="timeDiffClass(auditLog, items[index + 1])"
+                    v-text="timeDiff(auditLog, items[index + 1])"
                     title="Time delta from the preceding row"
                   ></pre>
                 </td>
@@ -179,7 +176,7 @@
                       </tr>
                       <tr
                         v-for="propMeta in otherProps"
-                        :key="auditLog.$stableId + '-prop-' + propMeta.name!"
+                        :key="auditLog.id! + '-prop-' + propMeta.name!"
                         :class="'prop-' + propMeta.name"
                       >
                         <td>{{ propMeta.displayName }}:</td>
@@ -253,7 +250,7 @@
 </template>
 
 <script setup lang="ts">
-import { computed } from "vue";
+import { computed, toRaw } from "vue";
 import { differenceInMilliseconds } from "date-fns";
 import {
   HiddenAreas,
@@ -317,8 +314,13 @@ if (props.list) {
   }
   list = new ListViewModel.typeLookup![props.type]() as any;
   list.$load.setConcurrency("cancel");
+  list.$modelOnlyMode = true;
 }
 
+const items = computed(() =>
+  list.$modelOnlyMode ? toRaw(list.$modelItems) : list.$items
+);
+
 const userPropMeta = computed(() => {
   return (
     Object.values(list.$metadata.props)
@@ -353,7 +355,7 @@ const otherProps = computed(() => {
   );
 });
 
-function timeDiff(current: AuditLogViewModel, older?: AuditLogViewModel) {
+function timeDiff(current: AuditLogBase, older?: AuditLogBase) {
   if (!older) return "";
   let ms = differenceInMilliseconds(current.date!, older.date!);
   const positive = ms >= 0;
@@ -373,7 +375,7 @@ function timeDiff(current: AuditLogViewModel, older?: AuditLogViewModel) {
   );
 }
 
-function timeDiffClass(current: AuditLogViewModel, older?: AuditLogViewModel) {
+function timeDiffClass(current: AuditLogBase, older?: AuditLogBase) {
   if (!older) return "";
   const diff = current.date!.valueOf() - (older?.date ?? 0).valueOf();
   return diff == 0 ? "grey--text" : diff > 0 ? "text-success" : "text-error";
diff --git a/src/coalesce-vue-vuetify3/src/components/admin/c-admin-table.vue b/src/coalesce-vue-vuetify3/src/components/admin/c-admin-table.vue
index 76a610ef8..57ef374a1 100644
--- a/src/coalesce-vue-vuetify3/src/components/admin/c-admin-table.vue
+++ b/src/coalesce-vue-vuetify3/src/components/admin/c-admin-table.vue
@@ -18,10 +18,12 @@
           canEdit || canDelete || hasInstanceMethods ? ['Actions'] : []
         "
         :loaders="{
-          '': [
-            ...viewModel.$items.map((i) => i.$delete),
-            ...viewModel.$items.map((i) => i.$save),
-          ],
+          '': list.$modelOnlyMode
+            ? []
+            : [
+                ...viewModel.$items.map((i) => i.$delete),
+                ...viewModel.$items.map((i) => i.$save),
+              ],
         }"
       >
         <template #item-append="{ item }">
@@ -115,21 +117,25 @@ export default defineComponent({
 
     canEdit() {
       return (
-        this.metadata && (this.metadata.behaviorFlags & BehaviorFlags.Edit) != 0
+        this.metadata &&
+        (this.metadata.behaviorFlags & BehaviorFlags.Edit) != 0 &&
+        !this.viewModel.$modelOnlyMode
       );
     },
 
     canDelete() {
       return (
         this.metadata &&
-        (this.metadata.behaviorFlags & BehaviorFlags.Delete) != 0
+        (this.metadata.behaviorFlags & BehaviorFlags.Delete) != 0 &&
+        !this.viewModel.$modelOnlyMode
       );
     },
 
     hasInstanceMethods() {
       return (
         this.metadata &&
-        Object.values(this.metadata.methods).some((m) => !m.isStatic)
+        Object.values(this.metadata.methods).some((m) => !m.isStatic) &&
+        !this.viewModel.$modelOnlyMode
       );
     },
   },
diff --git a/src/coalesce-vue-vuetify3/src/components/display/c-list-range-display.vue b/src/coalesce-vue-vuetify3/src/components/display/c-list-range-display.vue
index c82d0453f..4fd7fff06 100644
--- a/src/coalesce-vue-vuetify3/src/components/display/c-list-range-display.vue
+++ b/src/coalesce-vue-vuetify3/src/components/display/c-list-range-display.vue
@@ -48,7 +48,11 @@ export default defineComponent({
         return 0;
       }
 
-      return this.rangeStart + list.$items.length - 1;
+      return (
+        this.rangeStart +
+        (list.$modelOnlyMode ? list.$modelItems : list.$items).length -
+        1
+      );
     },
   },
 });
diff --git a/src/coalesce-vue-vuetify3/src/components/display/c-table.vue b/src/coalesce-vue-vuetify3/src/components/display/c-table.vue
index 06c98df6f..b762e96f7 100644
--- a/src/coalesce-vue-vuetify3/src/components/display/c-table.vue
+++ b/src/coalesce-vue-vuetify3/src/components/display/c-table.vue
@@ -31,7 +31,12 @@
         </thead>
 
         <tbody>
-          <tr v-for="(item, index) in list.$items" :key="index">
+          <tr
+            v-for="(item, index) in list.$modelOnlyMode
+              ? list.$modelItems
+              : list.$items"
+            :key="index"
+          >
             <td
               v-for="prop in effectiveProps"
               :key="prop.name"
diff --git a/src/coalesce-vue/src/viewmodel.ts b/src/coalesce-vue/src/viewmodel.ts
index d9ee69321..868e21c55 100644
--- a/src/coalesce-vue/src/viewmodel.ts
+++ b/src/coalesce-vue/src/viewmodel.ts
@@ -1330,6 +1330,37 @@ export abstract class ListViewModel<
     this.$params.includes = val;
   }
 
+  /**
+   * @internal
+   */
+  private _lightweight = false;
+
+  /** The plain model items that have been loaded into this ListViewModel.
+   * These instances do not reflect any changes made to the contents of `$items`.
+   */
+  public get $modelItems() {
+    return this.$load.result || [];
+  }
+
+  /** Returns true if `$modelOnlyMode` has been enabled. */
+  public get $modelOnlyMode(): boolean {
+    return this._lightweight;
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * Put the ListViewModel into a lightweight mode where `$items` is not populated with ViewModel instances.
+   * Result can instead be read from `$modelItems`.
+   *
+   * This mode allows much better performance when loading large numbers of items, especially in read-only contexts.
+   */
+  public set $modelOnlyMode(val: true) {
+    if (!val) {
+      throw new Error("Model-only mode cannot be disabled once enabled.");
+    }
+    this._lightweight = true;
+    this._items.value = undefined;
+  }
+
   /**
    * The current set of items that have been loaded into this ListViewModel.
    * @internal
@@ -1339,6 +1370,11 @@ export abstract class ListViewModel<
   public get $items(): TItem[] {
     let value = this._items.value;
     if (!value) {
+      if (this._lightweight) {
+        throw new Error(
+          "The ListViewModel instance is in model-only mode. Items may only be retrieved from `.$modelItems`, not `.$items`."
+        );
+      }
       value = new ViewModelCollection(this.$metadata, this);
 
       // In order to avoid vue seeing that we mutated a `ref` in a getter,
@@ -1359,6 +1395,12 @@ export abstract class ListViewModel<
     return value;
   }
   public set $items(val: TItem[]) {
+    if (this._lightweight) {
+      throw new Error(
+        "The ListViewModel instance is in model-only mode. `.$items` must not be populated."
+      );
+    }
+
     if ((this._items.value as any) === val) return;
 
     const vmc = new ViewModelCollection(this.$metadata, this);
@@ -1412,15 +1454,17 @@ export abstract class ListViewModel<
     const $load = this.$apiClient.$makeCaller("list", (c) => {
       const startTime = performance.now();
       return c.list(this.$params).then((r) => {
-        const result = r.data.list;
-        if (result) {
-          this.$items = rebuildModelCollectionForViewModelCollection(
-            this.$metadata,
-            this.$items,
-            result,
-            startTime,
-            true
-          );
+        if (!this._lightweight) {
+          const result = r.data.list;
+          if (result) {
+            this.$items = rebuildModelCollectionForViewModelCollection(
+              this.$metadata,
+              this.$items,
+              result,
+              startTime,
+              true
+            );
+          }
         }
         return r;
       });
@@ -1544,6 +1588,10 @@ export abstract class ListViewModel<
    * @param options Options to control how the auto-saving is performed.
    */
   public $startAutoSave(vue: VueInstance, options: AutoSaveOptions<this> = {}) {
+    if (this._lightweight) {
+      throw new Error("Autosave cannot be used with $modelOnlyMode enabled.");
+    }
+
     let state = this._autoSaveState;
 
     if (state?.active && state.options === options) {