diff --git a/Libraries/SPTarkov.Server.Core/Extensions/ItemExtensions.cs b/Libraries/SPTarkov.Server.Core/Extensions/ItemExtensions.cs
index 317618f2..d0b6b370 100644
--- a/Libraries/SPTarkov.Server.Core/Extensions/ItemExtensions.cs
+++ b/Libraries/SPTarkov.Server.Core/Extensions/ItemExtensions.cs
@@ -230,7 +230,6 @@ public static class ItemExtensions
     }
 
     /// <summary>
-    /// TODO: return IEnumerable and update all calling code
     /// Get an item with its attachments (children)
     /// </summary>
     /// <param name="items">List of items (item + possible children)</param>
@@ -239,48 +238,63 @@ public static class ItemExtensions
     /// <returns>list of Item objects</returns>
     public static List<Item> GetItemWithChildren(this IEnumerable<Item> items, MongoId baseItemId, bool excludeStoredItems = false)
     {
-        // Use dictionary to make key lookup faster, convert to list before being returned
+        // Convert to list if not already
         var itemList = items.ToList();
-        OrderedDictionary<MongoId, Item> result = [];
 
-        // Find desired root item
-        var desiredRootItem = itemList.FirstOrDefault(item => item.Id == baseItemId);
-        if (desiredRootItem is null)
+        // Create dict of items by parentId
+        var childrenByParent = new Dictionary<string, List<Item>>(itemList.Count);
+        foreach (var child in itemList)
+        {
+            var key = child.ParentId;
+            if (key is null)
+            {
+                continue;
+            }
+            if (childrenByParent.TryGetValue(key, out var list))
+            {
+                list.Add(child);
+            }
+            else
+            {
+                childrenByParent[key] = [child];
+            }
+        }
+
+        // Find root item
+        var root = itemList.FirstOrDefault(i => i.Id == baseItemId);
+        if (root is null)
         {
             // Root not found, nothing to return, exit
             return [];
         }
-        result.Add(desiredRootItem.Id, desiredRootItem);
-        var rootItemIdString = desiredRootItem.Id.ToString();
 
-        foreach (var item in itemList)
+        var result = new List<Item>();
+        var stack = new Stack<Item>();
+        stack.Push(root);
+
+        while (stack.Count > 0)
         {
-            if (result.ContainsKey(item.Id))
+            var current = stack.Pop();
+            result.Add(current);
+
+            if (!childrenByParent.TryGetValue(current.Id.ToString(), out var children))
             {
-                // Already processed, skip
+                // No children, skip to next
                 continue;
             }
 
-            // Skip items with different parentId
-            if (item.ParentId != rootItemIdString)
+            foreach (var child in children)
             {
-                continue;
-            }
-
-            // Is stored in parent and disallowed
-            if (excludeStoredItems && item.Location is not null)
-            {
-                continue;
-            }
-
-            // Item may have children, check
-            foreach (var subItem in GetItemWithChildren(itemList, item.Id))
-            {
-                result.Add(subItem.Id, subItem);
+                // child item has a location property = is stored inside parent
+                if (excludeStoredItems && child.Location is not null)
+                {
+                    continue;
+                }
+                stack.Push(child);
             }
         }
 
-        return result.Values.ToList();
+        return result;
     }
 
     /// <summary>
diff --git a/Libraries/SPTarkov.Server.Core/Helpers/BotGeneratorHelper.cs b/Libraries/SPTarkov.Server.Core/Helpers/BotGeneratorHelper.cs
index 64a99867..8e6bec40 100644
--- a/Libraries/SPTarkov.Server.Core/Helpers/BotGeneratorHelper.cs
+++ b/Libraries/SPTarkov.Server.Core/Helpers/BotGeneratorHelper.cs
@@ -435,7 +435,7 @@ public class BotGeneratorHelper(
     /// <param name="rootItemTplId">Root items tpl id</param>
     /// <param name="itemWithChildren">Item to add</param>
     /// <param name="inventory">Inventory to add item+children into</param>
-    /// <param name="containersIdFull"></param>
+    /// <param name="containersIdFull">Container Ids with no space for more items</param>
     /// <returns>ItemAddedResult result object</returns>
     public ItemAddedResult AddItemWithChildrenToEquipmentSlot(
         HashSet<EquipmentSlots> equipmentSlots,
@@ -446,6 +446,8 @@ public class BotGeneratorHelper(
         HashSet<string>? containersIdFull = null
     )
     {
+        var itemWithChildrenList = itemWithChildren.ToList();
+
         // Track how many containers are unable to be found
         var missingContainerCount = 0;
         foreach (var equipmentSlotId in equipmentSlots)
@@ -455,8 +457,8 @@ public class BotGeneratorHelper(
                 continue;
             }
 
-            // Get container to put item into
-            var container = inventory.Items.FirstOrDefault(item => item.SlotId == equipmentSlotId.ToString());
+            // Get container from inventory to put item into
+            var container = inventory.Items?.FirstOrDefault(item => item.SlotId == equipmentSlotId.ToString());
             if (container is null)
             {
                 missingContainerCount++;
@@ -466,7 +468,7 @@ public class BotGeneratorHelper(
                     if (logger.IsLogEnabled(LogLevel.Debug))
                     {
                         logger.Debug(
-                            $"Unable to add item: {itemWithChildren.FirstOrDefault()?.Template} to bot as it lacks the following containers: {string.Join(",", equipmentSlots)}"
+                            $"Unable to add item: {itemWithChildrenList.FirstOrDefault()?.Template} to bot as it lacks the following containers: {string.Join(",", equipmentSlots)}"
                         );
                     }
 
@@ -494,7 +496,7 @@ public class BotGeneratorHelper(
             }
 
             // Get x/y grid size of item
-            var (itemWidth, itemHeight) = inventoryHelper.GetItemSize(rootItemTplId, rootItemId, itemWithChildren);
+            var (itemWidth, itemHeight) = inventoryHelper.GetItemSize(rootItemTplId, rootItemId, itemWithChildrenList);
 
             // Iterate over each grid in the container and look for a big enough space for the item to be placed in
             var currentGridCount = 1;
@@ -520,7 +522,7 @@ public class BotGeneratorHelper(
                 );
 
                 // Get root items in container we can iterate over to find out what space is free
-                var containerItemsToCheck = existingContainerItems.Where(x => x.SlotId == slotGrid.Name).ToList();
+                var containerItemsToCheck = existingContainerItems.Where(x => x.SlotId == slotGrid.Name);
                 var containerItemsWithChildren = GetContainerItemsWithChildren(containerItemsToCheck, inventory.Items);
 
                 if (slotGrid.Props is not null)
@@ -539,7 +541,7 @@ public class BotGeneratorHelper(
                     // Free slot found, add item
                     if (findSlotResult.Success ?? false)
                     {
-                        var parentItem = itemWithChildren.FirstOrDefault(i => i.Id == rootItemId);
+                        var parentItem = itemWithChildrenList.FirstOrDefault(i => i.Id == rootItemId);
 
                         // Set items parent to container id
                         if (parentItem is not null)
@@ -554,7 +556,7 @@ public class BotGeneratorHelper(
                             };
                         }
 
-                        (inventory.Items ?? []).AddRange(itemWithChildren);
+                        (inventory.Items ?? []).AddRange(itemWithChildrenList);
 
                         return ItemAddedResult.SUCCESS;
                     }
@@ -570,7 +572,7 @@ public class BotGeneratorHelper(
                 // No space in this grid, move to next container grid and try again
             }
 
-            // if we got to this point, the item couldn't be placed on the container
+            // If we got to this point, the item couldn't be placed on the container
             if (containersIdFull is null)
             {
                 continue;
@@ -608,14 +610,14 @@ public class BotGeneratorHelper(
             return result;
         }
 
-        // Filter out all items without location prop, (child items)
-        var itemsWithoutLocation = inventoryItems.Where(item => item.Location is null);
+        // Get collection of items likely to be children of root items
+        var itemsWithoutLocation = inventoryItems.Where(item => item.Location is null && item.ParentId is not null).ToList();
         foreach (var rootItem in containerRootItems)
         {
             // Check item in container for children, store for later insertion into `containerItemsToCheck`
             // (used later when figuring out how much space weapon takes up)
-            List<Item> itemsToFilter = [.. itemsWithoutLocation, rootItem];
-            var itemWithChildItems = itemsToFilter.GetItemWithChildren(rootItem.Id);
+            itemsWithoutLocation.Insert(0, rootItem);
+            var itemWithChildItems = itemsWithoutLocation.GetItemWithChildren(rootItem.Id);
 
             // Item had children, replace existing data with item + its children
             result.AddRange(itemWithChildItems);
diff --git a/UnitTests/Tests/Extensions/ItemTests.cs b/UnitTests/Tests/Extensions/ItemTests.cs
index 20dcd819..71a75e02 100644
--- a/UnitTests/Tests/Extensions/ItemTests.cs
+++ b/UnitTests/Tests/Extensions/ItemTests.cs
@@ -63,7 +63,12 @@ public class ItemTests
     public void GetItemWithChildren_mods_and_inventory_item()
     {
         var testData = new List<Item>();
-        var rootItem = new Item { Id = new MongoId(), Template = ItemTpl.AMMOBOX_127X33_COPPER_20RND };
+        var rootItem = new Item
+        {
+            Id = new MongoId(),
+            Template = ItemTpl.AMMOBOX_127X33_COPPER_20RND,
+            ParentId = new MongoId(),
+        };
         var childItem = new Item
         {
             Id = new MongoId(),
@@ -83,7 +88,8 @@ public class ItemTests
 
         var result = testData.GetItemWithChildren(rootItem.Id, false);
 
-        Assert.AreEqual(result[1].Id, childItem.Id);
+        Assert.Contains(childItem, result);
+        Assert.Contains(childItem2, result);
         Assert.AreEqual(result.Count, 3);
     }
 
@@ -292,4 +298,30 @@ public class ItemTests
         Assert.AreEqual(false, profile.Inventory.Items.FirstOrDefault(item => item.Id == item2Id).Upd.SpawnedInSession);
         Assert.AreEqual(true, profile.Inventory.Items.FirstOrDefault(item => item.Id == item3Id).Upd.SpawnedInSession);
     }
+
+    [Test]
+    public void GetItemWithChildren_rootIdNotFound()
+    {
+        var testData = new List<Item>();
+        var rootItem = new Item { Id = new MongoId(), Template = ItemTpl.AMMOBOX_127X33_COPPER_20RND };
+        var childItem = new Item
+        {
+            Id = new MongoId(),
+            Template = ItemTpl.AMMO_127X33_COPPER,
+            ParentId = rootItem.Id,
+        };
+        var childOfChild = new Item
+        {
+            Id = new MongoId(),
+            Template = ItemTpl.AMMO_26X75_GREEN,
+            ParentId = childItem.Id,
+        };
+        testData.Add(rootItem);
+        testData.Add(childItem);
+        testData.Add(childOfChild);
+
+        var result = testData.GetItemWithChildren(new MongoId(), true);
+
+        Assert.AreEqual(result.Count, 0);
+    }
 }