diff --git a/src/main/java/com/googlesource/gerrit/plugins/task/Properties.java b/src/main/java/com/googlesource/gerrit/plugins/task/Properties.java
index af8da40..4a04e2e 100644
--- a/src/main/java/com/googlesource/gerrit/plugins/task/Properties.java
+++ b/src/main/java/com/googlesource/gerrit/plugins/task/Properties.java
@@ -34,9 +34,15 @@
 
 /** Use to expand properties like ${_name} in the text of various definitions. */
 public class Properties {
-  public static final Properties EMPTY_PARENT = new Properties();
+  public static final Properties EMPTY =
+      new Properties() {
+        @Override
+        protected Function<String, String> getParentMapper() {
+          return n -> "";
+        }
+      };
 
-  protected final Properties parentProperties;
+  protected final TaskTree.Node node;
   protected final Task origTask;
   protected final CopyOnWrite<Task> task;
   protected Expander expander;
@@ -51,9 +57,9 @@
     expander = new Expander(n -> "");
   }
 
-  public Properties(Task origTask, Properties parentProperties) {
+  public Properties(TaskTree.Node node, Task origTask) {
+    this.node = node;
     this.origTask = origTask;
-    this.parentProperties = parentProperties;
     task = new CopyOnWrite<>(origTask, t -> origTask.config.new Task(t));
   }
 
@@ -103,19 +109,17 @@
         ImmutableSet.of(TaskConfig.KEY_TYPE));
   }
 
+  protected Function<String, String> getParentMapper() {
+    return n -> node.getParentProperties().expander.getValueForName(n);
+  }
+
   protected class Loader {
     protected final ChangeData changeData;
-    protected final Function<String, String> inheritedMapper;
     protected Change change;
     protected boolean isInheritedPropertyLoaded;
 
     public Loader(ChangeData changeData) {
       this.changeData = changeData;
-      if (parentProperties == null || parentProperties.expander == null) {
-        inheritedMapper = n -> "";
-      } else {
-        inheritedMapper = n -> parentProperties.expander.getValueForName(n);
-      }
     }
 
     public boolean isNonTaskDefinedPropertyLoaded() {
@@ -130,7 +134,7 @@
       if (value == null) {
         value = origTask.properties.get(name);
         if (value == null) {
-          value = inheritedMapper.apply(name);
+          value = getParentMapper().apply(name);
           if (!value.isEmpty()) {
             isInheritedPropertyLoaded = true;
           }
diff --git a/src/main/java/com/googlesource/gerrit/plugins/task/TaskTree.java b/src/main/java/com/googlesource/gerrit/plugins/task/TaskTree.java
index 06ce146..e4a2f10 100644
--- a/src/main/java/com/googlesource/gerrit/plugins/task/TaskTree.java
+++ b/src/main/java/com/googlesource/gerrit/plugins/task/TaskTree.java
@@ -124,11 +124,7 @@
     }
 
     public ChangeData getChangeData() {
-      return parent == null ? TaskTree.this.changeData : parent.getChangeData();
-    }
-
-    protected Properties getProperties() {
-      return Properties.EMPTY_PARENT;
+      return TaskTree.this.changeData;
     }
 
     protected boolean isTrusted() {
@@ -200,7 +196,7 @@
     public Node(NodeList parent, Task task) throws ConfigInvalidException, OrmException {
       this.parent = parent;
       taskKey = task.key();
-      properties = new Properties(task, parent.getProperties());
+      properties = new Properties(this, task);
       refreshTask();
     }
 
@@ -250,9 +246,8 @@
       }
     }
 
-    @Override
-    protected Properties getProperties() {
-      return properties;
+    protected Properties getParentProperties() {
+      return (parent instanceof Node) ? ((Node) parent).properties : Properties.EMPTY;
     }
 
     @Override
@@ -260,6 +255,11 @@
       return parent.isTrusted() && !task.isMasqueraded;
     }
 
+    @Override
+    public ChangeData getChangeData() {
+      return parent.getChangeData();
+    }
+
     public boolean isChange() {
       return false;
     }
@@ -320,7 +320,7 @@
           if (tasksFactory != null) {
             NamesFactory namesFactory = task.config.getNamesFactory(tasksFactory.namesFactory);
             if (namesFactory != null && namesFactory.type != null) {
-              namesFactory = getProperties().getNamesFactory(namesFactory);
+              namesFactory = properties.getNamesFactory(namesFactory);
               switch (NamesFactoryType.getNamesFactoryType(namesFactory.type)) {
                 case STATIC:
                   addStaticTypeTasks(tasksFactory, namesFactory);