diff --git a/packages/metro-file-map/src/cache/__tests__/DiskCacheManager-test.js b/packages/metro-file-map/src/cache/__tests__/DiskCacheManager-test.js
index e00d96feb7..def4f67cbc 100644
--- a/packages/metro-file-map/src/cache/__tests__/DiskCacheManager-test.js
+++ b/packages/metro-file-map/src/cache/__tests__/DiskCacheManager-test.js
@@ -215,6 +215,34 @@ describe('cacheManager', () => {
     );
   });
 
+  test('serialises the snapshot before anything can change it', async () => {
+    const cacheManager = new DiskCacheManager({buildParameters}, defaultConfig);
+    // The file map's own state, which it changes once control returns to the
+    // event loop.
+    const fileSystemData = new Map<string, unknown>();
+    const snapshot: CacheData = {
+      clocks: new Map(),
+      fileSystemData,
+      plugins: new Map(),
+    };
+    const written = serialize(snapshot);
+    const getSnapshot = () => {
+      queueMicrotask(() => {
+        fileSystemData.set('later.js', [0, 0, 0, null, 0]);
+      });
+      return snapshot;
+    };
+    await cacheManager.write(getSnapshot, {
+      changedSinceCacheRead: true,
+      eventSource: {onChange: () => () => {}},
+      onWriteError: () => {},
+    });
+    expect(mockWriteFile).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
+      cacheManager.getCacheFilePath(),
+      written,
+    );
+  });
+
   test('creates the cache directory if it does not exist', async () => {
     const cacheManager = new DiskCacheManager({buildParameters}, defaultConfig);
     const getSnapshot = jest.fn(
diff --git a/packages/metro-file-map/src/flow-types.js b/packages/metro-file-map/src/flow-types.js
index 988326af0d..3ff7057e1a 100644
--- a/packages/metro-file-map/src/flow-types.js
+++ b/packages/metro-file-map/src/flow-types.js
@@ -51,7 +51,9 @@ export interface CacheManager {
    * crawler - i.e. internal state reflects the current file system state.
    *
    * getSnapshot may be retained and called at any time before end(), such as
-   * in response to eventSource 'change' events.
+   * in response to eventSource 'change' events. What it returns is the file
+   * map's own state, not a copy, and changes once control returns to the
+   * event loop. Serialize it before then, or copy it to keep it.
    */
   write(
     getSnapshot: () => CacheData,
@@ -392,6 +394,7 @@ export interface FileSystem {
     removedFiles: Set<string>,
     filesToStat: Map<string, number>,
   };
+  // The file system's own data, not a copy (see `CacheManager.write`).
   getSerializableSnapshot(): CacheData['fileSystemData'];
   getSha1(file: Path): ?string;
   getOrComputeSha1(file: Path): Promise<?{sha1: string, content?: Buffer}>;
diff --git a/packages/metro-file-map/src/lib/TreeFS.js b/packages/metro-file-map/src/lib/TreeFS.js
index a2b1ea7ec2..29327240a3 100644
--- a/packages/metro-file-map/src/lib/TreeFS.js
+++ b/packages/metro-file-map/src/lib/TreeFS.js
@@ -207,7 +207,7 @@ export default class TreeFS implements MutableFileSystem {
   }
 
   getSerializableSnapshot(): CacheData['fileSystemData'] {
-    return this.#cloneTree(this.#rootNode);
+    return this.#rootNode;
   }
 
   static fromDeserializedSnapshot(args: DeserializedSnapshotInput): TreeFS {
@@ -1490,16 +1490,4 @@ export default class TreeFS implements MutableFileSystem {
     }
     return result.node;
   }
-
-  #cloneTree(root: DirectoryNode): DirectoryNode {
-    const clone: DirectoryNode = new Map();
-    for (const [name, node] of root) {
-      if (isDirectory(node)) {
-        clone.set(name, this.#cloneTree(node));
-      } else {
-        clone.set(name, [...node]);
-      }
-    }
-    return clone;
-  }
 }