diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 55e0d9d..1b41ce3 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -9,10 +9,16 @@ and this project adheres to [Semantic Versioning](https://semver.org/spec/v2.0.0
 
 _No unreleased changes_
 
+## [2.8.1] - 2023-10-22
+
+### Fixed
+- Check the focus state of the target before calling focus/unfocus by @TimLariviere (https://github.com/fabulous-dev/Fabulous.MauiControls/pull/43)
+- Fix crash when dispatching a message after an event occurred by @TimLariviere (https://github.com/fabulous-dev/Fabulous.MauiControls/pull/44)
+
 ## [2.8.0] - 2023-08-08
 
 ### Changed
-- Remove ambiguity when declaring event attributes by using MsgValue instead of obj by @edgarfgp (#42)
+- Remove ambiguity when declaring event attributes by using MsgValue instead of obj by @edgarfgp (https://github.com/fabulous-dev/Fabulous.MauiControls/pull/42)
 
 ## [2.7.0] - 2023-06-01
 
@@ -112,7 +118,8 @@ _No unreleased changes_
 ### Changed
 - Fabulous.MauiControls has moved from the Fabulous repository to its own repository: [https://github.com/fabulous-dev/Fabulous.MauiControls](https://github.com/fabulous-dev/Fabulous.MauiControls)
 
-[unreleased]: https://github.com/fabulous-dev/Fabulous.MauiControls/compare/2.8.0...HEAD
+[unreleased]: https://github.com/fabulous-dev/Fabulous.MauiControls/compare/2.8.1...HEAD
+[2.8.1]: https://github.com/fabulous-dev/Fabulous.MauiControls/releases/tag/2.8.1
 [2.8.0]: https://github.com/fabulous-dev/Fabulous.MauiControls/releases/tag/2.8.0
 [2.7.0]: https://github.com/fabulous-dev/Fabulous.MauiControls/releases/tag/2.7.0
 [2.6.0]: https://github.com/fabulous-dev/Fabulous.MauiControls/releases/tag/2.6.0
diff --git a/samples/Playground/App.fs b/samples/Playground/App.fs
index fad3c5b..5791e6b 100644
--- a/samples/Playground/App.fs
+++ b/samples/Playground/App.fs
@@ -1,11 +1,6 @@
 namespace Playground
 
-open Fabulous
 open Fabulous.Maui
-open Microsoft.Maui
-open Microsoft.Maui.Graphics
-open Microsoft.Maui.Accessibility
-open Microsoft.Maui.Primitives
 
 open type Fabulous.Maui.View
 
diff --git a/src/Fabulous.MauiControls/Attributes.fs b/src/Fabulous.MauiControls/Attributes.fs
index 91fdfa1..bd616fe 100644
--- a/src/Fabulous.MauiControls/Attributes.fs
+++ b/src/Fabulous.MauiControls/Attributes.fs
@@ -3,7 +3,6 @@ namespace Fabulous.Maui
 open System.Runtime.CompilerServices
 open Fabulous
 open Fabulous.ScalarAttributeDefinitions
-open Fabulous.Maui
 open Microsoft.Maui.Controls
 open System
 
@@ -160,7 +159,7 @@ module Attributes =
                         // Set the new event handler
                         let handler =
                             EventHandler<'args>(fun _ args ->
-                                let r = curr.Event args
+                                let (MsgValue r) = curr.Event args
                                 Dispatcher.dispatch node r)
 
                         node.SetHandler(name, ValueSome handler)
diff --git a/src/Fabulous.MauiControls/Views/Controls/DatePicker.fs b/src/Fabulous.MauiControls/Views/Controls/DatePicker.fs
index 2c66889..d351343 100644
--- a/src/Fabulous.MauiControls/Views/Controls/DatePicker.fs
+++ b/src/Fabulous.MauiControls/Views/Controls/DatePicker.fs
@@ -59,7 +59,7 @@ module DatePicker =
                         // Set the new event handler
                         let handler =
                             EventHandler<DateChangedEventArgs>(fun _ args ->
-                                let r = curr.Event args
+                                let (MsgValue r) = curr.Event args
                                 Dispatcher.dispatch node r)
 
                         node.SetHandler(name, ValueSome handler)
diff --git a/src/Fabulous.MauiControls/Views/_VisualElement.fs b/src/Fabulous.MauiControls/Views/_VisualElement.fs
index 020b750..6aeb516 100644
--- a/src/Fabulous.MauiControls/Views/_VisualElement.fs
+++ b/src/Fabulous.MauiControls/Views/_VisualElement.fs
@@ -39,10 +39,10 @@ module VisualElementUpdaters =
     let updateVisualElementFocus oldValueOpt (newValueOpt: ValueEventData<bool, bool> voption) (node: IViewNode) =
         let target = node.Target :?> VisualElement
 
-        let onEventName = $"Focus_On"
+        let onEventName = "Focus_On"
         let onEvent = target.Focused
 
-        let offEventName = $"Focus_Off"
+        let offEventName = "Focus_Off"
         let offEvent = target.Unfocused
 
         match newValueOpt with
@@ -59,7 +59,9 @@ module VisualElementUpdaters =
             // Only clear the property if a value was set before
             match oldValueOpt with
             | ValueNone -> ()
-            | ValueSome _ -> target.Unfocus()
+            | ValueSome _ ->
+                if target.IsFocused then
+                    target.Unfocus()
 
         | ValueSome curr ->
             // Clean up the old event handlers if any
@@ -72,15 +74,16 @@ module VisualElementUpdaters =
             | ValueSome handler -> offEvent.RemoveHandler(handler)
 
             // Set the new value
-            if curr.Value then
-                target.Focus() |> ignore
-            else
-                target.Unfocus()
+            if target.IsFocused <> curr.Value then
+                if curr.Value then
+                    target.Focus() |> ignore
+                else
+                    target.Unfocus()
 
             // Set the new event handlers
             let onHandler =
                 EventHandler<FocusEventArgs>(fun _ args ->
-                    let r = curr.Event true
+                    let (MsgValue r) = curr.Event true
                     Dispatcher.dispatch node r)
 
             node.SetHandler(onEventName, ValueSome onHandler)
@@ -88,7 +91,7 @@ module VisualElementUpdaters =
 
             let offHandler =
                 EventHandler<FocusEventArgs>(fun _ args ->
-                    let r = curr.Event false
+                    let (MsgValue r) = curr.Event false
                     Dispatcher.dispatch node r)
 
             node.SetHandler(offEventName, ValueSome offHandler)