diff --git a/AttributeList.cs b/AttributeList.cs
index 1761300..d0648aa 100644
--- a/AttributeList.cs
+++ b/AttributeList.cs
@@ -273,8 +273,8 @@ public virtual object? this[string name]
                         {
                             var valueType = value.GetType();
 
-                            // type must be equal, or a superclass
-                            if (prop.PropertyType != valueType && valueType.IsSubclassOf(prop.PropertyType))
+                            // types must be equal, or a superclass
+                            if (prop.PropertyType != typeof(Element) && valueType.IsSubclassOf(prop.PropertyType))
                             {
                                 throw new InvalidDataException($"class property '{prop.Name}' with type '{prop.PropertyType}' does not match the type '{valueType}' of the value being set, this is likely a mismatch between the real class and the class from the datamodel");
                             }
diff --git a/ICodec.cs b/ICodec.cs
index 0c6ff35..cef6071 100644
--- a/ICodec.cs
+++ b/ICodec.cs
@@ -256,12 +256,11 @@ public static bool TryConstructCustomElement(Dictionary<string, Type> types, Dat
 
             object uninitializedObject = RuntimeHelpers.GetUninitializedObject(derivedType);
 
-            elementConstructor.Invoke(uninitializedObject, [dataModel, elem_name, elem_id, elem_class]);
-
             // this will initialize values such as
             // public Datamodel.ElementArray Children { get; } = [];
             customClassInitializer.Invoke(uninitializedObject, []);
 
+            elementConstructor.Invoke(uninitializedObject, [dataModel, elem_name, elem_id, elem_class]);
 
             elem = (Element?)uninitializedObject;
             return true;
diff --git a/Tests/ValveMap.cs b/Tests/ValveMap.cs
index f8fe7e5..8ce70c5 100644
--- a/Tests/ValveMap.cs
+++ b/Tests/ValveMap.cs
@@ -180,7 +180,7 @@ internal class CMapSelectionSet : DMElement
 {
     public Datamodel.ElementArray Children { get; } = [];
     public string SelectionSetName { get; set; } = string.Empty;
-    public CObjectSelectionSetDataElement SelectionSetData { get; set; } = [];
+    public DMElement SelectionSetData { get; set; } = [];
 
     public CMapSelectionSet() { }
     public CMapSelectionSet(string name)
@@ -195,6 +195,12 @@ internal class CObjectSelectionSetDataElement : DMElement
     public Datamodel.ElementArray selectedObjects { get; set; } = [];
 }
 
+internal class CFaceSelectionSetDataElement : DMElement
+{
+    public Datamodel.IntArray faces { get; set; } = [];
+    public Datamodel.ElementArray meshes { get; set; } = [];
+}
+
 
 internal class CMapEntity : BaseEntity
 {