diff --git a/examples/svelte/src/routes/examples/overview/Flow.svelte b/examples/svelte/src/routes/examples/overview/Flow.svelte
index 3075a0e8..df4abf68 100644
--- a/examples/svelte/src/routes/examples/overview/Flow.svelte
+++ b/examples/svelte/src/routes/examples/overview/Flow.svelte
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@
 
 	import '@xyflow/svelte/dist/style.css';
 	import InitTracker from './InitTracker.svelte';
+	import TriggerConnection from './TriggerConnection.svelte';
 
 	const nodeTypes: NodeTypes = {
 		custom: CustomNode,
@@ -243,6 +244,7 @@
 				}));
 			}}>left-right</button
 		>
+		<TriggerConnection />
 	</Panel>
 	<InitTracker />
 </SvelteFlow>
diff --git a/examples/svelte/src/routes/examples/overview/TriggerConnection.svelte b/examples/svelte/src/routes/examples/overview/TriggerConnection.svelte
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..e9301f91
--- /dev/null
+++ b/examples/svelte/src/routes/examples/overview/TriggerConnection.svelte
@@ -0,0 +1,107 @@
+<script lang="ts">
+	import { useConnection, useViewport } from '@xyflow/svelte';
+
+	const connection = useConnection();
+	const viewport = useViewport();
+	let blockMouseUp = true;
+
+	// Replace this with the flowId of your flow (default is 1)
+	const flowId = 1;
+
+	/** Replace this selector with the handle of your choice.
+	 * Take a look at the DOM structure to see what how the data-*
+	 * attributes are structured for handles
+	 */
+	const fromHandleSelector = '[data-nodeid="1"].svelte-flow__handle';
+
+	function createPointerEvent(type: string, element: HTMLElement) {
+		const { left, top } = element.getBoundingClientRect();
+
+		return new PointerEvent(type, {
+			bubbles: true,
+			cancelable: true,
+			pointerId: 1,
+			pointerType: 'mouse',
+			clientX: left + element.offsetWidth / 2,
+			clientY: top + element.offsetHeight / 2,
+			button: 0,
+			buttons: 1
+		});
+	}
+
+	function mouseDownBlocker(event: MouseEvent) {
+		event.preventDefault();
+		event.stopPropagation();
+	}
+
+	function mouseUpBlocker(event: MouseEvent) {
+		// we only want to block the original mouseUpEvent
+		if (!blockMouseUp) {
+			return;
+		}
+
+		event.preventDefault();
+		event.stopPropagation();
+
+		connectionFinish();
+	}
+
+	function addEventListeners() {
+		document.addEventListener('mousedown', mouseDownBlocker, true);
+		document.addEventListener('mouseup', mouseUpBlocker, true);
+	}
+
+	function removeEventListeners() {
+		document.removeEventListener('mousedown', mouseDownBlocker, true);
+		document.removeEventListener('mouseup', mouseUpBlocker, true);
+	}
+
+	function connectionFinish() {
+		blockMouseUp = false;
+		const { inProgress, isValid, toHandle } = connection.current;
+		if (inProgress && isValid && toHandle) {
+			const toHandleElement = document.querySelector(
+				`[data-id="${flowId}-${toHandle.nodeId}-${toHandle.id ?? null}-${toHandle.type}"].svelte-flow__handle`
+			) as HTMLElement | null;
+
+			if (toHandleElement) {
+				const mouseupEvent = createPointerEvent('mouseup', toHandleElement);
+				const success = toHandleElement.dispatchEvent(mouseupEvent);
+
+				if (success) {
+					removeEventListeners();
+					return;
+				}
+			}
+		}
+
+		connectionCancel();
+	}
+
+	function connectionStart() {
+		const fromHandle = document.querySelector(fromHandleSelector) as HTMLElement | null;
+
+		if (fromHandle) {
+			const mousedownEvent = createPointerEvent('mousedown', fromHandle);
+			const success = fromHandle.dispatchEvent(mousedownEvent);
+
+			if (success) {
+				blockMouseUp = true;
+				addEventListeners();
+			}
+		}
+	}
+
+	function connectionCancel() {
+		const fromHandle = document.querySelector(fromHandleSelector) as HTMLElement | null;
+
+		if (fromHandle) {
+			const mouseUpEvent = createPointerEvent('mouseup', fromHandle);
+			fromHandle.dispatchEvent(mouseUpEvent);
+		}
+		removeEventListeners();
+	}
+</script>
+
+<!-- onclick works as well -->
+<button onpointerdown={connectionStart}>trigger-connection</button>
diff --git a/packages/svelte/src/lib/store/initial-store.svelte.ts b/packages/svelte/src/lib/store/initial-store.svelte.ts
index 8c2da3cf..5dd4811a 100644
--- a/packages/svelte/src/lib/store/initial-store.svelte.ts
+++ b/packages/svelte/src/lib/store/initial-store.svelte.ts
@@ -110,10 +110,10 @@ export function getInitialStore<NodeType extends Node = Node, EdgeType extends E
   // Inline classes have some performance implications but we just call it once (max twice).
   class SvelteFlowStore {
     flowId: string = $derived(signals.props.id ?? '1');
-    domNode = $state<HTMLDivElement | null>(null);
-    panZoom: PanZoomInstance | null = $state(null);
-    width = $state<number>(signals.width ?? 0);
-    height = $state<number>(signals.height ?? 0);
+    domNode = $state.raw<HTMLDivElement | null>(null);
+    panZoom: PanZoomInstance | null = $state.raw(null);
+    width = $state.raw<number>(signals.width ?? 0);
+    height = $state.raw<number>(signals.height ?? 0);
 
     nodesInitialized: boolean = $derived.by(() => {
       const nodesInitialized = adoptUserNodes(signals.nodes, this.nodeLookup, this.parentLookup, {
@@ -293,16 +293,16 @@ export function getInitialStore<NodeType extends Node = Node, EdgeType extends E
 
     snapGrid: SnapGrid | null = $derived(signals.props.snapGrid ?? null);
 
-    dragging: boolean = $state(false);
-    selectionRect: SelectionRect | null = $state(null);
+    dragging: boolean = $state.raw(false);
+    selectionRect: SelectionRect | null = $state.raw(null);
 
-    selectionKeyPressed: boolean = $state(false);
-    multiselectionKeyPressed: boolean = $state(false);
-    deleteKeyPressed: boolean = $state(false);
-    panActivationKeyPressed: boolean = $state(false);
-    zoomActivationKeyPressed: boolean = $state(false);
-    selectionRectMode: string | null = $state(null);
-    ariaLiveMessage = $state<string>('');
+    selectionKeyPressed: boolean = $state.raw(false);
+    multiselectionKeyPressed: boolean = $state.raw(false);
+    deleteKeyPressed: boolean = $state.raw(false);
+    panActivationKeyPressed: boolean = $state.raw(false);
+    zoomActivationKeyPressed: boolean = $state.raw(false);
+    selectionRectMode: string | null = $state.raw(null);
+    ariaLiveMessage = $state.raw<string>('');
     selectionMode: SelectionMode = $derived(signals.props.selectionMode ?? SelectionMode.Partial);
 
     nodeTypes: NodeTypes = $derived({ ...initialNodeTypes, ...signals.props.nodeTypes });
@@ -317,7 +317,7 @@ export function getInitialStore<NodeType extends Node = Node, EdgeType extends E
 
     // _viewport is the internal viewport.
     // when binding to viewport, we operate on signals.viewport instead
-    _viewport: Viewport = $state(
+    _viewport: Viewport = $state.raw(
       getInitialViewport(
         this.nodesInitialized,
         signals.props.fitView,
@@ -338,7 +338,7 @@ export function getInitialStore<NodeType extends Node = Node, EdgeType extends E
     }
 
     // _connection is viewport independent and originating from XYHandle
-    _connection: ConnectionState = $state(initialConnection);
+    _connection: ConnectionState = $state.raw(initialConnection);
     // We derive a viewport dependent connection here
     connection: ConnectionState = $derived.by(() => {
       if (this._connection.inProgress) {
@@ -392,7 +392,7 @@ export function getInitialStore<NodeType extends Node = Node, EdgeType extends E
     clickConnect?: boolean = $derived(signals.props.clickConnect ?? true);
     onclickconnectstart?: OnConnectStart = $derived(signals.props.onclickconnectstart);
     onclickconnectend?: OnConnectEnd = $derived(signals.props.onclickconnectend);
-    clickConnectStartHandle: Pick<Handle, 'id' | 'nodeId' | 'type'> | null = $state(null);
+    clickConnectStartHandle: Pick<Handle, 'id' | 'nodeId' | 'type'> | null = $state.raw(null);
 
     onselectiondrag?: OnSelectionDrag<NodeType> = $derived(signals.props.onselectiondrag);
     onselectiondragstart?: OnSelectionDrag<NodeType> = $derived(signals.props.onselectiondragstart);