diff --git a/lib/capybara/selenium/extensions/find.rb b/lib/capybara/selenium/extensions/find.rb
index f097ea3f..9de64ff6 100644
--- a/lib/capybara/selenium/extensions/find.rb
+++ b/lib/capybara/selenium/extensions/find.rb
@@ -18,44 +18,21 @@ module Capybara
         hints = []
 
         if (els.size > 2) && !ENV['DISABLE_CAPYBARA_SELENIUM_OPTIMIZATIONS']
-          els = filter_by_text(els, texts) unless texts.empty?
+          begin
+            els = filter_by_text(els, texts) unless texts.empty?
+            hints_js, functions = build_hints_js(uses_visibility, styles)
 
-          hints_js = +''
-          functions = []
-          if uses_visibility && !is_displayed_atom.empty?
-            hints_js << <<~VISIBILITY_JS
-              var vis_func = #{is_displayed_atom};
-            VISIBILITY_JS
-            functions << 'vis_func'
-          end
-
-          if styles.is_a? Hash
-            hints_js << <<~STYLE_JS
-              var style_func = function(el){
-                var el_styles = window.getComputedStyle(el);
-                return #{styles.keys.map(&:to_s)}.reduce(function(res, style){
-                  res[style] = el_styles[style];
-                  return res;
-                }, {});
-              };
-            STYLE_JS
-            functions << 'style_func'
-          end
-
-          unless functions.empty?
-            hints_js << <<~EACH_JS
-              return arguments[0].map(function(el){
-                return [#{functions.join(',')}].map(function(fn){ return fn.call(null, el) });
-              });
-            EACH_JS
-
-            hints = es_context.execute_script hints_js, els
-            hints.map! do |results|
-              result = {}
-              result[:style] = results.pop if styles.is_a? Hash
-              result[:visible] = results.pop if uses_visibility
-              result
+            unless functions.empty?
+              hints = es_context.execute_script(hints_js, els).map! do |results|
+                hint = {}
+                hint[:style] = results.pop if functions.include?(:style_func)
+                hint[:visible] = results.pop if functions.include?(:vis_func)
+                hint
+              end
             end
+          rescue ::Selenium::WebDriver::Error::StaleElementReferenceError
+            # warn 'Unexpected Stale Element Error - skipping optimization'
+            hints = []
           end
         end
         els.map.with_index { |el, idx| build_node(el, hints[idx] || {}) }
@@ -63,7 +40,7 @@ module Capybara
 
       def filter_by_text(elements, texts)
         es_context.execute_script <<~JS, elements, texts
-          var texts = arguments[1]
+          var texts = arguments[1];
           return arguments[0].filter(function(el){
             var content = el.textContent.toLowerCase();
             return texts.every(function(txt){ return content.indexOf(txt.toLowerCase()) != -1 });
@@ -71,6 +48,39 @@ module Capybara
         JS
       end
 
+      def build_hints_js(uses_visibility, styles)
+        functions = []
+        hints_js = +''
+
+        if uses_visibility && !is_displayed_atom.empty?
+          hints_js << <<~VISIBILITY_JS
+            var vis_func = #{is_displayed_atom};
+          VISIBILITY_JS
+          functions << :vis_func
+        end
+
+        if styles.is_a? Hash
+          hints_js << <<~STYLE_JS
+            var style_func = function(el){
+              var el_styles = window.getComputedStyle(el);
+              return #{styles.keys.map(&:to_s)}.reduce(function(res, style){
+                res[style] = el_styles[style];
+                return res;
+              }, {});
+            };
+          STYLE_JS
+          functions << :style_func
+        end
+
+        hints_js << <<~EACH_JS
+          return arguments[0].map(function(el){
+            return [#{functions.join(',')}].map(function(fn){ return fn.call(null, el) });
+          });
+        EACH_JS
+
+        [hints_js, functions]
+      end
+
       def es_context
         respond_to?(:execute_script) ? self : driver
       end