diff --git a/core/src/components.d.ts b/core/src/components.d.ts
index fe1eded51c..951214ae83 100644
--- a/core/src/components.d.ts
+++ b/core/src/components.d.ts
@@ -1395,7 +1395,6 @@ export namespace Components {
           * Animation to use when the modal is presented.
          */
         "enterAnimation"?: AnimationBuilder;
-        "inline": boolean;
         /**
           * If `true`, the modal will open. If `false`, the modal will close. Use this if you need finer grained control over presentation, otherwise just use the modalController or the `trigger` property. Note: `isOpen` will not automatically be set back to `false` when the modal dismisses. You will need to do that in your code.
          */
@@ -1707,7 +1706,6 @@ export namespace Components {
          */
         "event": any;
         "getParentPopover": () => Promise<HTMLIonPopoverElement | null>;
-        "inline": boolean;
         /**
           * If `true`, the popover will open. If `false`, the popover will close. Use this if you need finer grained control over presentation, otherwise just use the popoverController or the `trigger` property. Note: `isOpen` will not automatically be set back to `false` when the popover dismisses. You will need to do that in your code.
          */
@@ -4854,7 +4852,6 @@ declare namespace LocalJSX {
           * Animation to use when the modal is presented.
          */
         "enterAnimation"?: AnimationBuilder;
-        "inline"?: boolean;
         /**
           * If `true`, the modal will open. If `false`, the modal will close. Use this if you need finer grained control over presentation, otherwise just use the modalController or the `trigger` property. Note: `isOpen` will not automatically be set back to `false` when the modal dismisses. You will need to do that in your code.
          */
@@ -5099,7 +5096,6 @@ declare namespace LocalJSX {
           * The event to pass to the popover animation.
          */
         "event"?: any;
-        "inline"?: boolean;
         /**
           * If `true`, the popover will open. If `false`, the popover will close. Use this if you need finer grained control over presentation, otherwise just use the popoverController or the `trigger` property. Note: `isOpen` will not automatically be set back to `false` when the popover dismisses. You will need to do that in your code.
          */
diff --git a/core/src/components/modal/modal.tsx b/core/src/components/modal/modal.tsx
index dcdfef9e39..e22db547a7 100644
--- a/core/src/components/modal/modal.tsx
+++ b/core/src/components/modal/modal.tsx
@@ -39,6 +39,9 @@ export class Modal implements ComponentInterface, OverlayInterface {
   private currentTransition?: Promise<any>;
   private destroyTriggerInteraction?: () => void;
 
+  private inline = false;
+  private workingDelegate?: FrameworkDelegate;
+
   // Reference to the user's provided modal content
   private usersElement?: HTMLElement;
 
@@ -51,9 +54,6 @@ export class Modal implements ComponentInterface, OverlayInterface {
 
   @Element() el!: HTMLIonModalElement;
 
-  /** @internal */
-  @Prop() inline = true;
-
   /** @internal */
   @Prop() overlayIndex!: number;
 
@@ -249,6 +249,39 @@ export class Modal implements ComponentInterface, OverlayInterface {
     this.destroyTriggerInteraction = configureTriggerInteraction(triggerEl, el);
   }
 
+  /**
+   * Determines whether or not an overlay
+   * is being used inline or via a controller/JS
+   * and returns the correct delegate.
+   * By default, subsequent calls to getDelegate
+   * will use a cached version of the delegate.
+   * This is useful for calling dismiss after
+   * present so that the correct delegate is given.
+   */
+  private getDelegate(force = false) {
+    if (this.workingDelegate && !force) {
+      return {
+        delegate: this.workingDelegate,
+        inline: this.inline
+      }
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * If using overlay inline
+     * we potentially need to use the coreDelegate
+     * so that this works in vanilla JS apps.
+     * If a user has already placed the overlay
+     * as a direct descendant of ion-app or
+     * the body, then we can assume that
+     * the overlay is already in the correct place.
+     */
+    const parentEl = this.el.parentNode as HTMLElement | null;
+    const inline = this.inline = parentEl !== null && parentEl.tagName !== 'ION-APP' && parentEl.tagName !== 'BODY';
+    const delegate = this.workingDelegate = (inline) ? this.delegate || this.coreDelegate : this.delegate
+
+    return { inline, delegate }
+  }
+
   /**
    * Present the modal overlay after it has been created.
    */
@@ -275,14 +308,8 @@ export class Modal implements ComponentInterface, OverlayInterface {
       modal: this.el
     };
 
-    /**
-     * If using modal inline
-     * we potentially need to use the coreDelegate
-     * so that this works in vanilla JS apps
-     */
-    const delegate = (this.inline) ? this.delegate || this.coreDelegate : this.delegate;
-
-    this.usersElement = await attachComponent(delegate, this.el, this.component, ['ion-page'], data, this.inline);
+    const { inline, delegate } = this.getDelegate(true);
+    this.usersElement = await attachComponent(delegate, this.el, this.component, ['ion-page'], data, inline);
 
     await deepReady(this.usersElement);
 
@@ -362,7 +389,7 @@ export class Modal implements ComponentInterface, OverlayInterface {
     const dismissed = await this.currentTransition;
 
     if (dismissed) {
-      const delegate = (this.inline) ? this.delegate || this.coreDelegate : this.delegate;
+      const { delegate } = this.getDelegate();
       await detachComponent(delegate, this.usersElement);
       if (this.animation) {
         this.animation.destroy();
diff --git a/core/src/components/popover/popover.tsx b/core/src/components/popover/popover.tsx
index cf383cab31..97499695cc 100644
--- a/core/src/components/popover/popover.tsx
+++ b/core/src/components/popover/popover.tsx
@@ -45,6 +45,9 @@ export class Popover implements ComponentInterface, OverlayInterface {
   private destroyKeyboardInteraction?: () => void;
   private destroyDismissInteraction?: () => void;
 
+  private inline = false;
+  private workingDelegate?: FrameworkDelegate;
+
   private triggerEv?: Event;
   private focusDescendantOnPresent = false;
 
@@ -54,9 +57,6 @@ export class Popover implements ComponentInterface, OverlayInterface {
 
   @Element() el!: HTMLIonPopoverElement;
 
-  /** @internal */
-  @Prop() inline = true;
-
   /** @internal */
   @Prop() delegate?: FrameworkDelegate;
 
@@ -314,6 +314,39 @@ export class Popover implements ComponentInterface, OverlayInterface {
     this.focusDescendantOnPresent = false;
   }
 
+  /**
+   * Determines whether or not an overlay
+   * is being used inline or via a controller/JS
+   * and returns the correct delegate.
+   * By default, subsequent calls to getDelegate
+   * will use a cached version of the delegate.
+   * This is useful for calling dismiss after
+   * present so that the correct delegate is given.
+   */
+  private getDelegate(force = false) {
+    if (this.workingDelegate && !force) {
+      return {
+        delegate: this.workingDelegate,
+        inline: this.inline
+      }
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * If using overlay inline
+     * we potentially need to use the coreDelegate
+     * so that this works in vanilla JS apps.
+     * If a user has already placed the overlay
+     * as a direct descendant of ion-app or
+     * the body, then we can assume that
+     * the overlay is already in the correct place.
+     */
+    const parentEl = this.el.parentNode as HTMLElement | null;
+    const inline = this.inline = parentEl !== null && parentEl.tagName !== 'ION-APP' && parentEl.tagName !== 'BODY';
+    const delegate = this.workingDelegate = (inline) ? this.delegate || this.coreDelegate : this.delegate
+
+    return { inline, delegate }
+  }
+
   /**
    * Present the popover overlay after it has been created.
    */
@@ -340,14 +373,8 @@ export class Popover implements ComponentInterface, OverlayInterface {
       popover: this.el
     };
 
-    /**
-     * If using popover inline
-     * we potentially need to use the coreDelegate
-     * so that this works in vanilla JS apps
-     */
-    const delegate = (this.inline) ? this.delegate || this.coreDelegate : this.delegate;
-
-    this.usersElement = await attachComponent(delegate, this.el, this.component, ['popover-viewport'], data, this.inline);
+    const { inline, delegate } = this.getDelegate(true);
+    this.usersElement = await attachComponent(delegate, this.el, this.component, ['popover-viewport'], data, inline);
     await deepReady(this.usersElement);
 
     this.configureKeyboardInteraction();
@@ -421,7 +448,7 @@ export class Popover implements ComponentInterface, OverlayInterface {
        * we potentially need to use the coreDelegate
        * so that this works in vanilla JS apps
        */
-      const delegate = (this.inline) ? this.delegate || this.coreDelegate : this.delegate;
+      const { delegate } = this.getDelegate();
       await detachComponent(delegate, this.usersElement);
     }
 
diff --git a/core/src/utils/overlays.ts b/core/src/utils/overlays.ts
index 65b5681996..7683bdca67 100644
--- a/core/src/utils/overlays.ts
+++ b/core/src/utils/overlays.ts
@@ -53,11 +53,8 @@ export const createOverlay = <T extends HTMLIonOverlayElement>(tagName: string,
       /**
        * Convert the passed in overlay options into props
        * that get passed down into the new overlay.
-       * Inline is needed for ion-popover as it can
-       * be presented via a controller or written
-       * inline in a template.
        */
-      Object.assign(element, { ...opts, inline: false });
+      Object.assign(element, { ...opts });
 
       // append the overlay element to the document body
       getAppRoot(document).appendChild(element);