diff --git a/docs/content/3.docs/2.directory-structure/6.layouts.md b/docs/content/3.docs/2.directory-structure/6.layouts.md
index 65112b2b13..591d641d27 100644
--- a/docs/content/3.docs/2.directory-structure/6.layouts.md
+++ b/docs/content/3.docs/2.directory-structure/6.layouts.md
@@ -79,12 +79,10 @@ You can also use a ref or computed property for your layout.
 <script setup>
 const route = useRoute()
 function enableCustomLayout () {
-  // Note: because it's within a ref, it will persist if 
-  // you navigate away and then back to the page.
-  route.meta.layout.value = "custom"
+  route.meta.layout = "custom"
 }
 definePageMeta({
-  layout: ref(false),
+  layout: false,
 });
 </script>
 ```
diff --git a/packages/nuxt3/src/pages/module.ts b/packages/nuxt3/src/pages/module.ts
index 85300296a6..7e51754713 100644
--- a/packages/nuxt3/src/pages/module.ts
+++ b/packages/nuxt3/src/pages/module.ts
@@ -112,8 +112,27 @@ export default defineNuxtModule({
       }
     })
 
+    addTemplate({
+      filename: 'layouts.d.ts',
+      write: true,
+      getContents: async () => {
+        const composablesFile = resolve(runtimeDir, 'composables')
+        const layouts = await resolveLayouts(nuxt)
+        return [
+          'import { ComputedRef, Ref } from \'vue\'',
+          `export type LayoutKey = ${layouts.map(layout => `"${layout.name}"`).join(' | ') || 'string'}`,
+          `declare module '${composablesFile}' {`,
+          '  interface PageMeta {',
+          '    layout?: false | LayoutKey | Ref<LayoutKey> | ComputedRef<LayoutKey>',
+          '  }',
+          '}'
+        ].join('\n')
+      }
+    })
+
     nuxt.hook('prepare:types', ({ references }) => {
       references.push({ path: resolve(nuxt.options.buildDir, 'middleware.d.ts') })
+      references.push({ path: resolve(nuxt.options.buildDir, 'layouts.d.ts') })
     })
 
     // Add layouts template
diff --git a/packages/nuxt3/src/pages/runtime/composables.ts b/packages/nuxt3/src/pages/runtime/composables.ts
index 68a68eb1bc..2072cf32e0 100644
--- a/packages/nuxt3/src/pages/runtime/composables.ts
+++ b/packages/nuxt3/src/pages/runtime/composables.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-import { ComputedRef, KeepAliveProps, Ref, TransitionProps } from 'vue'
+import { KeepAliveProps, TransitionProps, UnwrapRef } from 'vue'
 import type { Router, RouteLocationNormalizedLoaded, NavigationGuard, RouteLocationNormalized, RouteLocationRaw } from 'vue-router'
 import { useNuxtApp } from '#app'
 
@@ -14,13 +14,12 @@ export interface PageMeta {
   [key: string]: any
   pageTransition?: false | TransitionProps
   layoutTransition?: false | TransitionProps
-  layout?: false | string | Ref<false | string> | ComputedRef<false | string>
   key?: string | ((route: RouteLocationNormalizedLoaded) => string)
   keepalive?: false | KeepAliveProps
 }
 
 declare module 'vue-router' {
-  interface RouteMeta extends PageMeta {}
+  interface RouteMeta extends UnwrapRef<PageMeta> {}
 }
 
 const warnRuntimeUsage = (method: string) =>
diff --git a/packages/nuxt3/src/pages/runtime/page.ts b/packages/nuxt3/src/pages/runtime/page.ts
index b2d2f1b980..4dad687375 100644
--- a/packages/nuxt3/src/pages/runtime/page.ts
+++ b/packages/nuxt3/src/pages/runtime/page.ts
@@ -25,26 +25,34 @@ export default defineComponent({
       const hasLayout = props.layout ?? route.meta.layout ?? 'default' in layouts
 
       return h(RouterView, {}, {
-        default: ({ Component }: RouterViewSlotProps) => Component && wrapIf(Transition, hasLayout && (route.meta.layoutTransition ?? defaultLayoutTransition), {
-          default: () => wrapIf(NuxtLayout, hasLayout && { layout: props.layout ?? route.meta.layout }, {
-            default: () => wrapIf(Transition, route.meta.pageTransition ?? defaultPageTransition, {
-              default: () => wrapIf(KeepAlive, process.client && route.meta.keepalive, h(Suspense, {
+        default: ({ Component }: RouterViewSlotProps) => Component &&
+        wrapIf(Transition, hasLayout && (route.meta.layoutTransition ?? defaultLayoutTransition),
+          wrapIf(NuxtLayout, hasLayout && { name: props.layout ?? route.meta.layout },
+            wrapIf(Transition, route.meta.pageTransition ?? defaultPageTransition,
+              wrapInKeepAlive(route.meta.keepalive, h(Suspense, {
                 onPending: () => nuxtApp.callHook('page:start', Component),
                 onResolve: () => nuxtApp.callHook('page:finish', Component)
-              }, { default: () => h(Component) }))
-            })
-          })
-        })
+              }, { default: () => h(Component) })
+              )
+            )
+          )).default()
       })
     }
   }
 })
 
-const wrapIf = (component: Component, props: any, slotsOrChildren: any) => {
-  if (props) {
-    return h(component, props === true ? {} : props, slotsOrChildren)
+const Fragment = {
+  setup (props, { slots }) {
+    return () => slots.default()
   }
-  return slotsOrChildren.default?.() || slotsOrChildren
+}
+
+const wrapIf = (component: Component, props: any, slots: any) => {
+  return { default: () => props ? h(component, props === true ? {} : props, slots) : h(Fragment, {}, slots) }
+}
+
+const wrapInKeepAlive = (props: any, children: any) => {
+  return { default: () => process.client && props ? h(KeepAlive, props === true ? {} : props, children) : children }
 }
 
 const defaultLayoutTransition = { name: 'layout', mode: 'out-in' }
diff --git a/packages/nuxt3/src/pages/runtime/router.ts b/packages/nuxt3/src/pages/runtime/router.ts
index a8df95a41a..e0f0a2906e 100644
--- a/packages/nuxt3/src/pages/runtime/router.ts
+++ b/packages/nuxt3/src/pages/runtime/router.ts
@@ -66,6 +66,7 @@ export default defineNuxtPlugin((nuxtApp) => {
   }
 
   router.beforeEach(async (to, from) => {
+    to.meta = reactive(to.meta)
     nuxtApp._processingMiddleware = true
 
     type MiddlewareDef = string | NavigationGuard