diff --git a/ConflictSet.cpp b/ConflictSet.cpp
index 5f56f5d..de1be22 100644
--- a/ConflictSet.cpp
+++ b/ConflictSet.cpp
@@ -219,6 +219,8 @@ template <class T> struct NodeAllocator;
 struct TaggedNodePointer {
   TaggedNodePointer() = default;
   operator struct Node *() { return (struct Node *)withoutType(); }
+  // In preparation for when we might store leafs directly in parents
+  struct Node *asNodeUnsafe() { return (struct Node *)withoutType(); }
   operator struct Node0 *() {
     assert(getType() == Type_Node0);
     return (struct Node0 *)withoutType();
@@ -1470,7 +1472,8 @@ void consumePartialKeyFull(TaggedNodePointer &self, TrivialSpan &key,
   int partialKeyIndex =
       longestCommonPrefix(self->partialKey(), key.data(), commonLen);
   if (partialKeyIndex < self->partialKeyLen) {
-    Node *old = self;
+    // Safety: self has a partial key so it can't be a leaf
+    Node *old = self.asNodeUnsafe();
     // Since root cannot have a partial key
     assert(old->parent != nullptr);
     InternalVersionT oldMaxVersion = exchangeMaxVersion(old, writeVersion);
@@ -1628,7 +1631,8 @@ TaggedNodePointer &getOrCreateChild(TaggedNodePointer &self, TrivialSpan &key,
     self3->childMaxVersion[i + 1] = newMaxVersion;
     result = newChild;
     ++self->numChildren;
-    newChild->parent = self;
+    // Safety: self has a child so it can't be a leaf
+    newChild->parent = self.asNodeUnsafe();
     return result;
   }
   case Type_Node16: {
@@ -1660,7 +1664,8 @@ TaggedNodePointer &getOrCreateChild(TaggedNodePointer &self, TrivialSpan &key,
     self16->childMaxVersion[i + 1] = newMaxVersion;
     result = newChild;
     ++self->numChildren;
-    newChild->parent = self;
+    // Safety: self has a child so it can't be a leaf
+    newChild->parent = self.asNodeUnsafe();
     return result;
   }
   case Type_Node48: {
@@ -1687,7 +1692,8 @@ TaggedNodePointer &getOrCreateChild(TaggedNodePointer &self, TrivialSpan &key,
     self48->maxOfMax[nextFree >> Node48::kMaxOfMaxShift] = std::max(
         newMaxVersion, self48->maxOfMax[nextFree >> Node48::kMaxOfMaxShift]);
     result = newChild;
-    newChild->parent = self;
+    // Safety: self has a child so it can't be a leaf
+    newChild->parent = self.asNodeUnsafe();
     return result;
   }
   case Type_Node256: {
@@ -1701,7 +1707,8 @@ TaggedNodePointer &getOrCreateChild(TaggedNodePointer &self, TrivialSpan &key,
     self256->maxOfMax[index >> Node256::kMaxOfMaxShift] = std::max(
         newMaxVersion, self256->maxOfMax[index >> Node256::kMaxOfMaxShift]);
     result = newChild;
-    newChild->parent = self;
+    // Safety: self has a child so it can't be a leaf
+    newChild->parent = self.asNodeUnsafe();
     return result;
   }
   default:                   // GCOVR_EXCL_LINE
@@ -1921,7 +1928,7 @@ void mergeWithChild(TaggedNodePointer &self, WriteContext *writeContext,
   setMaxVersion(child, std::max(childMaxVersion, writeContext->zero));
 
   self = child;
-  writeContext->deferRelease(self3, self);
+  writeContext->deferRelease(self3, child);
 }
 
 bool needsDownsize(Node *n) {