diff --git a/ConflictSet.cpp b/ConflictSet.cpp
index a690e6e..0b69e9e 100644
--- a/ConflictSet.cpp
+++ b/ConflictSet.cpp
@@ -2798,20 +2798,10 @@ Node **insert(Node **self, std::span<const uint8_t> key,
   assert(maxVersion(*self, impl) <= writeVersion);
   setMaxVersion(*self, impl, writeVersion);
 
-  for (;; ++tls->accum.insert_iterations) {
-
-    if (key.size() == 0) {
-      return self;
-    }
-
-    bool existed = getChild(*self, key.front());
-    auto &child = getOrCreateChild(*self, key, writeVersion, tls);
-    if (!existed) {
-      return &child;
-    }
-
-    self = &child;
+  for (; key.size() != 0; ++tls->accum.insert_iterations) {
+    self = &getOrCreateChild(*self, key, writeVersion, tls);
   }
+  return self;
 }
 
 void destroyTree(Node *root) {