diff --git a/ConflictSet.cpp b/ConflictSet.cpp
index daebcb3..2a8084d 100644
--- a/ConflictSet.cpp
+++ b/ConflictSet.cpp
@@ -740,8 +740,9 @@ Node *&getChildExists(Node *self, uint8_t index) {
   }
 }
 
-// Precondition - an entry for index must exist in the node
-int64_t &maxVersion(Node *n, ConflictSet::Impl *);
+int64_t maxVersion(Node *n, ConflictSet::Impl *);
+
+void setMaxVersion(Node *n, ConflictSet::Impl *, int64_t maxVersion);
 
 Node *&getInTree(Node *n, ConflictSet::Impl *);
 
@@ -1218,7 +1219,7 @@ void maybeDownsize(Node *self, NodeAllocators *allocators,
 
       // Max versions are stored in the parent, so we need to update it now
       // that we have a new parent.
-      maxVersion(child, impl) = childMaxVersion;
+      setMaxVersion(child, impl, childMaxVersion);
 
       getInTree(self, impl) = child;
       allocators->node3.release(self3);
@@ -2190,7 +2191,7 @@ template <bool kBegin>
                          allocators) = old;
         old->parent = *self;
         old->parentsIndex = old->partialKey()[partialKeyIndex];
-        maxVersion(old, impl) = oldMaxVersion;
+        setMaxVersion(old, impl, oldMaxVersion);
 
         memmove(old->partialKey(), old->partialKey() + partialKeyIndex + 1,
                 old->partialKeyLen - (partialKeyIndex + 1));
@@ -2214,9 +2215,8 @@ template <bool kBegin>
     }
 
     if constexpr (kBegin) {
-      auto &m = maxVersion(*self, impl);
-      assert(writeVersion >= m);
-      m = writeVersion;
+      assert(maxVersion(*self, impl) <= writeVersion);
+      setMaxVersion(*self, impl, writeVersion);
     }
 
     if (key.size() == 0) {
@@ -2224,9 +2224,8 @@ template <bool kBegin>
     }
 
     if constexpr (!kBegin) {
-      auto &m = maxVersion(*self, impl);
-      assert(writeVersion >= m);
-      m = writeVersion;
+      assert(maxVersion(*self, impl) <= writeVersion);
+      setMaxVersion(*self, impl, writeVersion);
     }
 
     auto &child = getOrCreateChild(*self, key.front(), allocators);
@@ -2237,8 +2236,9 @@ template <bool kBegin>
       child->partialKeyLen = 0;
       child->parent = *self;
       child->parentsIndex = key.front();
-      maxVersion(child, impl) =
-          kBegin ? writeVersion : std::numeric_limits<int64_t>::lowest();
+      setMaxVersion(child, impl,
+                    kBegin ? writeVersion
+                           : std::numeric_limits<int64_t>::lowest());
     }
 
     self = &child;
@@ -2283,7 +2283,7 @@ void addPointWrite(Node *&root, int64_t oldestVersion,
     n->entryPresent = true;
 
     n->entry.pointVersion = writeVersion;
-    maxVersion(n, impl) = writeVersion;
+    setMaxVersion(n, impl, writeVersion);
     n->entry.rangeVersion =
         p != nullptr ? p->entry.rangeVersion : oldestVersion;
   } else {
@@ -2324,9 +2324,8 @@ void addWriteRange(Node *&root, int64_t oldestVersion,
       break;
     }
 
-    auto &m = maxVersion(n, impl);
-    assert(writeVersion >= m);
-    m = writeVersion;
+    assert(maxVersion(n, impl) <= writeVersion);
+    setMaxVersion(n, impl, writeVersion);
 
     remaining = remaining.subspan(n->partialKeyLen + 1,
                                   remaining.size() - (n->partialKeyLen + 1));
@@ -2353,11 +2352,10 @@ void addWriteRange(Node *&root, int64_t oldestVersion,
     beginNode->entry.rangeVersion =
         p != nullptr ? p->entry.rangeVersion : oldestVersion;
     beginNode->entry.pointVersion = writeVersion;
-    maxVersion(beginNode, impl) = writeVersion;
+    assert(maxVersion(beginNode, impl) <= writeVersion);
+    setMaxVersion(beginNode, impl, writeVersion);
   }
-  auto &m = maxVersion(beginNode, impl);
-  assert(writeVersion >= m);
-  m = writeVersion;
+  setMaxVersion(beginNode, impl, writeVersion);
   assert(writeVersion >= beginNode->entry.pointVersion);
   beginNode->entry.pointVersion = writeVersion;
 
@@ -2372,8 +2370,8 @@ void addWriteRange(Node *&root, int64_t oldestVersion,
     auto *p = nextLogical(endNode);
     endNode->entry.pointVersion =
         p != nullptr ? p->entry.rangeVersion : oldestVersion;
-    auto &m = maxVersion(endNode, impl);
-    m = std::max(m, endNode->entry.pointVersion);
+    auto m = maxVersion(endNode, impl);
+    setMaxVersion(endNode, impl, std::max(m, endNode->entry.pointVersion));
   }
   endNode->entry.rangeVersion = writeVersion;
 
@@ -2573,8 +2571,7 @@ struct __attribute__((visibility("hidden"))) ConflictSet::Impl {
   int64_t totalBytes = 0;
 };
 
-// Precondition - an entry for index must exist in the node
-int64_t &maxVersion(Node *n, ConflictSet::Impl *impl) {
+int64_t maxVersion(Node *n, ConflictSet::Impl *impl) {
   int index = n->parentsIndex;
   n = n->parent;
   if (n == nullptr) {
@@ -2608,6 +2605,45 @@ int64_t &maxVersion(Node *n, ConflictSet::Impl *impl) {
   }
 }
 
+void setMaxVersion(Node *n, ConflictSet::Impl *impl, int64_t newMax) {
+  int index = n->parentsIndex;
+  n = n->parent;
+  if (n == nullptr) {
+    impl->rootMaxVersion = newMax;
+    return;
+  }
+  switch (n->getType()) {
+  case Type_Node0:           // GCOVR_EXCL_LINE
+    __builtin_unreachable(); // GCOVR_EXCL_LINE
+  case Type_Node3: {
+    auto *n3 = static_cast<Node3 *>(n);
+    int i = getNodeIndex(n3, index);
+    n3->children[i].childMaxVersion = newMax;
+    return;
+  }
+  case Type_Node16: {
+    auto *n16 = static_cast<Node16 *>(n);
+    int i = getNodeIndex(n16, index);
+    n16->children[i].childMaxVersion = newMax;
+    return;
+  }
+  case Type_Node48: {
+    auto *n48 = static_cast<Node48 *>(n);
+    assert(n48->bitSet.test(index));
+    n48->children[n48->index[index]].childMaxVersion = newMax;
+    return;
+  }
+  case Type_Node256: {
+    auto *n256 = static_cast<Node256 *>(n);
+    assert(n256->bitSet.test(index));
+    n256->children[index].childMaxVersion = newMax;
+    return;
+  }
+  default:                   // GCOVR_EXCL_LINE
+    __builtin_unreachable(); // GCOVR_EXCL_LINE
+  }
+}
+
 Node *&getInTree(Node *n, ConflictSet::Impl *impl) {
   return n->parent == nullptr ? impl->root
                               : getChildExists(n->parent, n->parentsIndex);