diff --git a/ConflictSet.cpp b/ConflictSet.cpp
index 9636073..0148a6e 100644
--- a/ConflictSet.cpp
+++ b/ConflictSet.cpp
@@ -967,10 +967,7 @@ bool checkRangeStartsWith(Node *n, std::span<const uint8_t> key, int begin,
     }
 
     int c = getChildGeq(n, remaining[0]);
-    if (c == remaining[0]) {
-      n = getChildExists(n, c);
-      remaining = remaining.subspan(1, remaining.size() - 1);
-    } else {
+    if (c != remaining[0]) {
       if (c >= 0) {
         n = getChildExists(n, c);
         goto downLeftSpine;
@@ -980,6 +977,9 @@ bool checkRangeStartsWith(Node *n, std::span<const uint8_t> key, int begin,
       }
     }
 
+    n = getChildExists(n, c);
+    remaining = remaining.subspan(1, remaining.size() - 1);
+
     if (n->partialKeyLen > 0) {
       int commonLen = std::min<int>(n->partialKeyLen, remaining.size());
       int i = longestCommonPrefixPartialKey(n->partialKey, remaining.data(),
@@ -1065,11 +1065,7 @@ struct CheckRangeLeftSide {
       }
 
       int c = getChildGeq(n, remaining[0]);
-      if (c == remaining[0]) {
-        n = getChildExists(n, c);
-        remaining = remaining.subspan(1, remaining.size() - 1);
-        ++searchPathLen;
-      } else {
+      if (c != remaining[0]) {
         if (c >= 0) {
           if (searchPathLen < prefixLen) {
             n = getChildExists(n, c);
@@ -1084,6 +1080,10 @@ struct CheckRangeLeftSide {
         }
       }
 
+      n = getChildExists(n, c);
+      remaining = remaining.subspan(1, remaining.size() - 1);
+      ++searchPathLen;
+
       if (n->partialKeyLen > 0) {
         int commonLen = std::min<int>(n->partialKeyLen, remaining.size());
         int i = longestCommonPrefix(n->partialKey, remaining.data(), commonLen);
@@ -1206,11 +1206,7 @@ struct CheckRangeRightSide {
       }
 
       int c = getChildGeq(n, remaining[0]);
-      if (c == remaining[0]) {
-        n = getChildExists(n, c);
-        remaining = remaining.subspan(1, remaining.size() - 1);
-        ++searchPathLen;
-      } else {
+      if (c != remaining[0]) {
         if (c >= 0) {
           n = getChildExists(n, c);
           return downLeftSpine();
@@ -1219,6 +1215,10 @@ struct CheckRangeRightSide {
         }
       }
 
+      n = getChildExists(n, c);
+      remaining = remaining.subspan(1, remaining.size() - 1);
+      ++searchPathLen;
+
       if (n->partialKeyLen > 0) {
         int commonLen = std::min<int>(n->partialKeyLen, remaining.size());
         int i = longestCommonPrefixPartialKey(n->partialKey, remaining.data(),
@@ -1574,27 +1574,28 @@ struct FirstGeqStepwise {
   // Not being done implies that n is not the firstGeq
   bool step() {
     switch (phase) {
-    case Search:
+    case Search: {
       if (remaining.size() == 0) {
         int c = getChildGeq(n, 0);
         assert(c >= 0);
         n = getChildExists(n, c);
         return downLeftSpine();
-      } else {
-        int c = getChildGeq(n, remaining[0]);
-        if (c == remaining[0]) {
+      }
+
+      int c = getChildGeq(n, remaining[0]);
+      if (c != remaining[0]) {
+        if (c >= 0) {
           n = getChildExists(n, c);
-          remaining = remaining.subspan(1, remaining.size() - 1);
+          return downLeftSpine();
         } else {
-          if (c >= 0) {
-            n = getChildExists(n, c);
-            return downLeftSpine();
-          } else {
-            n = nextSibling(n);
-            return downLeftSpine();
-          }
+          n = nextSibling(n);
+          return downLeftSpine();
         }
       }
+
+      n = getChildExists(n, c);
+      remaining = remaining.subspan(1, remaining.size() - 1);
+
       if (n->partialKeyLen > 0) {
         int commonLen = std::min<int>(n->partialKeyLen, remaining.size());
         int i = longestCommonPrefixPartialKey(n->partialKey, remaining.data(),
@@ -1618,6 +1619,7 @@ struct FirstGeqStepwise {
           return downLeftSpine();
         }
       }
+    }
       [[fallthrough]];
     case Init:
       phase = Search;