diff --git a/ConflictSet.cpp b/ConflictSet.cpp
index 0e984e9..3744936 100644
--- a/ConflictSet.cpp
+++ b/ConflictSet.cpp
@@ -1567,7 +1567,8 @@ template <bool kBegin>
 
     if constexpr (kBegin) {
       auto &m = maxVersion(*self, impl);
-      m = std::max(m, writeVersion);
+      assert(writeVersion >= m);
+      m = writeVersion;
     }
 
     if (key.size() == 0) {
@@ -1576,7 +1577,8 @@ template <bool kBegin>
 
     if constexpr (!kBegin) {
       auto &m = maxVersion(*self, impl);
-      m = std::max(m, writeVersion);
+      assert(writeVersion >= m);
+      m = writeVersion;
     }
 
     auto &child = getOrCreateChild(*self, key.front(), allocators);
@@ -1623,7 +1625,8 @@ void addPointWrite(Node *&root, int64_t oldestVersion,
     n->entry.rangeVersion =
         p != nullptr ? p->entry.rangeVersion : oldestVersion;
   } else {
-    n->entry.pointVersion = std::max(n->entry.pointVersion, writeVersion);
+    assert(writeVersion >= n->entry.pointVersion);
+    n->entry.pointVersion = writeVersion;
   }
 }
 
@@ -1659,7 +1662,8 @@ void addWriteRange(Node *&root, int64_t oldestVersion,
     }
 
     auto &m = maxVersion(n, impl);
-    m = std::max(m, writeVersion);
+    assert(writeVersion >= m);
+    m = writeVersion;
 
     remaining = remaining.subspan(n->partialKeyLen + 1,
                                   remaining.size() - (n->partialKeyLen + 1));
@@ -1688,9 +1692,10 @@ void addWriteRange(Node *&root, int64_t oldestVersion,
     maxVersion(beginNode, impl) = writeVersion;
   }
   auto &m = maxVersion(beginNode, impl);
-  m = std::max(m, writeVersion);
-  beginNode->entry.pointVersion =
-      std::max(beginNode->entry.pointVersion, writeVersion);
+  assert(writeVersion >= m);
+  m = writeVersion;
+  assert(writeVersion >= beginNode->entry.pointVersion);
+  beginNode->entry.pointVersion = writeVersion;
 
   auto *endNode = insert<false>(useAsRoot, end, writeVersion, allocators, impl);