diff --git a/ConflictSet.cpp b/ConflictSet.cpp
index 2ed53bb..26b50c0 100644
--- a/ConflictSet.cpp
+++ b/ConflictSet.cpp
@@ -902,6 +902,8 @@ Node *&getChildExists(Node *self, uint8_t index) {
 }
 
 InternalVersionT maxVersion(Node *n, ConflictSet::Impl *);
+InternalVersionT exchangeMaxVersion(Node *n, InternalVersionT newMax,
+                                    ConflictSet::Impl *);
 
 void setMaxVersion(Node *n, ConflictSet::Impl *, InternalVersionT maxVersion);
 
@@ -2898,26 +2900,28 @@ checkMaxBetweenExclusiveImpl<true>(Node *n, int begin, int end,
           longestCommonPrefix((*self)->partialKey(), key.data(), commonLen);
       if (partialKeyIndex < (*self)->partialKeyLen) {
         auto *old = *self;
-        InternalVersionT oldMaxVersion = maxVersion(old, impl);
+        InternalVersionT oldMaxVersion =
+            exchangeMaxVersion(old, writeVersion, impl);
 
-        // *self will have one child
-        *self = tls->allocate<Node3>(partialKeyIndex);
+        // *self will have one child (old)
+        auto *newSelf = tls->allocate<Node3>(partialKeyIndex);
 
-        memcpy((char *)*self + kNodeCopyBegin, (char *)old + kNodeCopyBegin,
-               kNodeCopySize);
-        (*self)->partialKeyLen = partialKeyIndex;
+        newSelf->parent = old->parent;
+        newSelf->parentsIndex = old->parentsIndex;
+        newSelf->partialKeyLen = partialKeyIndex;
+        newSelf->entryPresent = false;
+        newSelf->numChildren = 1;
 
-        // Not necessary to call removeKey here, since this node is "synthetic"
-        (*self)->entryPresent = false;
+        memcpy(newSelf->partialKey(), old->partialKey(),
+               newSelf->partialKeyLen);
 
-        (*self)->numChildren = 0;
-        memcpy((*self)->partialKey(), old->partialKey(),
-               (*self)->partialKeyLen);
-
-        getOrCreateChild(*self, old->partialKey()[partialKeyIndex], tls) = old;
-        old->parent = *self;
-        old->parentsIndex = old->partialKey()[partialKeyIndex];
-        setMaxVersion(old, impl, oldMaxVersion);
+        uint8_t oldDistinguishingByte = old->partialKey()[partialKeyIndex];
+        old->parent = newSelf;
+        old->parentsIndex = oldDistinguishingByte;
+        newSelf->index[0] = oldDistinguishingByte;
+        newSelf->children[0] = old;
+        newSelf->childMaxVersion[0] = oldMaxVersion;
+        *self = newSelf;
 
         memmove(old->partialKey(), old->partialKey() + partialKeyIndex + 1,
                 old->partialKeyLen - (partialKeyIndex + 1));
@@ -3548,6 +3552,41 @@ InternalVersionT maxVersion(Node *n, ConflictSet::Impl *impl) {
   }
 }
 
+InternalVersionT exchangeMaxVersion(Node *n, InternalVersionT newMax,
+                                    ConflictSet::Impl *impl) {
+  int index = n->parentsIndex;
+  n = n->parent;
+  if (n == nullptr) {
+    return std::exchange(impl->rootMaxVersion, newMax);
+  }
+  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);
+    return std::exchange(n3->childMaxVersion[i], newMax);
+  }
+  case Type_Node16: {
+    auto *n16 = static_cast<Node16 *>(n);
+    int i = getNodeIndex(n16, index);
+    return std::exchange(n16->childMaxVersion[i], newMax);
+  }
+  case Type_Node48: {
+    auto *n48 = static_cast<Node48 *>(n);
+    assert(n48->bitSet.test(index));
+    return std::exchange(n48->childMaxVersion[n48->index[index]], newMax);
+  }
+  case Type_Node256: {
+    auto *n256 = static_cast<Node256 *>(n);
+    assert(n256->bitSet.test(index));
+    return std::exchange(n256->childMaxVersion[index], newMax);
+  }
+  default:                   // GCOVR_EXCL_LINE
+    __builtin_unreachable(); // GCOVR_EXCL_LINE
+  }
+}
+
 void setMaxVersion(Node *n, ConflictSet::Impl *impl, InternalVersionT newMax) {
   int index = n->parentsIndex;
   n = n->parent;