diff --git a/Frameworks/RSTree/RSTree/Node.swift b/Frameworks/RSTree/RSTree/Node.swift
index 8a05ab274..f266ec6ae 100644
--- a/Frameworks/RSTree/RSTree/Node.swift
+++ b/Frameworks/RSTree/RSTree/Node.swift
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ public final class Node: Hashable {
 	public let representedObject: AnyObject
 	public var canHaveChildNodes = false
 	public var isGroupItem = false
-	public var childNodes: [Node]?
+	public var childNodes = [Node]()
 	public let hashValue: Int
 	private static var incrementingID = 0
 
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ public final class Node: Hashable {
 	}
 	
 	public var numberOfChildNodes: Int {
-		return childNodes?.count ?? 0
+		return childNodes.count
 	}
 	
 	public var indexPath: IndexPath {
@@ -87,9 +87,6 @@ public final class Node: Hashable {
 
 	public func childAtIndex(_ index: Int) -> Node? {
 		
-		guard let childNodes = childNodes else {
-			return nil
-		}
 		if index >= childNodes.count || index < 0 {
 			return nil
 		}
@@ -98,7 +95,7 @@ public final class Node: Hashable {
 
 	public func indexOfChild(_ node: Node) -> Int? {
 		
-		return childNodes?.index{ (oneChildNode) -> Bool in
+		return childNodes.index{ (oneChildNode) -> Bool in
 			oneChildNode === node
 		}
 	}
@@ -189,9 +186,6 @@ private extension Node {
 
 	func findNodeRepresentingObject(_ obj: AnyObject, recursively: Bool = false) -> Node? {
 
-		guard let childNodes = childNodes else {
-			return nil
-		}
 		for childNode in childNodes {
 			if childNode.representedObject === obj {
 				return childNode
diff --git a/Frameworks/RSTree/RSTree/TreeController.swift b/Frameworks/RSTree/RSTree/TreeController.swift
index 435b9087e..f3a18836f 100644
--- a/Frameworks/RSTree/RSTree/TreeController.swift
+++ b/Frameworks/RSTree/RSTree/TreeController.swift
@@ -53,8 +53,8 @@ public final class TreeController {
 				return oneNode
 			}
 
-			if recurse, oneNode.canHaveChildNodes, let childNodes = oneNode.childNodes {
-				if let foundNode = nodeInArrayRepresentingObject(nodes: childNodes, representedObject: representedObject, recurse: recurse) {
+			if recurse, oneNode.canHaveChildNodes {
+				if let foundNode = nodeInArrayRepresentingObject(nodes: oneNode.childNodes, representedObject: representedObject, recurse: recurse) {
 					return foundNode
 				}
 
@@ -89,7 +89,7 @@ private extension TreeController {
 	func visitNode(_ node: Node, _ visitBlock: NodeVisitBlock) {
 		
 		visitBlock(node)
-		node.childNodes?.forEach{ (oneChildNode) in
+		node.childNodes.forEach{ (oneChildNode) in
 			visitNode(oneChildNode, visitBlock)
 		}
 	}
@@ -117,14 +117,14 @@ private extension TreeController {
 		
 		var childNodesDidChange = false
 		
-		let childNodes = delegate?.treeController(treeController: self, childNodesFor: node)
+		let childNodes = delegate?.treeController(treeController: self, childNodesFor: node) ?? [Node]()
 		
 		childNodesDidChange = !nodeArraysAreEqual(childNodes, node.childNodes)
 		if (childNodesDidChange) {
 			node.childNodes = childNodes
 		}
 		
-		childNodes?.forEach{ (oneChildNode) in
+		childNodes.forEach{ (oneChildNode) in
 			if rebuildChildNodes(node: oneChildNode) {
 				childNodesDidChange = true
 			}