diff --git a/common/com_model.h b/common/com_model.h
index a6e09ca4..f907447d 100644
--- a/common/com_model.h
+++ b/common/com_model.h
@@ -612,9 +612,9 @@ static inline mnode_t *node_child( const mnode_t *n, int side, const model_t *mo
 		}
 	}
 
-	return n->children_[side];
+	return n->children_[side ? 1 : 0];
 #else
-	return n->children_[side];
+	return n->children_[side ? 1 : 0];
 #endif
 }
 
diff --git a/ref/gl/gl_decals.c b/ref/gl/gl_decals.c
index 207ff57f..c56d7895 100644
--- a/ref/gl/gl_decals.c
+++ b/ref/gl/gl_decals.c
@@ -697,11 +697,8 @@ static void R_DecalNodeSurfaces( model_t *model, mnode_t *node, decalinfo_t *dec
 //-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 static void R_DecalNode( model_t *model, mnode_t *node, decalinfo_t *decalinfo )
 {
-	mplane_t	*splitplane;
-	float	dist;
-	mnode_t *children[2];
-
-	Assert( node != NULL );
+	mplane_t *splitplane;
+	float dist;
 
 	if( node->contents < 0 )
 	{
@@ -711,31 +708,22 @@ static void R_DecalNode( model_t *model, mnode_t *node, decalinfo_t *decalinfo )
 
 	splitplane = node->plane;
 	dist = DotProduct( decalinfo->m_Position, splitplane->normal ) - splitplane->dist;
-	node_children( children, node, model );
 
-	// This is arbitrarily set to 10 right now. In an ideal world we'd have the
-	// exact surface but we don't so, this tells me which planes are "sort of
-	// close" to the gunshot -- the gunshot is actually 4 units in front of the
-	// wall (see dlls\weapons.cpp). We also need to check to see if the decal
-	// actually intersects the texture space of the surface, as this method tags
-	// parallel surfaces in the same node always.
-	// JAY: This still tags faces that aren't correct at edges because we don't
-	// have a surface normal
 	if( dist > decalinfo->m_Size )
 	{
-		R_DecalNode( model, children[0], decalinfo );
+		R_DecalNode( model, node_child( node, 0, model ), decalinfo );
 	}
 	else if( dist < -decalinfo->m_Size )
 	{
-		R_DecalNode( model, children[1], decalinfo );
+		R_DecalNode( model, node_child( node, 1, model ), decalinfo );
 	}
 	else
 	{
 		if( dist < DECAL_DISTANCE && dist > -DECAL_DISTANCE )
 			R_DecalNodeSurfaces( model, node, decalinfo );
 
-		R_DecalNode( model, children[0], decalinfo );
-		R_DecalNode( model, children[1], decalinfo );
+		R_DecalNode( model, node_child( node, 0, model ), decalinfo );
+		R_DecalNode( model, node_child( node, 1, model ), decalinfo );
 	}
 }
 
diff --git a/ref/gl/gl_rlight.c b/ref/gl/gl_rlight.c
index d776f783..5653f3b8 100644
--- a/ref/gl/gl_rlight.c
+++ b/ref/gl/gl_rlight.c
@@ -105,7 +105,6 @@ void R_MarkLights( const dlight_t *light, int bit, const mnode_t *node )
 	const float maxdist = light->radius * light->radius;
 	float dist;
 	int i;
-	mnode_t *children[2];
 	int firstsurface, numsurfaces;
 
 start:
@@ -115,17 +114,15 @@ start:
 
 	dist = PlaneDiff( light->origin, node->plane );
 
-	node_children( children, node, RI.currentmodel );
-
 	if( dist > virtual_radius )
 	{
-		node = children[0];
+		node = node_child( node, 0, RI.currentmodel );
 		goto start;
 	}
 
 	if( dist < -virtual_radius )
 	{
-		node = children[1];
+		node = node_child( node, 1, RI.currentmodel );
 		goto start;
 	}
 
@@ -171,8 +168,8 @@ start:
 		else surf->dlightbits |= bit;
 	}
 
-	R_MarkLights( light, bit, children[0] );
-	R_MarkLights( light, bit, children[1] );
+	R_MarkLights( light, bit, node_child( node, 0, RI.currentmodel ));
+	R_MarkLights( light, bit, node_child( node, 1, RI.currentmodel ));
 }
 
 /*
@@ -236,7 +233,6 @@ static qboolean R_RecursiveLightPoint( model_t *model, mnode_t *node, float p1f,
 	mtexinfo_t	*tex;
 	matrix3x4		tbn;
 	vec3_t		mid;
-	mnode_t *children[2];
 	int firstsurface, numsurfaces;
 
 	// didn't hit anything
@@ -246,7 +242,6 @@ static qboolean R_RecursiveLightPoint( model_t *model, mnode_t *node, float p1f,
 		return false;
 	}
 
-	node_children( children, node, model );
 	firstsurface = node_firstsurface( node, model );
 	numsurfaces = node_numsurfaces( node, model );
 
@@ -256,7 +251,7 @@ static qboolean R_RecursiveLightPoint( model_t *model, mnode_t *node, float p1f,
 
 	side = front < 0;
 	if(( back < 0 ) == side )
-		return R_RecursiveLightPoint( model, children[side], p1f, p2f, cv, start, end );
+		return R_RecursiveLightPoint( model, node_child( node, side, model ), p1f, p2f, cv, start, end );
 
 	frac = front / ( front - back );
 
@@ -264,7 +259,7 @@ static qboolean R_RecursiveLightPoint( model_t *model, mnode_t *node, float p1f,
 	midf = p1f + ( p2f - p1f ) * frac;
 
 	// co down front side
-	if( R_RecursiveLightPoint( model, children[side], p1f, midf, cv, start, mid ))
+	if( R_RecursiveLightPoint( model, node_child( node, side, model ), p1f, midf, cv, start, mid ))
 		return true; // hit something
 
 	if(( back < 0 ) == side )
@@ -366,7 +361,7 @@ static qboolean R_RecursiveLightPoint( model_t *model, mnode_t *node, float p1f,
 	}
 
 	// go down back side
-	return R_RecursiveLightPoint( model, children[!side], midf, p2f, cv, mid, end );
+	return R_RecursiveLightPoint( model, node_child( node, !side, model ), midf, p2f, cv, mid, end );
 }
 
 /*
diff --git a/ref/gl/gl_rmain.c b/ref/gl/gl_rmain.c
index 45c7a812..43373c2c 100644
--- a/ref/gl/gl_rmain.c
+++ b/ref/gl/gl_rmain.c
@@ -617,7 +617,6 @@ watertexture to grab fog values from it
 static gl_texture_t *R_RecursiveFindWaterTexture( const mnode_t *node, const mnode_t *ignore, qboolean down )
 {
 	gl_texture_t *tex = NULL;
-	mnode_t *children[2];
 
 	// assure the initial node is not null
 	// we could check it here, but we would rather check it
@@ -655,18 +654,20 @@ static gl_texture_t *R_RecursiveFindWaterTexture( const mnode_t *node, const mno
 
 	// this is a regular node
 	// traverse children
-	node_children( children, node, WORLDMODEL );
+	mnode_t *child = node_child( node, 0, WORLDMODEL );
 
-	if( children[0] && ( children[0] != ignore ))
+	if( child && ( child != ignore ))
 	{
-		tex = R_RecursiveFindWaterTexture( children[0], node, true );
+		tex = R_RecursiveFindWaterTexture( child, node, true );
 		if( tex ) return tex;
 	}
 
-	if( children[1] && ( children[1] != ignore ))
+	child = node_child( node, 1, WORLDMODEL );
+
+	if( child && ( child != ignore ))
 	{
-		tex = R_RecursiveFindWaterTexture( children[1], node, true );
-		if( tex )	return tex;
+		tex = R_RecursiveFindWaterTexture( child, node, true );
+		if( tex ) return tex;
 	}
 
 	// for down recursion, return immediately
diff --git a/ref/gl/gl_rsurf.c b/ref/gl/gl_rsurf.c
index bfa923c6..bd6e4e8c 100644
--- a/ref/gl/gl_rsurf.c
+++ b/ref/gl/gl_rsurf.c
@@ -3403,14 +3403,6 @@ R_RecursiveWorldNode
 */
 static void R_RecursiveWorldNode( mnode_t *node, uint clipflags )
 {
-	int		i, clipped;
-	msurface_t	*surf, **mark;
-	mleaf_t		*pleaf;
-	int		c, side;
-	float		dot;
-	mnode_t *children[2];
-	int numsurfaces, firstsurface;
-
 loc0:
 	if( node->contents == CONTENTS_SOLID )
 		return; // hit a solid leaf
@@ -3420,14 +3412,14 @@ loc0:
 
 	if( clipflags && !r_nocull.value )
 	{
-		for( i = 0; i < 6; i++ )
+		for( int i = 0; i < 6; i++ )
 		{
 			const mplane_t	*p = &RI.frustum.planes[i];
 
 			if( !FBitSet( clipflags, BIT( i )))
 				continue;
 
-			clipped = BOX_ON_PLANE_SIDE( node->minmaxs, node->minmaxs + 3, p );
+			int clipped = BOX_ON_PLANE_SIDE( node->minmaxs, node->minmaxs + 3, p );
 			if( clipped == 2 ) return;
 			if( clipped == 1 ) ClearBits( clipflags, BIT( i ));
 		}
@@ -3436,19 +3428,11 @@ loc0:
 	// if a leaf node, draw stuff
 	if( node->contents < 0 )
 	{
-		pleaf = (mleaf_t *)node;
+		mleaf_t *pleaf = (mleaf_t *)node;
+		msurface_t **mark = pleaf->firstmarksurface;
 
-		mark = pleaf->firstmarksurface;
-		c = pleaf->nummarksurfaces;
-
-		if( c )
-		{
-			do
-			{
-				(*mark)->visframe = tr.framecount;
-				mark++;
-			} while( --c );
-		}
+		for( int i = 0; i < pleaf->nummarksurfaces; i++ )
+			mark[i]->visframe = tr.framecount;
 
 		// deal with model fragments in this leaf
 		if( pleaf->efrags )
@@ -3461,19 +3445,20 @@ loc0:
 	// node is just a decision point, so go down the apropriate sides
 
 	// find which side of the node we are on
-	dot = PlaneDiff( tr.modelorg, node->plane );
-	side = (dot >= 0.0f) ? 0 : 1;
+	float dot = PlaneDiff( tr.modelorg, node->plane );
+	int side = (dot >= 0.0f) ? 0 : 1;
 
 	// recurse down the children, front side first
-	node_children( children, node, WORLDMODEL );
-	R_RecursiveWorldNode( children[side], clipflags );
+	R_RecursiveWorldNode( node_child( node, side, WORLDMODEL ), clipflags );
 
-	firstsurface = node_firstsurface( node, WORLDMODEL );
-	numsurfaces = node_numsurfaces( node, WORLDMODEL );
+	int firstsurface = node_firstsurface( node, WORLDMODEL );
+	int numsurfaces = node_numsurfaces( node, WORLDMODEL );
 
 	// draw stuff
-	for( c = numsurfaces, surf = WORLDMODEL->surfaces + firstsurface; c; c--, surf++ )
+	for( int i = firstsurface; i < firstsurface + numsurfaces; i++ )
 	{
+		msurface_t *surf = &WORLDMODEL->surfaces[i];
+
 		if( R_CullSurface( surf, &RI.frustum, clipflags ))
 			continue;
 
@@ -3491,7 +3476,7 @@ loc0:
 	}
 
 	// recurse down the back side
-	node = children[!side];
+	node = node_child( node, !side, WORLDMODEL );
 	goto loc0;
 }
 
@@ -3567,7 +3552,6 @@ static void R_DrawWorldTopView( mnode_t *node, uint clipflags )
 
 	do
 	{
-		mnode_t *children[2];
 		int numsurfaces, firstsurface;
 
 		if( node->contents == CONTENTS_SOLID )
@@ -3625,9 +3609,8 @@ static void R_DrawWorldTopView( mnode_t *node, uint clipflags )
 		}
 
 		// recurse down both children, we don't care the order...
-		node_children( children, node, WORLDMODEL );
-		R_DrawWorldTopView( children[0], clipflags );
-		node = children[1];
+		R_DrawWorldTopView( node_child( node, 0, WORLDMODEL ), clipflags );
+		node = node_child( node, 1, WORLDMODEL );
 	} while( node );
 }
 
diff --git a/ref/soft/r_bsp.c b/ref/soft/r_bsp.c
index e1f238d5..4678a20d 100644
--- a/ref/soft/r_bsp.c
+++ b/ref/soft/r_bsp.c
@@ -559,7 +559,6 @@ static void R_RecursiveWorldNode( mnode_t *node, int clipflags )
 	}
 	else
 	{
-		mnode_t    *children[2];
 		int firstsurface;
 
 		// node is just a decision point, so go down the apropriate sides
@@ -589,8 +588,7 @@ static void R_RecursiveWorldNode( mnode_t *node, int clipflags )
 			side = 1;
 
 		// recurse down the children, front side first
-		node_children( children, node, WORLDMODEL );
-		R_RecursiveWorldNode( children[side], clipflags );
+		R_RecursiveWorldNode( node_child( node, side, WORLDMODEL ), clipflags );
 
 		// draw stuff
 		c = node_numsurfaces( node, WORLDMODEL );
@@ -634,7 +632,7 @@ static void R_RecursiveWorldNode( mnode_t *node, int clipflags )
 		}
 
 		// recurse down the back side
-		R_RecursiveWorldNode( children[!side], clipflags );
+		R_RecursiveWorldNode( node_child( node, !side, WORLDMODEL ), clipflags );
 	}
 }
 
diff --git a/ref/soft/r_decals.c b/ref/soft/r_decals.c
index 302bc535..6333d1b6 100644
--- a/ref/soft/r_decals.c
+++ b/ref/soft/r_decals.c
@@ -705,10 +705,7 @@ static void R_DecalNodeSurfaces( model_t *model, mnode_t *node, decalinfo_t *dec
 static void R_DecalNode( model_t *model, mnode_t *node, decalinfo_t *decalinfo )
 {
 	mplane_t *splitplane;
-	float    dist;
-	mnode_t  *children[2];
-
-	Assert( node != NULL );
+	float dist;
 
 	if( node->contents < 0 )
 	{
@@ -718,31 +715,22 @@ static void R_DecalNode( model_t *model, mnode_t *node, decalinfo_t *decalinfo )
 
 	splitplane = node->plane;
 	dist = DotProduct( decalinfo->m_Position, splitplane->normal ) - splitplane->dist;
-	node_children( children, node, model );
 
-	// This is arbitrarily set to 10 right now. In an ideal world we'd have the
-	// exact surface but we don't so, this tells me which planes are "sort of
-	// close" to the gunshot -- the gunshot is actually 4 units in front of the
-	// wall (see dlls\weapons.cpp). We also need to check to see if the decal
-	// actually intersects the texture space of the surface, as this method tags
-	// parallel surfaces in the same node always.
-	// JAY: This still tags faces that aren't correct at edges because we don't
-	// have a surface normal
 	if( dist > decalinfo->m_Size )
 	{
-		R_DecalNode( model, children[0], decalinfo );
+		R_DecalNode( model, node_child( node, 0, model ), decalinfo );
 	}
 	else if( dist < -decalinfo->m_Size )
 	{
-		R_DecalNode( model, children[1], decalinfo );
+		R_DecalNode( model, node_child( node, 1, model ), decalinfo );
 	}
 	else
 	{
 		if( dist < DECAL_DISTANCE && dist > -DECAL_DISTANCE )
 			R_DecalNodeSurfaces( model, node, decalinfo );
 
-		R_DecalNode( model, children[0], decalinfo );
-		R_DecalNode( model, children[1], decalinfo );
+		R_DecalNode( model, node_child( node, 0, model ), decalinfo );
+		R_DecalNode( model, node_child( node, 1, model ), decalinfo );
 	}
 }
 
diff --git a/ref/soft/r_light.c b/ref/soft/r_light.c
index 1b4b936e..81acf1bc 100644
--- a/ref/soft/r_light.c
+++ b/ref/soft/r_light.c
@@ -107,7 +107,6 @@ void R_MarkLights( dlight_t *light, int bit, mnode_t *node )
 	float		dist;
 	msurface_t	*surf;
 	int		i;
-	mnode_t *children[2];
 	int firstsurface, numsurfaces;
 
 	if( !node || node->contents < 0 )
@@ -115,18 +114,17 @@ void R_MarkLights( dlight_t *light, int bit, mnode_t *node )
 
 	dist = PlaneDiff( light->origin, node->plane );
 
-	node_children( children, node, RI.currentmodel );
 	firstsurface = node_firstsurface( node, RI.currentmodel );
 	numsurfaces = node_numsurfaces( node, RI.currentmodel );
 
 	if( dist > light->radius )
 	{
-		R_MarkLights( light, bit, children[0] );
+		R_MarkLights( light, bit, node_child( node, 0, RI.currentmodel ));
 		return;
 	}
 	if( dist < -light->radius )
 	{
-		R_MarkLights( light, bit, children[1] );
+		R_MarkLights( light, bit, node_child( node, 1, RI.currentmodel ));
 		return;
 	}
 
@@ -146,8 +144,8 @@ void R_MarkLights( dlight_t *light, int bit, mnode_t *node )
 		surf->dlightbits |= bit;
 	}
 
-	R_MarkLights( light, bit, children[0] );
-	R_MarkLights( light, bit, children[1] );
+	R_MarkLights( light, bit, node_child( node, 0, RI.currentmodel ));
+	R_MarkLights( light, bit, node_child( node, 1, RI.currentmodel ));
 }
 
 /*
@@ -207,7 +205,6 @@ static qboolean R_RecursiveLightPoint( model_t *model, mnode_t *node, float p1f,
 	msurface_t   *surf;
 	matrix3x4    tbn;
 	vec3_t       mid;
-	mnode_t *children[2];
 	int firstsurface, numsurfaces;
 
 	// didn't hit anything
@@ -217,7 +214,6 @@ static qboolean R_RecursiveLightPoint( model_t *model, mnode_t *node, float p1f,
 		return false;
 	}
 
-	node_children( children, node, model );
 	firstsurface = node_firstsurface( node, model );
 	numsurfaces = node_numsurfaces( node, model );
 
@@ -227,7 +223,7 @@ static qboolean R_RecursiveLightPoint( model_t *model, mnode_t *node, float p1f,
 
 	side = front < 0;
 	if(( back < 0 ) == side )
-		return R_RecursiveLightPoint( model, children[side], p1f, p2f, cv, start, end );
+		return R_RecursiveLightPoint( model, node_child( node, side, model ), p1f, p2f, cv, start, end );
 
 	frac = front / ( front - back );
 
@@ -235,7 +231,7 @@ static qboolean R_RecursiveLightPoint( model_t *model, mnode_t *node, float p1f,
 	midf = p1f + ( p2f - p1f ) * frac;
 
 	// co down front side
-	if( R_RecursiveLightPoint( model, children[side], p1f, midf, cv, start, mid ))
+	if( R_RecursiveLightPoint( model, node_child( node, side, model ), p1f, midf, cv, start, mid ))
 		return true; // hit something
 
 	if(( back < 0 ) == side )
@@ -337,7 +333,7 @@ static qboolean R_RecursiveLightPoint( model_t *model, mnode_t *node, float p1f,
 	}
 
 	// go down back side
-	return R_RecursiveLightPoint( model, children[!side], midf, p2f, cv, mid, end );
+	return R_RecursiveLightPoint( model, node_child( node, !side, model ), midf, p2f, cv, mid, end );
 }
 
 /*