diff --git a/engine/common/pm_surface.c b/engine/common/pm_surface.c
index 5ae4b2d1..06c8f0e7 100644
--- a/engine/common/pm_surface.c
+++ b/engine/common/pm_surface.c
@@ -112,7 +112,6 @@ msurface_t *PM_RecursiveSurfCheck( model_t *mod, mnode_t *node, vec3_t p1, vec3_
 	int		i, side;
 	msurface_t	*surf;
 	vec3_t		mid;
-	mnode_t *children[2];
 	int numsurfaces, firstsurface;
 
 loc0:
@@ -122,17 +121,15 @@ loc0:
 	t1 = PlaneDiff( p1, node->plane );
 	t2 = PlaneDiff( p2, node->plane );
 
-	node_children( children, node, mod );
-
 	if( t1 >= -FRAC_EPSILON && t2 >= -FRAC_EPSILON )
 	{
-		node = children[0];
+		node = node_child( node, 0, mod );
 		goto loc0;
 	}
 
 	if( t1 < FRAC_EPSILON && t2 < FRAC_EPSILON )
 	{
-		node = children[1];
+		node = node_child( node, 1, mod );
 		goto loc0;
 	}
 
@@ -142,7 +139,7 @@ loc0:
 
 	VectorLerp( p1, frac, p2, mid );
 
-	if(( surf = PM_RecursiveSurfCheck( mod, children[side], p1, mid )) != NULL )
+	if(( surf = PM_RecursiveSurfCheck( mod, node_child( node, side, mod ), p1, mid )) != NULL )
 		return surf;
 
 	// walk through real faces
@@ -179,7 +176,7 @@ loc0:
 		return NULL; // through the fence
 	}
 
-	return PM_RecursiveSurfCheck( mod, children[side^1], mid, p2 );
+	return PM_RecursiveSurfCheck( mod, node_child( node, side^1, mod ), mid, p2 );
 }
 
 /*
@@ -234,7 +231,6 @@ static int PM_TestLine_r( model_t *mod, mnode_t *node, vec_t p1f, vec_t p2f, con
 	float	frac, midf;
 	int	i, r, side;
 	vec3_t	mid;
-	mnode_t *children[2];
 	int numsurfaces, firstsurface;
 
 loc0:
@@ -252,17 +248,15 @@ loc0:
 	front = PlaneDiff( start, node->plane );
 	back = PlaneDiff( stop, node->plane );
 
-	node_children( children, node, mod );
-
 	if( front >= -FRAC_EPSILON && back >= -FRAC_EPSILON )
 	{
-		node = children[0];
+		node = node_child( node, 0, mod );
 		goto loc0;
 	}
 
 	if( front < FRAC_EPSILON && back < FRAC_EPSILON )
 	{
-		node = children[1];
+		node = node_child( node, 1, mod );
 		goto loc0;
 	}
 
@@ -273,7 +267,7 @@ loc0:
 	VectorLerp( start, frac, stop, mid );
 	midf = p1f + ( p2f - p1f ) * frac;
 
-	r = PM_TestLine_r( mod, children[side], p1f, midf, start, mid, trace );
+	r = PM_TestLine_r( mod, node_child( node, side, mod ), p1f, midf, start, mid, trace );
 
 	if( r != CONTENTS_EMPTY )
 	{
@@ -322,7 +316,7 @@ loc0:
 		return contents;
 	}
 
-	return PM_TestLine_r( mod, children[!side], midf, p2f, mid, stop, trace );
+	return PM_TestLine_r( mod, node_child( node, !side, mod ), midf, p2f, mid, stop, trace );
 }
 
 int PM_TestLineExt( playermove_t *pmove, physent_t *ents, int numents, const vec3_t start, const vec3_t end, int flags )
diff --git a/engine/server/sv_world.c b/engine/server/sv_world.c
index c8f8397e..b2e984e4 100644
--- a/engine/server/sv_world.c
+++ b/engine/server/sv_world.c
@@ -1518,7 +1518,6 @@ static qboolean SV_RecursiveLightPoint( model_t *model, mnode_t *node, const vec
 	float front, back, frac;
 	int i, side;
 	vec3_t mid;
-	mnode_t *children[2];
 	int numsurfaces, firstsurface;
 
 	// didn't hit anything
@@ -1529,18 +1528,16 @@ static qboolean SV_RecursiveLightPoint( model_t *model, mnode_t *node, const vec
 	front = PlaneDiff( start, node->plane );
 	back = PlaneDiff( end, node->plane );
 
-	node_children( children, node, model );
-
 	side = front < 0.0f;
 	if(( back < 0.0f ) == side )
-		return SV_RecursiveLightPoint( model, children[side], start, end, point_color );
+		return SV_RecursiveLightPoint( model, node_child( node, side, model ), start, end, point_color );
 
 	frac = front / ( front - back );
 
 	VectorLerp( start, frac, end, mid );
 
 	// co down front side
-	if( SV_RecursiveLightPoint( model, children[side], start, mid, point_color ))
+	if( SV_RecursiveLightPoint( model, node_child( node, side, model ), start, mid, point_color ))
 		return true; // hit something
 
 	if(( back < 0.0f ) == side )
@@ -1602,7 +1599,7 @@ static qboolean SV_RecursiveLightPoint( model_t *model, mnode_t *node, const vec
 	}
 
 	// go down back side
-	return SV_RecursiveLightPoint( model, children[!side], mid, end, point_color );
+	return SV_RecursiveLightPoint( model, node_child( node, !side, model ), mid, end, point_color );
 }
 
 /*