diff --git a/src/line_list_node.rs b/src/line_list_node.rs
index e0aa5b7a..4eb80d1e 100644
--- a/src/line_list_node.rs
+++ b/src/line_list_node.rs
@@ -1925,15 +1925,16 @@ impl<V: Clone + Send + Sync, A: Allocator> TrieNode<V, A> for LineListNode<V, A>
                 remove_0 = !mask.test_bit(key0[key_len]);
             } else {
                 //We can only get here if key0 == key, and the calling code should have descend
-                // through this node if that key specifies an onward link
-                debug_assert!(!self.is_child_ptr::<0>());
+                // through this node if that key specifies a non-dangling onward link
+                debug_assert!(!self.is_used_child_0() || unsafe{ self.child_in_slot::<0>().is_empty() });
             }
         }
         if starts_with(key1, key) {
             if key1.len() > key_len {
                 remove_1 = !mask.test_bit(key1[key_len]);
             } else {
-                debug_assert!(!self.is_child_ptr::<1>()); //See comment above
+                //See comment above
+                debug_assert!(!self.is_used_child_1() || unsafe{ self.child_in_slot::<1>().is_empty() });
             }
         }
         self.remove_subtries(remove_0, remove_1, key0_starts_with, prune, key.len());
diff --git a/src/write_zipper.rs b/src/write_zipper.rs
index 7d2287e1..30f3b793 100644
--- a/src/write_zipper.rs
+++ b/src/write_zipper.rs
@@ -2269,18 +2269,18 @@ impl <'a, 'path, V: Clone + Send + Sync + Unpin, A: Allocator + 'a> WriteZipperC
     }
     /// See [WriteZipper::remove_unmasked_branches]
     pub fn remove_unmasked_branches(&mut self, mask: ByteMask, prune: bool) {
-        let mut focus_node = self.focus_stack.top_mut().unwrap();
         let node_key = self.key.node_key();
+        let mut focus_node = self.focus_stack.top_mut().unwrap();
         if node_key.len() > 0 {
             match focus_node.node_get_child_mut(node_key) {
                 Some((consumed_bytes, child_node)) => {
-                    if node_key.len() >= consumed_bytes {
+                    if node_key.len() >= consumed_bytes && !child_node.is_empty() {
                         child_node.make_mut().node_remove_unmasked_branches(&node_key[consumed_bytes..], mask, prune);
                         if child_node.as_tagged().node_is_empty() {
                             focus_node.node_remove_all_branches(&node_key[..consumed_bytes], prune);
                         }
                     } else {
-                        //Zipper is positioned at non-existent node.  Removing anything from nothing is nothing
+                        //Zipper is positioned at non-existent or dangling node.  Removing anything from nothing is nothing
                     }
                 },
                 None => {
@@ -3738,7 +3738,7 @@ mod tests {
             assert_eq!(*wz.get_val_or_set_mut_with(|| 3), 3);
             assert_eq!(wz.val(), Some(&3));
         }
-        assert_eq!(m0.get_val_at(&[0u8, 0, 0]), Some(&3));
+        assert_eq!(m0.val_at(&[0u8, 0, 0]), Some(&3));
         assert_eq!(m0.val_count(), 1);
 
         // through meet_into with prune
@@ -3753,7 +3753,7 @@ mod tests {
             assert_eq!(*wz.get_val_or_set_mut_with(|| 3), 3);
             assert_eq!(wz.val(), Some(&3));
         }
-        assert_eq!(m0.get_val_at(&[0u8, 0, 0]), Some(&3));
+        assert_eq!(m0.val_at(&[0u8, 0, 0]), Some(&3));
     }
 
 
@@ -6753,6 +6753,38 @@ mod tests {
         assert_eq!(keys(&m), ["cx", "cy", "d"]);
     }
 
+    /// `remove_unmasked_branches` at or below a dangling path does nothing
+    #[test]
+    fn write_zipper_test_remove_unmasked_branches_dangling_focus() {
+        //List node root: onward link at [0], dangling stub at [1, 0]
+        let mut map = PathMap::<u64>::new();
+        map.set_val_at([0u8], 0);
+        map.set_val_at([0u8, 0], 1);
+        assert!(map.create_path([1u8, 0]));
+
+        //Focus exactly on the dangling path
+        let mut wz = map.write_zipper_at_path(&[1u8, 0]);
+        assert!(wz.path_exists());
+        wz.remove_unmasked_branches(ByteMask::EMPTY, false);
+        assert!(wz.path_exists());
+        drop(wz);
+
+        //Focus below the dangling path
+        let mut wz = map.write_zipper_at_path(&[1u8, 0, 7]);
+        wz.remove_unmasked_branches(ByteMask::EMPTY, false);
+        drop(wz);
+
+        //Nothing may have changed
+        assert_eq!(map.val_at([0u8]), Some(&0));
+        assert_eq!(map.val_at([0u8, 0]), Some(&1));
+        assert_eq!(map.val_at([1u8, 0]), None);
+        let mut rz = map.read_zipper();
+        rz.descend_to([1u8, 0]);
+        assert!(rz.path_exists());
+        drop(rz);
+        assert_eq!(map.val_count(), 2);
+    }
+
     /// Every location in `map`, dangling ones included, with its value
     fn all_locations(map: &PathMap<u64>) -> Vec<(Vec<u8>, Option<u64>)> {
         let mut rz = map.read_zipper();