diff --git a/merkle/merkle.go b/merkle/merkle.go
index 833b2a0..06ed634 100644
--- a/merkle/merkle.go
+++ b/merkle/merkle.go
@@ -85,7 +85,7 @@ func (t *Tree) Put(label []byte, mapVal []byte) ([]byte, []byte, bool) {
 	}
 
 	dig := t.ctx.getHash(t.root)
-	proof := t.ctx.getProof(interiors, label)
+	proof := t.ctx.getProof(t.root, label)
 	return dig, proof, false
 }
 
@@ -95,11 +95,9 @@ func (t *Tree) Get(label []byte) ([]byte, []byte, bool, []byte, bool) {
 	if uint64(len(label)) != cryptoffi.HashLen {
 		return nil, nil, false, nil, true
 	}
-	nodePath := getPath(t.root, label)
-	lastIdx := uint64(len(nodePath)) - 1
-	lastNode := nodePath[lastIdx]
+	lastNode := getPath(t.root, label)
 	dig := t.ctx.getHash(t.root)
-	proof := t.ctx.getProof(nodePath[:lastIdx], label)
+	proof := t.ctx.getProof(t.root, label)
 	if lastNode == nil {
 		return nil, dig, NonmembProofTy, proof, false
 	} else {
@@ -192,37 +190,28 @@ func (ctx *context) updInteriorHash(b []byte, n *node) []byte {
 	return b0
 }
 
-// getPath fetches the maximal path to label, including the leaf node.
+// getPath fetches including the leaf node.
 // if the path doesn't exist, it terminates in an empty node.
-func getPath(root *node, label []byte) []*node {
-	var nodePath []*node
-	nodePath = append(nodePath, root)
-	if root == nil {
-		return nodePath
-	}
-	var isEmpty = false
-	for depth := uint64(0); depth < cryptoffi.HashLen && !isEmpty; depth++ {
-		currNode := nodePath[depth]
-		pos := label[depth]
-		nextNode := currNode.children[pos]
-		nodePath = append(nodePath, nextNode)
-		if nextNode == nil {
-			isEmpty = true
-		}
+func getPath(root *node, label []byte) *node {
+	var currNode = root
+	for depth := uint64(0); depth < cryptoffi.HashLen && currNode != nil; depth++ {
+		pos := uint64(label[depth])
+		currNode = currNode.children[pos]
 	}
-	return nodePath
+	return currNode
 }
 
-func (ctx *context) getProof(interiors []*node, label []byte) []byte {
-	interiorsLen := uint64(len(interiors))
-	var proof = make([]byte, 0, interiorsLen*hashesPerProofDepth)
-	for depth := uint64(0); depth < interiorsLen; depth++ {
-		children := interiors[depth].children
+func (ctx *context) getProof(root *node, label []byte) []byte {
+	var proof = make([]byte, 0, cryptoffi.HashLen*hashesPerProofDepth)
+	var currNode = root
+	for depth := uint64(0); depth < cryptoffi.HashLen; depth++ {
+		children := currNode.children
 		// convert to uint64 bc otherwise pos+1 might overflow.
 		pos := uint64(label[depth])
 		for _, n := range children[:pos] {
 			proof = marshal.WriteBytes(proof, ctx.getHash(n))
 		}
+		currNode = currNode.children[pos]
 		for _, n := range children[pos+1:] {
 			proof = marshal.WriteBytes(proof, ctx.getHash(n))
 		}