diff --git a/src/Extensions/Collection.php b/src/Extensions/Collection.php
index e3cd8f7..66adff1 100644
--- a/src/Extensions/Collection.php
+++ b/src/Extensions/Collection.php
@@ -171,7 +171,7 @@ protected function makeTree(array $items)
             $parentId = $item->parent_id;
 
             if (array_key_exists($parentId, $result)) {
-                $result[$parentId]->children->add($item);
+                $result[$parentId]->appendChild($item);
             } else {
                 $tops[] = $item;
             }
diff --git a/src/Models/Entity.php b/src/Models/Entity.php
index e73b0ae..df423c6 100644
--- a/src/Models/Entity.php
+++ b/src/Models/Entity.php
@@ -64,6 +64,8 @@
  */
 class Entity extends Eloquent implements EntityInterface
 {
+    const CHILDREN_RELATION_NAME = 'children';
+
     /**
      * ClosureTable model instance.
      *
@@ -263,7 +265,7 @@ public function getRealDepthColumn()
      */
     public function getChildrenRelationIndex()
     {
-        return 'children';
+        return static::CHILDREN_RELATION_NAME;
     }
 
     /**
@@ -927,6 +929,29 @@ public function addChildren(array $children, $from = null)
         return $this;
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Appends the given entity to the children relation.
+     *
+     * @param Entity $entity
+     * @internal
+     */
+    public function appendChild(Entity $entity)
+    {
+        $this->getChildrenRelation()->add($entity);
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * @return Collection
+     */
+    private function getChildrenRelation()
+    {
+        if (!$this->relationLoaded(static::CHILDREN_RELATION_NAME)) {
+            $this->setRelation(static::CHILDREN_RELATION_NAME, new Collection());
+        }
+
+        return $this->getRelation(static::CHILDREN_RELATION_NAME);
+    }
+
     /**
      * Removes a model's child with given position.
      *
@@ -1665,7 +1690,7 @@ public static function getTree(array $columns = ['*'])
         $instance = new static;
 
         return $instance
-            ->load('children')
+            ->load(static::CHILDREN_RELATION_NAME)
             ->orderBy($instance->getParentIdColumn())
             ->orderBy($instance->getPositionColumn())
             ->get($instance->prepareTreeQueryColumns($columns))
@@ -1727,7 +1752,7 @@ public static function createFromArray(array $tree, EntityInterface $parent = nu
         $entities = [];
 
         foreach ($tree as $item) {
-            $children = Arr::pull($item, 'children');
+            $children = Arr::pull($item, static::CHILDREN_RELATION_NAME);
 
             /**
              * @var Entity $entity
diff --git a/tests/Extensions/CollectionTests.php b/tests/Extensions/CollectionTests.php
index 31c49cb..0d3ded5 100644
--- a/tests/Extensions/CollectionTests.php
+++ b/tests/Extensions/CollectionTests.php
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 <?php
 namespace Franzose\ClosureTable\Tests;
 
+use DB;
 use Franzose\ClosureTable\Extensions\Collection;
 use Franzose\ClosureTable\Models\Entity;
 
@@ -150,12 +151,19 @@ public function testHasChildren()
 
     public function testToTree()
     {
+        $queries = 0;
+
+        DB::listen(static function () use (&$queries) {
+            $queries++;
+        });
+
         $root = new Page(['id' => 1]);
         $child = new Page(['id' => 2, 'parent_id' => 1]);
         $grandChild = new Page(['id' => 3, 'parent_id' => 2]);
 
         $tree = (new Collection([$root, $child, $grandChild]))->toTree();
 
+        static::assertEquals(0, $queries);
         static::assertCount(1, $tree);
 
         $children = $tree->get(0)->children;