diff --git a/src/com/google/javascript/jscomp/CollapseVariableDeclarations.java b/src/com/google/javascript/jscomp/CollapseVariableDeclarations.java
index 13b9a5b11d3..76f461ade8a 100644
--- a/src/com/google/javascript/jscomp/CollapseVariableDeclarations.java
+++ b/src/com/google/javascript/jscomp/CollapseVariableDeclarations.java
@@ -230,7 +230,7 @@ private void applyCollapses() {
         Node next = n.getNext();
 
         Preconditions.checkState(var.getNext() == n);
-        collapse.parent.removeChildAfter(var);
+        collapse.parent.removeChild(var.getNext());
 
         if (n.isVar()) {
           while (n.hasChildren()) {
diff --git a/src/com/google/javascript/jscomp/ExpandJqueryAliases.java b/src/com/google/javascript/jscomp/ExpandJqueryAliases.java
index 0e3bb5e2e2a..1d812b678c3 100644
--- a/src/com/google/javascript/jscomp/ExpandJqueryAliases.java
+++ b/src/com/google/javascript/jscomp/ExpandJqueryAliases.java
@@ -271,7 +271,7 @@ private void maybeExpandJqueryExtendCall(Node n) {
 
       // remove any other pre-existing call arguments
       while (newCallTarget.getNext() != null) {
-        n.removeChildAfter(newCallTarget);
+        n.removeChild(newCallTarget.getNext());
       }
       n.addChildToBack(IR.thisNode().srcref(n));
     }
@@ -501,7 +501,7 @@ private void replaceOriginalJqueryEachCall(Node n, Node expandedBlock) {
 
       // remove any other pre-existing call arguments
       while (fnc.getNext() != null) {
-        n.removeChildAfter(fnc);
+        n.removeChild(fnc.getNext());
       }
     }
     compiler.reportCodeChange();
diff --git a/src/com/google/javascript/jscomp/Normalize.java b/src/com/google/javascript/jscomp/Normalize.java
index 8a5791c95a7..7b8e4c6822e 100644
--- a/src/com/google/javascript/jscomp/Normalize.java
+++ b/src/com/google/javascript/jscomp/Normalize.java
@@ -655,32 +655,27 @@ private void splitVarDeclarations(Node n) {
     private void moveNamedFunctions(Node functionBody) {
       Preconditions.checkState(
           functionBody.getParent().isFunction());
-      Node previous = null;
+      Node insertAfter = null;
       Node current = functionBody.getFirstChild();
       // Skip any declarations at the beginning of the function body, they
       // are already in the right place.
       while (current != null && NodeUtil.isFunctionDeclaration(current)) {
-        previous = current;
+        insertAfter = current;
         current = current.getNext();
       }
 
       // Find any remaining declarations and move them.
-      Node insertAfter = previous;
       while (current != null) {
         // Save off the next node as the current node maybe removed.
         Node next = current.getNext();
         if (NodeUtil.isFunctionDeclaration(current)) {
           // Remove the declaration from the body.
-          Preconditions.checkNotNull(previous);
-          functionBody.removeChildAfter(previous);
+          functionBody.removeChild(current);
 
           // Read the function at the top of the function body (after any
           // previous declarations).
           insertAfter = addToFront(functionBody, current, insertAfter);
           reportCodeChange("Move function declaration not at top of function");
-        } else {
-          // Update the previous only if the current node hasn't been moved.
-          previous = current;
         }
         current = next;
       }
diff --git a/src/com/google/javascript/jscomp/PeepholeRemoveDeadCode.java b/src/com/google/javascript/jscomp/PeepholeRemoveDeadCode.java
index 4174dfab97f..53494e7314f 100644
--- a/src/com/google/javascript/jscomp/PeepholeRemoveDeadCode.java
+++ b/src/com/google/javascript/jscomp/PeepholeRemoveDeadCode.java
@@ -552,16 +552,15 @@ private Node tryFoldComma(Node n) {
    */
   Node tryOptimizeBlock(Node n) {
     // Remove any useless children
-    for (Node c = n.getFirstChild(), prev = null; c != null; ) {
+    for (Node c = n.getFirstChild(); c != null; ) {
       Node next = c.getNext();  // save c.next, since 'c' may be removed
       if (!isUnremovableNode(c) && !mayHaveSideEffects(c)) {
         // TODO(johnlenz): determine what this is actually removing. Candidates
         //    include: EMPTY nodes, control structures without children
         //    (removing infinite loops), empty try blocks.  What else?
-        n.removeFirstOrChildAfter(prev);
+        n.removeChild(c);
         reportCodeChange();
       } else {
-        prev = c;
         tryOptimizeConditionalAfterAssign(c);
       }
       c = next;
diff --git a/src/com/google/javascript/rhino/Node.java b/src/com/google/javascript/rhino/Node.java
index 271a6bc3875..06a2b95c981 100644
--- a/src/com/google/javascript/rhino/Node.java
+++ b/src/com/google/javascript/rhino/Node.java
@@ -660,6 +660,10 @@ public Node getNext() {
     return next;
   }
 
+  public Node getPrevious() {
+    return previous;
+  }
+
   public Node getChildBefore(Node child) {
     return child.previous;
   }
@@ -868,42 +872,14 @@ public void replaceChild(Node child, Node newChild) {
   }
 
   public void replaceChildAfter(Node prevChild, Node newChild) {
-    Preconditions.checkArgument(prevChild.parent == this,
-        "prev is not a child of this node.");
     Preconditions.checkArgument(prevChild.next != null,
         "prev is doesn't have a sibling to replace.");
-    Preconditions.checkArgument(newChild.next == null,
-        "The new child node has next siblings.");
-    Preconditions.checkArgument(newChild.previous == null,
-        "The new child node has previous siblings.");
-    Preconditions.checkArgument(newChild.parent == null,
-        "The new child node already has a parent.");
-
-    // Copy over important information.
-    newChild.copyInformationFrom(prevChild.next);
-
-    Node childToReplace = prevChild.next;
-    newChild.next = childToReplace.next;
-    newChild.previous = prevChild;
-    newChild.parent = this;
-    prevChild.next = newChild;
-    if (childToReplace == last) {
-      last = newChild;
-    } else {
-      childToReplace.next.previous = newChild;
-    }
-    childToReplace.next = null;
-    childToReplace.previous = null;
-    childToReplace.parent = null;
+    replaceChild(prevChild.next, newChild);
   }
 
   /** Detaches the child after the given child, or the first child if prev is null. */
   public void replaceFirstOrChildAfter(@Nullable Node prev, Node newChild) {
-    if (prev == null) {
-      replaceChild(getFirstChild(), newChild);
-    } else {
-      replaceChildAfter(prev, newChild);
-    }
+    replaceChild(prev == null ? first : prev.next, newChild);
   }
 
   @VisibleForTesting
@@ -2031,23 +2007,10 @@ public void detachChildren() {
   }
 
   public Node removeChildAfter(Node prev) {
-    Preconditions.checkArgument(prev.parent == this,
-        "prev is not a child of this node.");
-    Preconditions.checkArgument(prev.next != null,
-        "no next sibling.");
-
-    Node childToRemove = prev.next;
-    prev.next = childToRemove.next;
-    if (childToRemove == last) {
-      last = prev;
-    }
-    if (childToRemove.next != null) {
-      childToRemove.next.previous = prev;
-    }
-    childToRemove.next = null;
-    childToRemove.previous = null;
-    childToRemove.parent = null;
-    return childToRemove;
+    Node next = prev.next;
+    Preconditions.checkArgument(next != null, "no next sibling.");
+    removeChild(next);
+    return next;
   }
 
   /** Remove the child after the given child, or the first child if given null. */