diff --git a/lib/link.js b/lib/link.js
index fa8293d..12babe8 100644
--- a/lib/link.js
+++ b/lib/link.js
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ const Node = require('./node.js')
 
 class Link extends Node {
   constructor (options) {
-    const { pkg, logical, physical, er, cache, realpath } = options
+    const { physical, cache, realpath } = options
     super(options)
 
     // if the target has started, but not completed, then
@@ -12,9 +12,8 @@ class Link extends Node {
     if (cachedTarget && cachedTarget.then)
       cachedTarget.then(node => this.target = node)
 
-    this.target = cachedTarget || new Node({ ...options, physical: realpath })
+    this.target = cachedTarget || new Node({ ...options, parent: null, physical: realpath })
     this.realpath = realpath
-    this.error = er
 
     // convenience methods only
     /* istanbul ignore next */
diff --git a/lib/load-actual.js b/lib/load-actual.js
index 224465c..5142327 100644
--- a/lib/load-actual.js
+++ b/lib/load-actual.js
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ const newNode = (options) =>
       res(new Node(options)), 10))
     : new Node(options)
 
-const loadNode = ({ logical, physical, cache, rpcache, stcache }) => {
+const loadNode = ({ logical, physical, cache, rpcache, stcache, parent }) => {
   // cache temporarily holds a promise placeholder so we
   // don't try to create the same node multiple times.
   // this is very rare to encounter, given the aggressive
@@ -36,11 +36,26 @@ const loadNode = ({ logical, physical, cache, rpcache, stcache }) => {
     rpj(join(real, 'package.json'))
       .then(pkg => [pkg, null], er => [null, er])
       .then(([pkg, er]) =>
-        physical === real ? newNode({ pkg, logical, physical, er, cache })
-        : new Link({ pkg, logical, physical, realpath: real, er, cache })
+        physical === real ? newNode({
+          pkg,
+          logical,
+          physical,
+          er,
+          cache,
+          parent,
+        })
+        : new Link({
+          pkg,
+          logical,
+          physical,
+          realpath: real,
+          er,
+          cache,
+          parent,
+        })
       ),
     // if the realpath fails, don't bother with the rest
-    er => new Node({ logical, physical, er, cache }))
+    er => new Node({ logical, physical, er, cache, parent }))
 
   cache.set(physical, p)
   return p
@@ -62,13 +77,15 @@ const loadChildren = (options) => {
       kids.filter(kid =>
         kid.charAt(0) !== '.' && (!filterWith || filterWith(node, kid)))
       .map(kid => loadNode({
+        parent: node,
         logical: join(nm, kid),
         physical: join(rm, kid),
         cache,
         rpcache,
         stcache,
       })))
-    ).then(kidNodes => node.addChildren(kidNodes))
+    )
+    .then(() => node.sortChildren())
     .catch(() => node)
 }
 
diff --git a/lib/node.js b/lib/node.js
index 4a27c69..01c3a12 100644
--- a/lib/node.js
+++ b/lib/node.js
@@ -7,9 +7,10 @@ const depValid = require('./dep-valid.js')
 let ID = 0
 class Node {
   constructor (options) {
-    const { pkg, logical, physical, er, cache } = options
+    const { pkg, logical, physical, er, cache, parent } = options
     // should be impossible.
     const cached = cache.get(physical)
+
     /* istanbul ignore next */
     if (cached && !cached.then)
       throw new Error('re-creating already instantiated node')
@@ -17,11 +18,12 @@ class Node {
     cache.set(physical, this)
 
     this[depinfoLoaded] = false
-    const parent = basename(dirname(logical))
-    if (parent.charAt(0) === '@')
-      this.name = `${parent}/${basename(logical)}`
+    const parentDir = basename(dirname(logical))
+    if (parentDir.charAt(0) === '@')
+      this.name = `${parentDir}/${basename(logical)}`
     else
       this.name = basename(logical)
+
     this.path = logical
     this.realpath = physical
     this.error = er
@@ -30,7 +32,10 @@ class Node {
     this.package = pkg || {}
 
     // physical parent dir
-    this.parent = null
+    this.parent = parent || null
+    if (this.parent)
+      this.parent.children.push(this)
+
     this.warnings = []
 
     // The contents of node_modules
@@ -44,7 +49,9 @@ class Node {
     this.dependencies = new Map()
 
     this.missingPeerDeps = new Map()
-    this.location = '/'
+    const ploc = this.parent && this.parent.location
+    this.location = !this.parent ? '/'
+      : `${ploc === '/' ? '' : ploc}/${this.name}`
 
     this.extraneous = true
     this.dev = true
@@ -114,13 +121,8 @@ class Node {
     return this[walk]({enter, exit, filter}, new Map(), node => node.children)
   }
 
-  addChildren (nodes) {
-    nodes.forEach(node => {
-      node.parent = this
-      const dir = this.location === '/' ? '' : this.location
-      node.location = `${dir}/${node.name}`
-    })
-    this.children = nodes.sort(nodesort)
+  sortChildren () {
+    this.children = this.children.sort(nodesort)
     return this
   }