diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index d5a8348..4137be1 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ INC_FLAGS := $(addprefix -I,$(INC_DIRS))
 #  object file is also recompiled if only a header is changed.
 # -MP: generate a dummy target for every header file (according to the  docs it
 #  prevents some errors when removing header files)
-CFLAGS ?= -MMD -MP -Wall -Wextra -g
+CFLAGS ?= -MMD -MP -Wall -Wextra
 CFLAGS += $(INC_FLAGS)
 
 .PHONY: all
diff --git a/src/tree/balancing.c b/src/tree/balancing.c
deleted file mode 100644
index b7466ea..0000000
--- a/src/tree/balancing.c
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,95 +0,0 @@
-#include "balancing.h"
-
-vieter_tree_node *vieter_tree_node_balance(vieter_tree_node *node) {
-  vieter_tree_node *parent = node->parent;
-  vieter_tree_node *grand_parent = parent->parent;
-  vieter_tree_node *grand_grand_parent = grand_parent->parent;
-  vieter_tree_node *root, *left, *right;
-  vieter_tree_node *children[4];
-
-  if (node->key < parent->key && parent->key < grand_parent->key) {
-    root = parent;
-    left = node;
-    right = grand_parent;
-
-    children[0] = node->left;
-    children[1] = node->right;
-    children[2] = parent->right;
-    children[3] = grand_parent->right;
-  } else if (node->key < parent->key && parent->key > grand_parent->key) {
-    root = node;
-    left = grand_parent;
-    right = parent;
-
-    children[0] = grand_parent->left;
-    children[1] = node->left;
-    children[2] = node->right;
-    children[3] = parent->right;
-  } else if (node->key > parent->key && parent->key < grand_parent->key) {
-    root = node;
-    left = parent;
-    right = grand_parent;
-
-    children[0] = parent->left;
-    children[1] = node->left;
-    children[2] = node->right;
-    children[3] = grand_parent->right;
-  } else {
-    root = parent;
-    left = grand_parent;
-    right = node;
-
-    children[0] = grand_parent->left;
-    children[1] = parent->left;
-    children[2] = node->left;
-    children[3] = node->right;
-  }
-
-  vieter_tree_node_set(left, vieter_node_black);
-  vieter_tree_node_set(right, vieter_node_black);
-  vieter_tree_node_unset(root, vieter_node_black);
-
-  left->left = children[0];
-  left->right = children[1];
-
-  if (children[0] != NULL)
-    children[0]->parent = left;
-
-  if (children[1] != NULL)
-    children[1]->parent = left;
-
-  right->left = children[2];
-  right->right = children[3];
-
-  if (children[2] != NULL)
-    children[2]->parent = right;
-
-  if (children[3] != NULL)
-    children[3]->parent = right;
-
-  root->left = left;
-  root->right = right;
-  left->parent = root;
-  right->parent = root;
-
-  if (grand_grand_parent != NULL) {
-    vieter_tree_node_add_child(grand_grand_parent, root->key, root);
-  } else {
-    root->parent = NULL;
-  }
-
-  return root;
-}
-
-void vieter_tree_node_balance_after_insert(vieter_tree_node *node) {
-  while (!vieter_tree_node_get(node, vieter_node_black) &&
-         node->parent != NULL &&
-         !vieter_tree_node_get(node->parent, vieter_node_black)) {
-    node = vieter_tree_node_balance(node);
-  }
-
-  // The root must always be black
-  if (node->parent == NULL) {
-    vieter_tree_node_set(node, vieter_node_black);
-  }
-}
diff --git a/src/tree/balancing.h b/src/tree/balancing.h
deleted file mode 100644
index 3e4c6bc..0000000
--- a/src/tree/balancing.h
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,8 +0,0 @@
-#ifndef VIETER_TREE_BALANCING
-#define VIETER_TREE_BALANCING
-
-#include "node.h"
-
-void vieter_tree_node_balance_after_insert(vieter_tree_node *node);
-
-#endif
diff --git a/src/tree/node.c b/src/tree/node.c
index d6c2b6d..568103e 100644
--- a/src/tree/node.c
+++ b/src/tree/node.c
@@ -1,5 +1,4 @@
 #include "node.h"
-#include "balancing.h"
 
 vieter_tree_node *vieter_tree_node_init() {
   return calloc(1, sizeof(vieter_tree_node));
@@ -56,7 +55,6 @@ vieter_tree_error vieter_tree_node_insert(vieter_tree_node *root, uint64_t key,
   new_node->data = data;
 
   vieter_tree_node_add_child(parent, key, new_node);
-  vieter_tree_node_balance_after_insert(new_node);
 
   return vieter_tree_ok;
 }
@@ -97,6 +95,20 @@ vieter_tree_error vieter_tree_node_search(void **out, vieter_tree_node *root,
   return vieter_tree_ok;
 }
 
+vieter_tree_node *vieter_tree_node_successor(vieter_tree_node *node) {
+  if ((node->left != NULL) ^ (node->right != NULL)) {
+    return node->left != NULL ? node->left : node->right;
+  }
+
+  node = node->right;
+
+  while (node->left != NULL) {
+    node = node->left;
+  }
+
+  return node;
+}
+
 vieter_tree_error vieter_tree_node_remove(void **out, vieter_tree_node *root,
                                           uint64_t key) {
   vieter_tree_node *target;
@@ -146,15 +158,3 @@ vieter_tree_error vieter_tree_node_remove(void **out, vieter_tree_node *root,
 
   return vieter_tree_ok;
 }
-
-void vieter_tree_node_set(vieter_tree_node *node, vieter_node_flag flag) {
-  node->flags |= flag;
-}
-
-void vieter_tree_node_unset(vieter_tree_node *node, vieter_node_flag flag) {
-  node->flags &= ~flag;
-}
-
-bool vieter_tree_node_get(vieter_tree_node *node, vieter_node_flag flag) {
-  return (node->flags & flag) != 0;
-}
diff --git a/src/tree/node.h b/src/tree/node.h
index 522ee59..dc8cce0 100644
--- a/src/tree/node.h
+++ b/src/tree/node.h
@@ -3,13 +3,6 @@
 
 #include "vieter_tree.h"
 #include <stdint.h>
-#include <stdbool.h>
-
-#define VIETER_NODE_BLACK ((uint8_t)1)
-
-typedef enum vieter_node_flag {
-    vieter_node_black = ((uint8_t)1) << 0
-} vieter_node_flag;
 
 typedef struct vieter_tree_node {
     uint64_t key;
@@ -17,7 +10,6 @@ typedef struct vieter_tree_node {
     struct vieter_tree_node *parent;
     struct vieter_tree_node *left;
     struct vieter_tree_node *right;
-    uint8_t flags;
 } vieter_tree_node;
 
 vieter_tree_node *vieter_tree_node_init();
@@ -33,11 +25,4 @@ vieter_tree_error vieter_tree_node_remove(void **out, vieter_tree_node *root, ui
 
 void vieter_tree_node_replace(vieter_tree_node *to_replace, vieter_tree_node *replacement);
 
-void vieter_tree_node_set(vieter_tree_node *node, vieter_node_flag flag);
-void vieter_tree_node_unset(vieter_tree_node *node, vieter_node_flag flag);
-bool vieter_tree_node_get(vieter_tree_node *node, vieter_node_flag flag);
-
-void vieter_tree_node_add_child(vieter_tree_node *parent, uint64_t key,
-                                vieter_tree_node *child);
-
 #endif
diff --git a/src/tree/tree.c b/src/tree/tree.c
index d2579e6..c2c7aa7 100644
--- a/src/tree/tree.c
+++ b/src/tree/tree.c
@@ -16,7 +16,6 @@ vieter_tree_error vieter_tree_insert(vieter_tree *tree, uint64_t key,
     tree->root = vieter_tree_node_init();
     tree->root->key = key;
     tree->root->data = data;
-    vieter_tree_node_set(tree->root, vieter_node_black);
     tree->size = 1;
 
     return vieter_tree_ok;