diff --git a/SimpleHttpServer/Types/PathTree.cs b/SimpleHttpServer/Types/PathTree.cs
index 1d90615..6637688 100644
--- a/SimpleHttpServer/Types/PathTree.cs
+++ b/SimpleHttpServer/Types/PathTree.cs
@@ -83,18 +83,15 @@ internal class PathTree<T> where T : class {
                     catchAllNext = new();
                     catchAllNext.AddSuccessor(segments[1..], newLeafData);
                     return;
-                } else { // must be single wildcard otherwise
-                    Assert(pathWildcardNext == null);
-                    pathWildcardNext = new();
+                } else { // must be single wildcard otherwise                    
+                    pathWildcardNext ??= new();
                     pathWildcardNext.AddSuccessor(segments[1..], newLeafData);
                     return;
                 }
             }
 
             // otherwise we want to add a new constant path successor
-            if (next == null) {
-                next = new();
-            }
+            next ??= new();
 
             if (next.TryGetValue(seg, out var existingNode)) {
                 existingNode.AddSuccessor(segments[1..], newLeafData);