diff --git a/es/features/runningTree.js b/es/features/runningTree.js
index 7462d44a..db9c4c69 100644
--- a/es/features/runningTree.js
+++ b/es/features/runningTree.js
@@ -2500,13 +2500,13 @@ export class RunningTree extends Feature {
         const { root } = analyzePath(path);
         this.invalidateCachedOperations(root);
         while (true) {
-            const parent = node.getParent();
-            if (parent && parent.checkIfClean(node)) {
+            const parent = node?.getParent();
+            if (parent && node && parent.checkIfClean(node)) {
                 node = parent;
                 continue;
             }
             else {
-                node.clean(lsn, dontPublish);
+                node?.clean(lsn, dontPublish);
                 break;
             }
         }
diff --git a/lib/features/runningTree.js b/lib/features/runningTree.js
index 438eca51..373e27c4 100644
--- a/lib/features/runningTree.js
+++ b/lib/features/runningTree.js
@@ -2503,13 +2503,13 @@ class RunningTree extends Feature_1.Feature {
         const { root } = analyzePath(path);
         this.invalidateCachedOperations(root);
         while (true) {
-            const parent = node.getParent();
-            if (parent && parent.checkIfClean(node)) {
+            const parent = node?.getParent();
+            if (parent && node && parent.checkIfClean(node)) {
                 node = parent;
                 continue;
             }
             else {
-                node.clean(lsn, dontPublish);
+                node?.clean(lsn, dontPublish);
                 break;
             }
         }
diff --git a/src/features/runningTree.ts b/src/features/runningTree.ts
index a59dfa66..a069b14a 100644
--- a/src/features/runningTree.ts
+++ b/src/features/runningTree.ts
@@ -3065,18 +3065,18 @@ export class RunningTree<ED extends EntityDict & BaseEntityDict> extends Feature
      * @param dontPublish 
      */
     clean(path: string, lsn?: number, dontPublish?: true) {
-        let node = this.findNode(path)!;
+        let node = this.findNode(path);
         const { root } = analyzePath(path);
         this.invalidateCachedOperations(root);
 
         while (true) {
-            const parent = node.getParent();
-            if (parent && parent.checkIfClean(node)) {
+            const parent = node?.getParent();
+            if (parent && node && parent.checkIfClean(node)) {
                 node = parent;
                 continue;
             }
             else {
-                node.clean(lsn, dontPublish);
+                node?.clean(lsn, dontPublish);
                 break;
             }
         }