diff --git a/include/tree_sitter/runtime.h b/include/tree_sitter/runtime.h
index 71c8b5b3..ea52d4c2 100644
--- a/include/tree_sitter/runtime.h
+++ b/include/tree_sitter/runtime.h
@@ -66,12 +66,14 @@ typedef struct {
 
 typedef struct {
   uint32_t context[4];
-  const void *ref[2];
+  const void *id;
+  const void *tree;
 } TSNode;
 
 typedef struct {
   uint32_t context[2];
-  void *ref[2];
+  const void *id;
+  const void *tree;
 } TSTreeCursor;
 
 TSParser *ts_parser_new();
diff --git a/src/runtime/node.c b/src/runtime/node.c
index 8eaaf220..31843e2a 100644
--- a/src/runtime/node.c
+++ b/src/runtime/node.c
@@ -17,7 +17,8 @@ typedef struct {
 TSNode ts_node_new(const TSTree *tree, const Subtree *subtree, Length position, TSSymbol alias) {
   return (TSNode) {
     {position.bytes, position.extent.row, position.extent.column, alias},
-    {tree, subtree},
+    subtree,
+    tree,
   };
 }
 
@@ -27,14 +28,6 @@ static inline TSNode ts_node__null() {
 
 // TSNode - accessors
 
-static inline const TSTree *ts_node__tree(const TSNode *self) {
-  return self->ref[0];
-}
-
-static inline const Subtree *ts_node__subtree(TSNode self) {
-  return self.ref[1];
-}
-
 static inline uint32_t ts_node__byte(const TSNode *self) {
   return self->context[0];
 }
@@ -47,6 +40,14 @@ static inline uint32_t ts_node__alias(const TSNode *self) {
   return self->context[3];
 }
 
+static inline const Subtree *ts_node__subtree(TSNode self) {
+  return self.id;
+}
+
+static inline const TSTree *ts_node__tree(const TSNode *self) {
+  return self->tree;
+}
+
 // NodeChildIterator
 
 static inline NodeChildIterator ts_node_child_iterator_begin(const TSNode *node) {