diff --git a/src/arborist.js b/src/arborist.js
index dfd2a06..f71db97 100644
--- a/src/arborist.js
+++ b/src/arborist.js
@@ -26,14 +26,15 @@ const Arborist = class {
 	 * @return {ASTNode}
 	 */
 	_getCorrectTargetForDeletion(startNode) {
+		const relevantTypes = ['ExpressionStatement', 'UnaryExpression', 'UpdateExpression'];
+		const relevantClauses = ['consequent', 'alternate'];
 		let currentNode = startNode;
-		while (
-			['ExpressionStatement', 'UnaryExpression', 'UpdateExpression'].includes(currentNode?.parentNode?.type) ||
+		while (relevantTypes.includes(currentNode?.parentNode?.type) ||
 			(currentNode.parentNode.type === 'VariableDeclaration' &&
 				(currentNode.parentNode.declarations.length === 1 ||
-					!currentNode.parentNode.declarations.filter(d => d.nodeId !== currentNode.nodeId && !d.isMarked).length)
+					!currentNode.parentNode.declarations.filter(d => d !== currentNode && !d.isMarked).length)
 			)) currentNode = currentNode.parentNode;
-		if (['consequent', 'alternate'].includes(currentNode.parentKey)) currentNode.isEmpty = true;
+		if (relevantClauses.includes(currentNode.parentKey)) currentNode.isEmpty = true;
 		return currentNode;
 	}
 
@@ -90,7 +91,8 @@ const Arborist = class {
 				} else {
 					for (const targetNodeId of this.markedForDeletion) {
 						try {
-							const targetNode = this.ast.find(n => n.nodeId === targetNodeId);
+							let targetNode = this.ast[targetNodeId];
+							targetNode = targetNode.nodeId === targetNodeId ? targetNode : this.ast.find(n => n.nodeId === targetNodeId);
 							if (targetNode) {
 								const parent = targetNode.parentNode;
 								if (parent[targetNode.parentKey] === targetNode) {
diff --git a/src/utils/index.js b/src/utils/index.js
index 737a7da..1338921 100644
--- a/src/utils/index.js
+++ b/src/utils/index.js
@@ -1,5 +1,3 @@
-export const utils = {
-	applyIteratively: (await import('./applyIteratively.js')).applyIteratively,
-	logger: (await import('./logger.js')).logger,
-	treeModifier: (await import('./treeModifier.js')).treeModifier,
-};
\ No newline at end of file
+export * from './applyIteratively.js';
+export * from './logger.js';
+export * from './treeModifier.js';
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/tests/functionality.test.js b/tests/functionality.test.js
index 2690adf..43e485c 100644
--- a/tests/functionality.test.js
+++ b/tests/functionality.test.js
@@ -34,7 +34,9 @@ describe('Functionality tests', () => {
 			'generateCode',
 			'generateFlatAST',
 			'parseCode',
-			'utils',
+			'applyIteratively',
+			'logger',
+			'treeModifier',
 		];
 		const flast = await import(path.resolve(__dirname + '/../src/index.js'));
 		for (const importName of availableImports) {
diff --git a/tests/utils.test.js b/tests/utils.test.js
index d251229..928ddda 100644
--- a/tests/utils.test.js
+++ b/tests/utils.test.js
@@ -1,16 +1,16 @@
 import assert from 'node:assert';
-import {utils} from '../src/index.js';
 import {describe, it} from 'node:test';
+import {treeModifier, applyIteratively, logger} from '../src/index.js';
 
 describe('Utils tests: treeModifier', () => {
 	it(`Verify treeModifier sets a generic function name`, () => {
 		const expectedFuncName = 'func';
-		const generatedFunc = utils.treeModifier(() => {}, () => {});
+		const generatedFunc = treeModifier(() => {}, () => {});
 		assert.equal(generatedFunc.name, expectedFuncName, `The default name of the generated function does not match`);
 	});
 	it(`Verify treeModifier sets the function's name properly`, () => {
 		const expectedFuncName = 'expectedFuncName';
-		const generatedFunc = utils.treeModifier(() => {}, () => {}, expectedFuncName);
+		const generatedFunc = treeModifier(() => {}, () => {}, expectedFuncName);
 		assert.equal(generatedFunc.name, expectedFuncName, `The name of the generated function does not match`);
 	});
 });
@@ -20,15 +20,15 @@ describe('Utils tests: applyIteratively', () => {
 		const expectedOutput = code;
 		const f = n => n.type === 'Program';
 		const m = (n, arb) => arb.markNode(n);
-		const generatedFunc = utils.treeModifier(f, m);
-		const result = utils.applyIteratively(code, [generatedFunc]);
+		const generatedFunc = treeModifier(f, m);
+		const result = applyIteratively(code, [generatedFunc]);
 
 		assert.equal(result, expectedOutput, `Result does not match expected output`);
 	});
 	it('Verify applyIteratively catches a critical exception', () => {
 		const code = `a`;
 		// noinspection JSCheckFunctionSignatures
-		const result = utils.applyIteratively(code, {length: 4});
+		const result = applyIteratively(code, {length: 4});
 		assert.equal(result, code, `Result does not match expected output`);
 	});
 	it('Verify applyIteratively works as expected', () => {
@@ -44,39 +44,39 @@ describe('Utils tests: applyIteratively', () => {
 			type: 'Literal',
 			value: replacements[n.value],
 		});
-		const generatedFunc = utils.treeModifier(f, m);
-		result = utils.applyIteratively(result, [generatedFunc]);
+		const generatedFunc = treeModifier(f, m);
+		result = applyIteratively(result, [generatedFunc]);
 
 		assert.equal(result, expectedOutput, `Result does not match expected output`);
 	});
 });
 describe('Utils tests: logger', () => {
 	it(`Verify logger sets the log level to DEBUG properly`, () => {
-		const expectedLogLevel = utils.logger.logLevels.DEBUG;
-		utils.logger.setLogLevelDebug();
-		assert.equal(utils.logger.currentLogLevel, expectedLogLevel, `The log level DEBUG was not set properly`);
+		const expectedLogLevel = logger.logLevels.DEBUG;
+		logger.setLogLevelDebug();
+		assert.equal(logger.currentLogLevel, expectedLogLevel, `The log level DEBUG was not set properly`);
 	});
 	it(`Verify logger sets the log level to NONE properly`, () => {
-		const expectedLogLevel = utils.logger.logLevels.NONE;
-		utils.logger.setLogLevelNone();
-		assert.equal(utils.logger.currentLogLevel, expectedLogLevel, `The log level NONE was not set properly`);
+		const expectedLogLevel = logger.logLevels.NONE;
+		logger.setLogLevelNone();
+		assert.equal(logger.currentLogLevel, expectedLogLevel, `The log level NONE was not set properly`);
 	});
 	it(`Verify logger sets the log level to LOG properly`, () => {
-		const expectedLogLevel = utils.logger.logLevels.LOG;
-		utils.logger.setLogLevelLog();
-		assert.equal(utils.logger.currentLogLevel, expectedLogLevel, `The log level LOG was not set properly`);
+		const expectedLogLevel = logger.logLevels.LOG;
+		logger.setLogLevelLog();
+		assert.equal(logger.currentLogLevel, expectedLogLevel, `The log level LOG was not set properly`);
 	});
 	it(`Verify logger sets the log level to ERROR properly`, () => {
-		const expectedLogLevel = utils.logger.logLevels.ERROR;
-		utils.logger.setLogLevelError();
-		assert.equal(utils.logger.currentLogLevel, expectedLogLevel, `The log level ERROR was not set properly`);
+		const expectedLogLevel = logger.logLevels.ERROR;
+		logger.setLogLevelError();
+		assert.equal(logger.currentLogLevel, expectedLogLevel, `The log level ERROR was not set properly`);
 	});
 	it(`Verify logger sets the log function properly`, () => {
 		const expectedLogFunc = () => 'test';
-		utils.logger.setLogFunc(expectedLogFunc);
-		assert.equal(utils.logger.logFunc, expectedLogFunc, `The log function was not set properly`);
+		logger.setLogFunc(expectedLogFunc);
+		assert.equal(logger.logFunc, expectedLogFunc, `The log function was not set properly`);
 	});
 	it(`Verify logger throws an error when setting an unknown log level`, () => {
-		assert.throws(() => utils.logger.setLogLevel(0), Error, `An error was not thrown when setting an unknown log level`);
+		assert.throws(() => logger.setLogLevel(0), Error, `An error was not thrown when setting an unknown log level`);
 	});
 });
\ No newline at end of file