diff --git a/detach-link-notes.md b/detach-link-notes.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..2fc5d84
--- /dev/null
+++ b/detach-link-notes.md
@@ -0,0 +1,54 @@
+* D E F
+* A B C
+
+`E.insertAfter(B) ->`
+
+* D F
+* A B E C
+
+* B
+  * _next_ = C
+  * prev = A
+
+* C
+ * next = null
+ * _prev_ = B
+
+* E
+ * _next_ = F
+ * _prev_ = D
+ * _parent_ = ???
+
+* D
+ * _next_ = E
+ * _prev_ = F
+
+* F
+  * next = null
+  * _prev_ = E
+
+italic properties must change.
+
+```D
+// first, fix old nodes.
+if(E == E.parent.firstChild) // nope
+  // E.prev must be null if this is true, short circuit logic?
+  E.parent.firstChild = E.next;
+if(E == E.parent.lastChild) // nope
+  // E.next must be null if this is true, short circuit logic?
+  E.parent.lastChild = E.prev;
+if(E.next) // F
+  E.next.prev = E.prev;
+if(E.prev) // D
+  E.prev.next = E.next;
+// insertBefore is an exact mirror of this beyond this point, and identical before.
+// the links on E are free to scram now
+E.prev = B;
+E.next = B.next;
+
+// now, set links to E
+
+if(B.next) // C
+  B.next.prev = E;
+B.next = E;
+```
diff --git a/src/html/dom.d b/src/html/dom.d
index 068c00a..87f05e1 100644
--- a/src/html/dom.d
+++ b/src/html/dom.d
@@ -313,8 +313,8 @@ struct Node {
 		assert(document_ == node.document_);
 		assert(isElementNode, "cannot prepend to non-element nodes");
 
-		if (node.parent_)
-			node.detach();
+		node.detachFast();
+
 		node.parent_ = &this;
 		if (firstChild_) {
 			assert(!firstChild_.prev_);
@@ -325,15 +325,20 @@ struct Node {
 			assert(!lastChild_);
 			firstChild_ = node;
 			lastChild_ = node;
+			lastChild_.next_ = null;
 		}
+        if(firstChild_.prev_) {
+            firstChild_.prev_.next_ = null;
+            firstChild_.prev_ = null;
+        }
 	}
 
 	void appendChild(Node* node) {
 		assert(document_ == node.document_);
 		assert(isElementNode, "cannot append to non-element nodes");
 
-		if (node.parent_)
-			node.detach();
+		node.detachFast();
+
 		node.parent_ = &this;
 		if (lastChild_) {
 			assert(!lastChild_.next_);
@@ -343,8 +348,13 @@ struct Node {
 		} else {
 			assert(!firstChild_);
 			firstChild_ = node;
+			firstChild_.prev_ = null;
 			lastChild_ = node;
 		}
+        if(lastChild.next_) {
+            lastChild.next_.prev_ = null;
+            lastChild_.next_ = null;
+        }
 	}
 
 	void removeChild(Node* node) {
@@ -391,89 +401,110 @@ struct Node {
 			firstChild_ = node;
 			lastChild_ = node;
 		}
+		lastChild_.next_ = null;
 		node.parent_ = &this;
 	}
 
 	void insertBefore(Node* node) {
 		assert(document_ == node.document_);
+		assert(node);
+		detachFast();
 
 		parent_ = node.parent_;
 		prev_ = node.prev_;
 		next_ = node;
 		node.prev_ = &this;
 
-		if (parent_ && (parent_.firstChild_ == node))
-			parent_.firstChild_ = &this;
+		if (parent_ && (parent_.firstChild_ == node)) {
+		  assert(!prev_);
+		  parent_.firstChild_ = &this;
+		} else if(prev_) {
+		  prev_.next_ = &this;
+		}
 	}
 
 	void insertAfter(Node* node) {
 		assert(document_ == node.document_);
+		detachFast();
 
 		parent_ = node.parent_;
 		prev_ = node;
 		next_ = node.next_;
 		node.next_ = &this;
+		if(parent_ && (parent_.lastChild_ == node)) {
+		  assert(!next_);
+		  parent_.lastChild_ = &this;
+		} else if(next_) {
+		  next_.prev_ = &this;
+		}
 	}
 
-	void detach() {
+	private void packageDetach(bool careful)() {
 		if (parent_) {
 			if (parent_.firstChild_ == &this) {
 				parent_.firstChild_ = next_;
 				if (next_) {
 					next_.prev_ = null;
-					next_ = null;
+					static if(careful) {
+					  next_ = null;
+					}
 				} else {
 					parent_.lastChild_ = null;
 				}
 
-				assert(prev_ == null);
+				static if(careful) {
+				  assert(prev_ == null);
+				}
 			} else if (parent_.lastChild_ == &this) {
 				parent_.lastChild_ = prev_;
 				assert(prev_);
-				assert(!next_);
+				assert(next_ is null);
 				prev_.next_ = null;
-				prev_ = null;
+				static if(careful) {
+				  prev_ = null;
+				}
 			} else {
 				assert(prev_);
 
 				prev_.next_ = next_;
+				static if(careful) {
+				  prev_ = null;
+				}
 				if (next_) {
 					next_.prev_ = prev_;
-					next_ = null;
+					static if(careful) {
+					  next_ = null;
+					}
 				}
+			}
+		} else {
+		  static if(careful) {
+			if(prev_) {
+			  prev_.next_ = next_;
+			  static if(careful) {
 				prev_ = null;
+			  }
 			}
-			parent_ = null;
-		}
-	}
-
-	package void detachFast() {
-		if (parent_) {
-			if (parent_.firstChild_ == &this) {
-				parent_.firstChild_ = next_;
-				if (next_) {
-					next_.prev_ = null;
-				} else {
-					parent_.lastChild_ = null;
-				}
-
-				assert(prev_ == null);
-			} else if (parent_.lastChild_ == &this) {
-				parent_.lastChild_ = prev_;
-				assert(prev_);
-				assert(!next_);
-				prev_.next_ = null;
-			} else {
-				assert(prev_);
-
-				prev_.next_ = next_;
-				if (next_) {
-					next_.prev_ = prev_;
-				}
+			if(next_) {
+			  next_.prev_ = prev_;
+			  static if(careful) {
+				next_ = null;
+			  }
 			}
+		  } else {
+			assert(prev_ is null);
+			assert(next_ is null);
+		  }
 		}
+	  static if(careful) {
+		assert(prev_ is null);
+		assert(next_ is null);
+	  }
 	}
 
+    public alias detach = packageDetach!true;
+    package alias detachFast = packageDetach!false;
+
 	void destroy() {
 		detachFast();
 		destroyChildren();