diff --git a/src/collections/map.rs b/src/collections/map.rs
index 528d4736..2d727b96 100644
--- a/src/collections/map.rs
+++ b/src/collections/map.rs
@@ -138,7 +138,7 @@ impl<K, V, const PREFIX_LEN: usize> TreeMap<K, V, PREFIX_LEN> {
             // means there can only exist other immutable references aside from this one,
             // and no mutable references. That means that no mutating operations can occur
             // on the root node or any child of the root node.
-            let search_result = unsafe { search_unchecked(root, key)? };
+            let search_result = unsafe { search_unchecked(root, key.as_bytes())? };
 
             // SAFETY: The lifetime chosen the value reference is bounded by the lifetime of
             // the immutable reference to the `TreeMap`. The memory of the value will not be
@@ -196,7 +196,7 @@ impl<K, V, const PREFIX_LEN: usize> TreeMap<K, V, PREFIX_LEN> {
             // means there cannot exist any other reference (mutable or immutable) to the
             // same `TreeMap`. Which means that no other mutating operations could be
             // happening during the `search_unchecked` call.
-            let search_result = unsafe { search_unchecked(root, key)? };
+            let search_result = unsafe { search_unchecked(root, key.as_bytes())? };
 
             // SAFETY: The lifetime chosen the value reference is bounded by the lifetime of
             // the mutable reference to the `TreeMap`. The value pointed to by the returned
@@ -639,7 +639,7 @@ impl<K, V, const PREFIX_LEN: usize> TreeMap<K, V, PREFIX_LEN> {
             // that there are no other references (mutable or immutable) to this same
             // object. Meaning that our access to the root node is unique and there are no
             // other accesses to any node in the tree.
-            let insert_point = unsafe { search_for_insert_point(root, &key)? };
+            let insert_point = unsafe { search_for_insert_point(root, key.as_bytes())? };
             let insert_result = self.apply_insert_point(insert_point, key, value);
             Ok(insert_result.existing_leaf.map(|leaf| leaf.into_entry().1))
         } else {
@@ -673,7 +673,7 @@ impl<K, V, const PREFIX_LEN: usize> TreeMap<K, V, PREFIX_LEN> {
             // that there are no other references (mutable or immutable) to this same
             // object. Meaning that our access to the root node is unique and there are no
             // other accesses to any node in the tree.
-            let delete_point = unsafe { search_for_delete_point(root, key)? };
+            let delete_point = unsafe { search_for_delete_point(root, key.as_bytes())? };
             let delete_result = self.apply_delete_point(delete_point);
             Some(delete_result.deleted_leaf.into_entry())
         } else {
@@ -1273,7 +1273,7 @@ impl<K, V, const PREFIX_LEN: usize> TreeMap<K, V, PREFIX_LEN> {
                 // that there are no other references (mutable or immutable) to this same
                 // object. Meaning that our access to the root node is unique and there are no
                 // other accesses to any node in the tree.
-                let insert_point = unsafe { search_for_insert_point(root, &key)? };
+                let insert_point = unsafe { search_for_insert_point(root, key.as_bytes())? };
                 match insert_point.insert_type {
                     Exact { leaf_node_ptr } => Entry::Occupied(OccupiedEntry {
                         map: self,
@@ -1314,7 +1314,7 @@ impl<K, V, const PREFIX_LEN: usize> TreeMap<K, V, PREFIX_LEN> {
                 // that there are no other references (mutable or immutable) to this same
                 // object. Meaning that our access to the root node is unique and there are no
                 // other accesses to any node in the tree.
-                let insert_point = unsafe { search_for_insert_point(root, key)? };
+                let insert_point = unsafe { search_for_insert_point(root, key.as_bytes())? };
                 match insert_point.insert_type {
                     Exact { leaf_node_ptr } => EntryRef::Occupied(OccupiedEntryRef {
                         map: self,
diff --git a/src/nodes/operations/delete.rs b/src/nodes/operations/delete.rs
index 088d82ee..f27664c0 100644
--- a/src/nodes/operations/delete.rs
+++ b/src/nodes/operations/delete.rs
@@ -1,5 +1,3 @@
-use std::borrow::Borrow;
-
 use crate::{
     nodes::operations::lookup, AsBytes, ConcreteNodePtr, InnerNode, LeafNode, NodePtr,
     OpaqueNodePtr,
@@ -294,13 +292,12 @@ impl<K, V, const PREFIX_LEN: usize> DeletePoint<K, V, PREFIX_LEN> {
 ///  - This function cannot be called concurrently with any mutating operation
 ///    on `root` or any child node of `root`. This function will arbitrarily
 ///    read to any child in the given tree.
-pub unsafe fn search_for_delete_point<Q, K, V, const PREFIX_LEN: usize>(
+pub unsafe fn search_for_delete_point<K, V, const PREFIX_LEN: usize>(
     root: OpaqueNodePtr<K, V, PREFIX_LEN>,
-    key: &Q,
+    key_bytes: &[u8],
 ) -> Option<DeletePoint<K, V, PREFIX_LEN>>
 where
-    K: Borrow<Q> + AsBytes,
-    Q: AsBytes + ?Sized,
+    K: AsBytes,
 {
     let mut current_grandparent = None;
     let mut current_parent = None;
@@ -312,29 +309,29 @@ where
             ConcreteNodePtr::Node4(inner_ptr) => unsafe {
                 // SAFETY: The safety requirement is covered by the safety requirement on the
                 // containing function
-                lookup::check_prefix_lookup_child(inner_ptr, key, &mut current_depth)
+                lookup::check_prefix_lookup_child(inner_ptr, key_bytes, &mut current_depth)
             },
             ConcreteNodePtr::Node16(inner_ptr) => unsafe {
                 // SAFETY: The safety requirement is covered by the safety requirement on the
                 // containing function
-                lookup::check_prefix_lookup_child(inner_ptr, key, &mut current_depth)
+                lookup::check_prefix_lookup_child(inner_ptr, key_bytes, &mut current_depth)
             },
             ConcreteNodePtr::Node48(inner_ptr) => unsafe {
                 // SAFETY: The safety requirement is covered by the safety requirement on the
                 // containing function
-                lookup::check_prefix_lookup_child(inner_ptr, key, &mut current_depth)
+                lookup::check_prefix_lookup_child(inner_ptr, key_bytes, &mut current_depth)
             },
             ConcreteNodePtr::Node256(inner_ptr) => unsafe {
                 // SAFETY: The safety requirement is covered by the safety requirement on the
                 // containing function
-                lookup::check_prefix_lookup_child(inner_ptr, key, &mut current_depth)
+                lookup::check_prefix_lookup_child(inner_ptr, key_bytes, &mut current_depth)
             },
             ConcreteNodePtr::LeafNode(leaf_node_ptr) => {
                 let leaf_node = leaf_node_ptr.read();
 
                 // Specifically we are matching the leaf node stored key against the full search
                 // key to confirm that it is the right value.
-                if leaf_node.matches_full_key(key) {
+                if leaf_node.matches_full_key(key_bytes) {
                     return Some(DeletePoint {
                         grandparent_ptr_and_parent_key_byte: current_grandparent,
                         parent_ptr_and_child_key_byte: current_parent,
@@ -352,7 +349,7 @@ where
         );
 
         // This should not panic because the current_depth will be greater than zero
-        let last_key_byte = key.as_bytes()[current_depth - 1];
+        let last_key_byte = key_bytes[current_depth - 1];
 
         current_grandparent = current_parent;
         current_parent = Some((current_node, last_key_byte));
diff --git a/src/nodes/operations/insert.rs b/src/nodes/operations/insert.rs
index ae4222ec..199797ef 100644
--- a/src/nodes/operations/insert.rs
+++ b/src/nodes/operations/insert.rs
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ use crate::{
     AsBytes, ConcreteNodePtr, InnerNode, InnerNode4, LeafNode, MatchPrefixResult, Mismatch,
     NodePtr, OpaqueNodePtr,
 };
-use std::{borrow::Borrow, error::Error, fmt, marker::PhantomData, ops::ControlFlow};
+use std::{error::Error, fmt, marker::PhantomData, ops::ControlFlow};
 
 /// The results of a successful tree insert
 #[derive(Debug)]
@@ -439,13 +439,12 @@ pub enum InsertSearchResultType<K, V, const PREFIX_LEN: usize> {
 /// # Errors
 ///  - If the given `key` is a prefix of an existing key, this function will
 ///    return an error.
-pub unsafe fn search_for_insert_point<K, V, Q, const PREFIX_LEN: usize>(
+pub unsafe fn search_for_insert_point<K, V, const PREFIX_LEN: usize>(
     root: OpaqueNodePtr<K, V, PREFIX_LEN>,
-    key: &Q,
+    key_bytes: &[u8],
 ) -> Result<InsertPoint<K, V, PREFIX_LEN>, InsertPrefixError>
 where
-    K: AsBytes + Borrow<Q>,
-    Q: AsBytes + ?Sized,
+    K: AsBytes,
 {
     fn test_prefix_identify_insert<K, V, N, const PREFIX_LEN: usize>(
         inner_ptr: NodePtr<PREFIX_LEN, N>,
@@ -500,7 +499,6 @@ where
     let mut current_parent = None;
     let mut current_node = root;
     let mut current_depth = 0;
-    let key_bytes = key.as_bytes();
 
     loop {
         let lookup_result = match current_node.to_node_ptr() {
@@ -519,7 +517,7 @@ where
             ConcreteNodePtr::LeafNode(leaf_node_ptr) => {
                 let leaf_node = leaf_node_ptr.read();
 
-                if leaf_node.matches_full_key(key) {
+                if leaf_node.matches_full_key(key_bytes) {
                     return Ok(InsertPoint {
                         key_bytes_used: current_depth,
                         grandparent_ptr_and_parent_key_byte: current_grandparent,
diff --git a/src/nodes/operations/insert/tests.rs b/src/nodes/operations/insert/tests.rs
index 3378e35f..b8bfecb0 100644
--- a/src/nodes/operations/insert/tests.rs
+++ b/src/nodes/operations/insert/tests.rs
@@ -1,8 +1,8 @@
 use crate::{
     deallocate_tree, search_unchecked,
     tests_common::{generate_keys_skewed, insert_unchecked, setup_tree_from_entries},
-    AsBytes, InnerNode, InnerNode4, InnerNodeCompressed, InsertPrefixError, LeafNode, NodePtr,
-    NodeType, OpaqueNodePtr,
+    InnerNode, InnerNode4, InnerNodeCompressed, InsertPrefixError, LeafNode, NodePtr, NodeType,
+    OpaqueNodePtr,
 };
 
 #[test]
@@ -271,7 +271,7 @@ fn insert_existing_key_overwrite() {
 
     let current_root: OpaqueNodePtr<Box<[u8]>, char, 16> = setup_tree_from_entries(entries_it);
 
-    unsafe fn get_value<K: AsBytes, V: Copy, const PREFIX_LEN: usize>(
+    unsafe fn get_value<K, V: Copy, const PREFIX_LEN: usize>(
         n: NodePtr<PREFIX_LEN, LeafNode<K, V>>,
     ) -> V {
         unsafe { *n.as_ref().value_ref() }
diff --git a/src/nodes/operations/lookup.rs b/src/nodes/operations/lookup.rs
index 8fa7ac00..0d1ff44f 100644
--- a/src/nodes/operations/lookup.rs
+++ b/src/nodes/operations/lookup.rs
@@ -1,5 +1,3 @@
-use std::borrow::Borrow;
-
 use crate::{
     AsBytes, ConcreteNodePtr, InnerNode, LeafNode, MatchPrefixResult, NodePtr, OpaqueNodePtr,
 };
@@ -10,13 +8,12 @@ use crate::{
 ///  - This function cannot be called concurrently with any mutating operation
 ///    on `root` or any child node of `root`. This function will arbitrarily
 ///    read to any child in the given tree.
-pub unsafe fn search_unchecked<Q, K, V, const PREFIX_LEN: usize>(
+pub unsafe fn search_unchecked<K, V, const PREFIX_LEN: usize>(
     root: OpaqueNodePtr<K, V, PREFIX_LEN>,
-    key: &Q,
+    key_bytes: &[u8],
 ) -> Option<NodePtr<PREFIX_LEN, LeafNode<K, V>>>
 where
-    K: Borrow<Q> + AsBytes,
-    Q: AsBytes + ?Sized,
+    K: AsBytes,
 {
     let mut current_node = root;
     let mut current_depth = 0;
@@ -26,29 +23,29 @@ where
             ConcreteNodePtr::Node4(inner_ptr) => unsafe {
                 // SAFETY: The safety requirement is covered by the safety requirement on the
                 // containing function
-                check_prefix_lookup_child(inner_ptr, key, &mut current_depth)
+                check_prefix_lookup_child(inner_ptr, key_bytes, &mut current_depth)
             },
             ConcreteNodePtr::Node16(inner_ptr) => unsafe {
                 // SAFETY: The safety requirement is covered by the safety requirement on the
                 // containing function
-                check_prefix_lookup_child(inner_ptr, key, &mut current_depth)
+                check_prefix_lookup_child(inner_ptr, key_bytes, &mut current_depth)
             },
             ConcreteNodePtr::Node48(inner_ptr) => unsafe {
                 // SAFETY: The safety requirement is covered by the safety requirement on the
                 // containing function
-                check_prefix_lookup_child(inner_ptr, key, &mut current_depth)
+                check_prefix_lookup_child(inner_ptr, key_bytes, &mut current_depth)
             },
             ConcreteNodePtr::Node256(inner_ptr) => unsafe {
                 // SAFETY: The safety requirement is covered by the safety requirement on the
                 // containing function
-                check_prefix_lookup_child(inner_ptr, key, &mut current_depth)
+                check_prefix_lookup_child(inner_ptr, key_bytes, &mut current_depth)
             },
             ConcreteNodePtr::LeafNode(leaf_node_ptr) => {
                 let leaf_node = leaf_node_ptr.read();
 
                 // Specifically we are matching the leaf node stored key against the full search
                 // key to confirm that it is the right value.
-                if leaf_node.matches_full_key(key) {
+                if leaf_node.matches_full_key(key_bytes) {
                     return Some(leaf_node_ptr);
                 } else {
                     return None;
@@ -67,30 +64,29 @@ where
 /// # Safety
 ///  - No other access or mutation to the `inner_ptr` Node can happen while this
 ///    function runs.
-pub(crate) unsafe fn check_prefix_lookup_child<Q, K, V, N, const PREFIX_LEN: usize>(
+pub(crate) unsafe fn check_prefix_lookup_child<K, V, N, const PREFIX_LEN: usize>(
     inner_ptr: NodePtr<PREFIX_LEN, N>,
-    key: &Q,
+    key_bytes: &[u8],
     current_depth: &mut usize,
 ) -> Option<OpaqueNodePtr<K, V, PREFIX_LEN>>
 where
     N: InnerNode<PREFIX_LEN, Key = K, Value = V>,
-    K: Borrow<Q> + AsBytes,
-    Q: AsBytes + ?Sized,
+    K: AsBytes,
 {
     // SAFETY: The lifetime produced from this is bounded to this scope and does not
     // escape. Further, no other code mutates the node referenced, which is further
     // enforced the "no concurrent reads or writes" requirement on the
     // `search_unchecked` function.
     let inner_node = unsafe { inner_ptr.as_ref() };
-    let match_prefix = inner_node.match_prefix(key.as_bytes(), *current_depth);
+    let match_prefix = inner_node.match_prefix(key_bytes, *current_depth);
     match match_prefix {
         MatchPrefixResult::Mismatch { .. } => None,
         MatchPrefixResult::Match { matched_bytes } => {
             // Since the prefix matched, advance the depth by the size of the prefix
             *current_depth += matched_bytes;
 
-            let next_key_fragment = if *current_depth < key.as_bytes().len() {
-                key.as_bytes()[*current_depth]
+            let next_key_fragment = if *current_depth < key_bytes.len() {
+                key_bytes[*current_depth]
             } else {
                 // the key has insufficient bytes, it is a prefix of an existing key. Thus, the
                 // key must not exist in the tree by the requirements of the insert function
diff --git a/src/nodes/representation.rs b/src/nodes/representation.rs
index dd52e2a4..7efdcbcb 100644
--- a/src/nodes/representation.rs
+++ b/src/nodes/representation.rs
@@ -2,7 +2,6 @@
 
 use crate::{rust_nightly_apis::assume, tagged_pointer::TaggedPointer, AsBytes};
 use std::{
-    borrow::Borrow,
     fmt,
     hash::Hash,
     iter::FusedIterator,
@@ -275,7 +274,7 @@ pub enum ConcreteNodePtr<K, V, const PREFIX_LEN: usize> {
     LeafNode(NodePtr<PREFIX_LEN, LeafNode<K, V>>),
 }
 
-impl<K: AsBytes, V, const PREFIX_LEN: usize> fmt::Debug for ConcreteNodePtr<K, V, PREFIX_LEN> {
+impl<K, V, const PREFIX_LEN: usize> fmt::Debug for ConcreteNodePtr<K, V, PREFIX_LEN> {
     fn fmt(&self, f: &mut fmt::Formatter<'_>) -> fmt::Result {
         match self {
             Self::Node4(arg0) => f.debug_tuple("Node4").field(arg0).finish(),
@@ -830,12 +829,11 @@ impl<K, V> LeafNode<K, V> {
     }
 
     /// Check that the provided full key is the same one as the stored key.
-    pub fn matches_full_key<Q>(&self, possible_key: &Q) -> bool
+    pub fn matches_full_key(&self, possible_key: &[u8]) -> bool
     where
-        K: Borrow<Q> + AsBytes,
-        Q: AsBytes + ?Sized,
+        K: AsBytes,
     {
-        self.key.borrow().as_bytes().eq(possible_key.as_bytes())
+        self.key.as_bytes().eq(possible_key)
     }
 }
 
diff --git a/src/nodes/visitor/pretty_printer.rs b/src/nodes/visitor/pretty_printer.rs
index 1fe27ea7..342116f5 100644
--- a/src/nodes/visitor/pretty_printer.rs
+++ b/src/nodes/visitor/pretty_printer.rs
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 use crate::{
     visitor::{Visitable, Visitor},
-    AsBytes, InnerNode, NodeType, OpaqueNodePtr, TreeMap,
+    InnerNode, NodeType, OpaqueNodePtr, TreeMap,
 };
 use std::{
     fmt::{Debug, Display},
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ impl<O: Write> DotPrinter<O> {
         settings: DotPrinterSettings,
     ) -> Option<io::Result<()>>
     where
-        K: Display + AsBytes,
+        K: Display,
         V: Display,
     {
         tree.root.map(|root| {
@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@ impl<O: Write> DotPrinter<O> {
         settings: DotPrinterSettings,
     ) -> io::Result<()>
     where
-        K: Display + AsBytes,
+        K: Display,
         V: Display,
     {
         let mut visitor = DotPrinter {
@@ -87,7 +87,7 @@ impl<O: Write> DotPrinter<O> {
         inner_node: &N,
     ) -> io::Result<usize>
     where
-        K: Display + AsBytes,
+        K: Display,
         T: Display,
         N: InnerNode<PREFIX_LEN, Key = K, Value = T>,
     {
@@ -144,7 +144,7 @@ impl<O: Write> DotPrinter<O> {
 
 impl<K, T, O, const PREFIX_LEN: usize> Visitor<K, T, PREFIX_LEN> for DotPrinter<O>
 where
-    K: Display + AsBytes,
+    K: Display,
     T: Display,
     O: Write,
 {
@@ -204,7 +204,7 @@ where
 
 #[cfg(test)]
 mod tests {
-    use crate::deallocate_tree;
+    use crate::{deallocate_tree, AsBytes};
 
     use super::*;
 
diff --git a/src/nodes/visitor/tree_stats.rs b/src/nodes/visitor/tree_stats.rs
index 3ece93ab..5ea78ec7 100644
--- a/src/nodes/visitor/tree_stats.rs
+++ b/src/nodes/visitor/tree_stats.rs
@@ -32,12 +32,12 @@ impl TreeStatsCollector {
     }
 
     /// Iterate through the given tree and return the number of leaf nodes.
-    pub fn count_leaf_nodes<K: AsBytes, V, const PREFIX_LEN: usize>(
+    pub fn count_leaf_nodes<K, V, const PREFIX_LEN: usize>(
         tree: &TreeMap<K, V, PREFIX_LEN>,
     ) -> usize {
         struct LeafNodeCounter;
 
-        impl<K: AsBytes, V, const PREFIX_LEN: usize> Visitor<K, V, PREFIX_LEN> for LeafNodeCounter {
+        impl<K, V, const PREFIX_LEN: usize> Visitor<K, V, PREFIX_LEN> for LeafNodeCounter {
             type Output = usize;
 
             fn default_output(&self) -> Self::Output {
@@ -91,7 +91,7 @@ pub struct InnerNodeStats {
 }
 
 impl InnerNodeStats {
-    fn aggregate_data<K: AsBytes, V, const PREFIX_LEN: usize, N>(&mut self, t: &N)
+    fn aggregate_data<K, V, const PREFIX_LEN: usize, N>(&mut self, t: &N)
     where
         N: InnerNode<PREFIX_LEN, Key = K, Value = V>,
     {
diff --git a/src/nodes/visitor/well_formed.rs b/src/nodes/visitor/well_formed.rs
index 0a1983e3..37d2a58f 100644
--- a/src/nodes/visitor/well_formed.rs
+++ b/src/nodes/visitor/well_formed.rs
@@ -30,7 +30,8 @@ impl<const LEN: usize> PartialEq<[u8; LEN]> for KeyPrefix {
 
 /// An issue with the well-formed-ness of the tree. See the documentation on
 /// [`WellFormedChecker`] for more context.
-pub enum MalformedTreeError<K: AsBytes, V, const PREFIX_LEN: usize> {
+#[derive(PartialEq, Eq)]
+pub enum MalformedTreeError<K, V, const PREFIX_LEN: usize> {
     /// A loop was observed between nodes
     LoopFound {
         /// The node that was observed more than once while traversing the tree
@@ -155,10 +156,7 @@ where
     }
 }
 
-impl<K: AsBytes, V, const PREFIX_LEN: usize> Clone for MalformedTreeError<K, V, PREFIX_LEN>
-where
-    K: Clone,
-{
+impl<K: Clone, V, const PREFIX_LEN: usize> Clone for MalformedTreeError<K, V, PREFIX_LEN> {
     fn clone(&self) -> Self {
         match self {
             Self::LoopFound {
@@ -191,61 +189,6 @@ where
     }
 }
 
-impl<K: AsBytes, V, const PREFIX_LEN: usize> PartialEq for MalformedTreeError<K, V, PREFIX_LEN>
-where
-    K: Eq,
-{
-    fn eq(&self, other: &Self) -> bool {
-        match (self, other) {
-            (
-                Self::LoopFound {
-                    node_ptr: l_node_ptr,
-                    first_observed: l_first_observed,
-                    later_observed: l_later_observed,
-                },
-                Self::LoopFound {
-                    node_ptr: r_node_ptr,
-                    first_observed: r_first_observed,
-                    later_observed: r_later_observed,
-                },
-            ) => {
-                l_node_ptr == r_node_ptr
-                    && l_first_observed == r_first_observed
-                    && l_later_observed == r_later_observed
-            },
-            (
-                Self::WrongChildrenCount {
-                    key_prefix: l_key_prefix,
-                    inner_node_type: l_inner_node_type,
-                    num_children: l_num_children,
-                },
-                Self::WrongChildrenCount {
-                    key_prefix: r_key_prefix,
-                    inner_node_type: r_inner_node_type,
-                    num_children: r_num_children,
-                },
-            ) => {
-                l_key_prefix == r_key_prefix
-                    && l_inner_node_type == r_inner_node_type
-                    && l_num_children == r_num_children
-            },
-            (
-                Self::PrefixMismatch {
-                    expected_prefix: l_expected_prefix,
-                    entire_key: l_entire_key,
-                },
-                Self::PrefixMismatch {
-                    expected_prefix: r_expected_prefix,
-                    entire_key: r_entire_key,
-                },
-            ) => l_expected_prefix == r_expected_prefix && l_entire_key == r_entire_key,
-            _ => false,
-        }
-    }
-}
-
-impl<K: Eq + AsBytes, V, const PREFIX_LEN: usize> Eq for MalformedTreeError<K, V, PREFIX_LEN> {}
-
 impl<K: AsBytes, V, const PREFIX_LEN: usize> Error for MalformedTreeError<K, V, PREFIX_LEN> {}
 
 /// A visitor of the radix tree which checks that the tree is well-formed.
@@ -265,7 +208,7 @@ impl<K: AsBytes, V, const PREFIX_LEN: usize> Error for MalformedTreeError<K, V,
 /// "well-formed" (by the definition given above) if the checker returns
 /// `Ok(())`.
 #[derive(Debug)]
-pub struct WellFormedChecker<K: AsBytes, V, const PREFIX_LEN: usize> {
+pub struct WellFormedChecker<K, V, const PREFIX_LEN: usize> {
     current_key_prefix: Vec<u8>,
     seen_nodes: HashMap<OpaqueNodePtr<K, V, PREFIX_LEN>, KeyPrefix>,
 }
diff --git a/src/tests_common.rs b/src/tests_common.rs
index b3414ea9..c57f72aa 100644
--- a/src/tests_common.rs
+++ b/src/tests_common.rs
@@ -327,7 +327,7 @@ where
 {
     use crate::search_for_insert_point;
 
-    let insert_point = unsafe { search_for_insert_point(root, &key)? };
+    let insert_point = unsafe { search_for_insert_point(root, key.as_bytes())? };
     Ok(insert_point.apply(key, value))
 }