diff --git a/lib/FixedMerkleTree.js b/lib/FixedMerkleTree.js
index 0f12a93..f734768 100644
--- a/lib/FixedMerkleTree.js
+++ b/lib/FixedMerkleTree.js
@@ -95,7 +95,10 @@ class MerkleTree extends BaseTree_1.BaseTree {
      * otherwise the tree state will be invalid
      */
     static deserialize(data, hashFunction) {
-        return new MerkleTree(data.levels, data._layers[0], { hashFunction, zeroElement: data._zeros[0] });
+        const instance = Object.assign(Object.create(this.prototype), data);
+        instance._hashFn = hashFunction || simpleHash_1.default;
+        instance.zeroElement = instance._zeros[0];
+        return instance;
     }
     toString() {
         return JSON.stringify(this.serialize());
diff --git a/lib/PartialMerkleTree.js b/lib/PartialMerkleTree.js
index bc04346..4d03d6a 100644
--- a/lib/PartialMerkleTree.js
+++ b/lib/PartialMerkleTree.js
@@ -91,14 +91,15 @@ class PartialMerkleTree extends BaseTree_1.BaseTree {
             pathIndices[level] = elIndex % 2;
             const leafIndex = elIndex ^ 1;
             if (leafIndex < this._layers[level].length) {
-                const [proofPos, proofEl] = this._proofMap.get(level);
-                pathElements[level] = (_a = this._layers[level][leafIndex]) !== null && _a !== void 0 ? _a : (proofPos === leafIndex ? proofEl : null);
+                pathElements[level] = this._layers[level][leafIndex];
                 pathPositions[level] = leafIndex;
             }
             else {
                 pathElements[level] = this._zeros[level];
                 pathPositions[level] = 0;
             }
+            const [proofPos, proofEl] = this._proofMap.get(level);
+            pathElements[level] = (_a = pathElements[level]) !== null && _a !== void 0 ? _a : (proofPos === leafIndex ? proofEl : this._zeros[level]);
             elIndex >>= 1;
         }
         return {
@@ -127,27 +128,22 @@ class PartialMerkleTree extends BaseTree_1.BaseTree {
         this._buildTree();
     }
     serialize() {
-        const leaves = this.layers[0].slice(this._edgeLeaf.index);
         return {
             _edgeLeafProof: this._edgeLeafProof,
             _edgeLeaf: this._edgeLeaf,
-            _edgeElementsCount: this._layers[0].length,
-            levels: this.levels,
-            leaves,
+            _layers: this._layers,
             _zeros: this._zeros,
+            levels: this.levels,
         };
     }
     static deserialize(data, hashFunction) {
-        const edge = {
-            edgePath: data._edgeLeafProof,
-            edgeElement: data._edgeLeaf.data,
-            edgeIndex: data._edgeLeaf.index,
-            edgeElementsCount: data._edgeElementsCount,
-        };
-        return new PartialMerkleTree(data.levels, edge, data.leaves, {
-            hashFunction,
-            zeroElement: data._zeros[0],
-        });
+        const instance = Object.assign(Object.create(this.prototype), data);
+        instance._hashFn = hashFunction || simpleHash_1.default;
+        instance._initialRoot = data._edgeLeafProof.pathRoot;
+        instance.zeroElement = instance._zeros[0];
+        instance._leavesAfterEdge = instance._layers[0].slice(data._edgeLeaf.index);
+        instance._createProofMap();
+        return instance;
     }
     toString() {
         return JSON.stringify(this.serialize());
diff --git a/lib/index.d.ts b/lib/index.d.ts
index 7c12bf1..b1c2abc 100644
--- a/lib/index.d.ts
+++ b/lib/index.d.ts
@@ -18,8 +18,7 @@ export declare type SerializedTreeState = {
 };
 export declare type SerializedPartialTreeState = {
     levels: number;
-    leaves: Element[];
-    _edgeElementsCount: number;
+    _layers: Element[][];
     _zeros: Array<Element>;
     _edgeLeafProof: ProofPath;
     _edgeLeaf: LeafWithIndex;
diff --git a/package-lock.json b/package-lock.json
index 82f312d..b2da3d6 100644
--- a/package-lock.json
+++ b/package-lock.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "fixed-merkle-tree",
-  "version": "0.7.1",
+  "version": "0.7.3",
   "lockfileVersion": 1,
   "requires": true,
   "dependencies": {
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 3b2eda7..ebc00dc 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "fixed-merkle-tree",
-  "version": "0.7.2",
+  "version": "0.7.3",
   "description": "Fixed depth merkle tree implementation with sequential inserts",
   "repository": "https://github.com/tornadocash/fixed-merkle-tree.git",
   "main": "lib/index.js",
diff --git a/src/FixedMerkleTree.ts b/src/FixedMerkleTree.ts
index 4177531..4f1cfa4 100644
--- a/src/FixedMerkleTree.ts
+++ b/src/FixedMerkleTree.ts
@@ -106,7 +106,10 @@ export default class MerkleTree extends BaseTree {
    * otherwise the tree state will be invalid
    */
   static deserialize(data: SerializedTreeState, hashFunction?: HashFunction<Element>): MerkleTree {
-    return new MerkleTree(data.levels, data._layers[0], { hashFunction, zeroElement: data._zeros[0] })
+    const instance: MerkleTree = Object.assign(Object.create(this.prototype), data)
+    instance._hashFn = hashFunction || defaultHash
+    instance.zeroElement = instance._zeros[0]
+    return instance
   }
 
   toString() {
diff --git a/src/PartialMerkleTree.ts b/src/PartialMerkleTree.ts
index 074ab90..3fdc339 100644
--- a/src/PartialMerkleTree.ts
+++ b/src/PartialMerkleTree.ts
@@ -113,13 +113,14 @@ export class PartialMerkleTree extends BaseTree {
       pathIndices[level] = elIndex % 2
       const leafIndex = elIndex ^ 1
       if (leafIndex < this._layers[level].length) {
-        const [proofPos, proofEl] = this._proofMap.get(level)
-        pathElements[level] = this._layers[level][leafIndex] ?? (proofPos === leafIndex ? proofEl : null)
+        pathElements[level] = this._layers[level][leafIndex]
         pathPositions[level] = leafIndex
       } else {
         pathElements[level] = this._zeros[level]
         pathPositions[level] = 0
       }
+      const [proofPos, proofEl] = this._proofMap.get(level)
+      pathElements[level] = pathElements[level] ?? (proofPos === leafIndex ? proofEl : this._zeros[level])
       elIndex >>= 1
     }
     return {
@@ -152,28 +153,23 @@ export class PartialMerkleTree extends BaseTree {
   }
 
   serialize(): SerializedPartialTreeState {
-    const leaves = this.layers[0].slice(this._edgeLeaf.index)
     return {
       _edgeLeafProof: this._edgeLeafProof,
       _edgeLeaf: this._edgeLeaf,
-      _edgeElementsCount: this._layers[0].length,
-      levels: this.levels,
-      leaves,
+      _layers: this._layers,
       _zeros: this._zeros,
+      levels: this.levels,
     }
   }
 
   static deserialize(data: SerializedPartialTreeState, hashFunction?: HashFunction<Element>): PartialMerkleTree {
-    const edge: TreeEdge = {
-      edgePath: data._edgeLeafProof,
-      edgeElement: data._edgeLeaf.data,
-      edgeIndex: data._edgeLeaf.index,
-      edgeElementsCount: data._edgeElementsCount,
-    }
-    return new PartialMerkleTree(data.levels, edge, data.leaves, {
-      hashFunction,
-      zeroElement: data._zeros[0],
-    })
+    const instance: PartialMerkleTree = Object.assign(Object.create(this.prototype), data)
+    instance._hashFn = hashFunction || defaultHash
+    instance._initialRoot = data._edgeLeafProof.pathRoot
+    instance.zeroElement = instance._zeros[0]
+    instance._leavesAfterEdge = instance._layers[0].slice(data._edgeLeaf.index)
+    instance._createProofMap()
+    return instance
   }
 
   toString() {
diff --git a/src/index.ts b/src/index.ts
index 21c799a..0b33901 100644
--- a/src/index.ts
+++ b/src/index.ts
@@ -22,8 +22,7 @@ export type SerializedTreeState = {
 
 export type SerializedPartialTreeState = {
   levels: number
-  leaves: Element[]
-  _edgeElementsCount: number
+  _layers: Element[][]
   _zeros: Array<Element>
   _edgeLeafProof: ProofPath
   _edgeLeaf: LeafWithIndex
diff --git a/test/partialMerkleTree.spec.ts b/test/partialMerkleTree.spec.ts
index a625ae4..2d8e892 100644
--- a/test/partialMerkleTree.spec.ts
+++ b/test/partialMerkleTree.spec.ts
@@ -276,7 +276,7 @@ describe('PartialMerkleTree', () => {
 
       partialTree.insert(10)
       dst.insert(10)
-
+      assert.deepStrictEqual(partialTree.path(6), dst.path(6))
       should().equal(partialTree.root, dst.root)
     })
   })
@@ -285,12 +285,12 @@ describe('PartialMerkleTree', () => {
       const { partialTree } = getTestTrees(5, [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9], 5)
       const str = partialTree.toString()
       const dst = PartialMerkleTree.deserialize(JSON.parse(str))
-      should().equal(partialTree.root, dst.root)
-
+      assert.deepStrictEqual(partialTree.path(6), dst.path(6))
       partialTree.insert(10)
       dst.insert(10)
 
-      should().equal(partialTree.root, dst.root)
+      assert.deepStrictEqual(partialTree.path(6), dst.path(6))
+      assert.deepStrictEqual(partialTree.root, dst.root)
     })
   })
 })