diff --git a/basis/ui/traverse/traverse.factor b/basis/ui/traverse/traverse.factor
index 5e7c8e7cf7..1415cfe939 100644
--- a/basis/ui/traverse/traverse.factor
+++ b/basis/ui/traverse/traverse.factor
@@ -1,73 +1,59 @@
 ! Copyright (C) 2007, 2009 Slava Pestov.
 ! See http://factorcode.org/license.txt for BSD license.
-USING: accessors namespaces make sequences kernel math arrays io
-ui.gadgets generic combinators fry sets ;
+USING: accessors arrays combinators fry generic io kernel locals
+make math namespaces sequences sets ui.gadgets ;
 IN: ui.traverse
 
 TUPLE: node value children ;
 
 : traverse-step ( path gadget -- path' gadget' )
-    [ unclip ] dip children>> ?nth ;
+    [ unclip-slice ] dip children>> ?nth ;
 
-: make-node ( quot -- ) { } make node boa , ; inline
+: make-node ( value quot -- node ) { } make node boa ; inline
 
-: traverse-to-path ( topath gadget -- )
-    dup not [
-        2drop
-    ] [
-        over empty? [
-            nip ,
-        ] [
+:: traverse-to-path ( topath gadget -- )
+    gadget [
+        topath empty? [
             [
-                [ children>> swap first head-slice % ]
-                [ nip ]
-                [ traverse-step traverse-to-path ]
-                2tri
+                gadget children>> topath first head-slice %
+                topath gadget traverse-step traverse-to-path
             ] make-node
-        ] if
-    ] if ;
+        ] unless ,
+    ] when* ;
 
-: traverse-from-path ( frompath gadget -- )
-    dup not [
-        2drop
-    ] [
-        over empty? [
-            nip ,
-        ] [
+:: traverse-from-path ( frompath gadget -- )
+    gadget [
+        frompath empty? [
             [
-                [ traverse-step traverse-from-path ]
-                [ nip ]
-                [ children>> swap first 1 + tail-slice % ]
-                2tri
+                frompath gadget traverse-step traverse-from-path
+                gadget children>> frompath first 1 + tail-slice %
             ] make-node
-        ] if
-    ] if ;
+        ] unless ,
+    ] when* ;
 
 : traverse-pre ( frompath gadget -- )
     traverse-step traverse-from-path ;
 
-: (traverse-middle) ( frompath topath gadget -- )
-    [ first 1 + ] [ first ] [ children>> ] tri* <slice> % ;
-
 : traverse-post ( topath gadget -- )
     traverse-step traverse-to-path ;
 
-: traverse-middle ( frompath topath gadget -- )
-    [
-        3dup nip traverse-pre
-        3dup (traverse-middle)
-        2dup traverse-post
-        2nip
-    ] make-node ;
+:: traverse-middle ( frompath topath gadget -- )
+    gadget [
+        frompath gadget traverse-pre
+        frompath first 1 + topath first gadget children>> <slice> %
+        topath gadget traverse-post
+    ] make-node , ;
 
-DEFER: (gadget-subtree)
+DEFER: gadget-subtree%
 
-: traverse-child ( frompath topath gadget -- )
-    [ 2nip ] 3keep
-    [ [ rest-slice ] 2dip traverse-step (gadget-subtree) ]
-    make-node ;
+:: traverse-child ( frompath topath gadget -- )
+    gadget [
+        frompath rest-slice
+        topath gadget traverse-step
+        gadget-subtree%
+    ] make-node , ;
 
-: (gadget-subtree) ( frompath topath gadget -- )
+: gadget-subtree% ( frompath topath gadget -- )
     {
         { [ dup not ] [ 3drop ] }
         { [ pick empty? pick empty? and ] [ 2nip , ] }
@@ -78,7 +64,7 @@ DEFER: (gadget-subtree)
     } cond ;
 
 : gadget-subtree ( frompath topath gadget -- seq )
-    [ (gadget-subtree) ] { } make ;
+    [ gadget-subtree% ] { } make ;
 
 M: node gadget-text*
     [ children>> ] [ value>> ] bi gadget-seq-text ;