diff --git a/src/base.jl b/src/base.jl
index d3fde13..032a4d3 100644
--- a/src/base.jl
+++ b/src/base.jl
@@ -152,7 +152,7 @@ Get the number of leaves in the tree rooted at `node`. Leaf nodes have a breadth
 By default this recurses through all nodes in the tree and so may be slow if a more specialized
 method has not been implemented for the given type.
 """
-treebreadth(node) = isempty(children(node)) ? 1 : mapreduce(treebreadth, +, children(node))
+treebreadth(node) = ischildrenempty(children(node)) ? 1 : mapreduce(treebreadth, +, children(node))
 
 
 """
@@ -163,7 +163,7 @@ Get the maximum depth from `node` to any of its descendants. Leaf nodes have a h
 By default this recurses through all nodes in the tree and so may be slow if a more specialized
 method has not been implemented for the given type.
 """
-treeheight(node) = isempty(children(node)) ? 0 : 1 + mapreduce(treeheight, max, children(node))
+treeheight(node) = ischildrenempty(children(node)) ? 0 : 1 + mapreduce(treeheight, max, children(node))
 
 """
     descendleft(node)
@@ -173,7 +173,7 @@ Descend from the node `node` to the first encountered leaf node by recursively c
 """
 function descendleft(node)
     ch = children(node)
-    isempty(ch) && return node
+    ischildrenempty(ch) && return node
     descendleft(first(ch))
 end
 
@@ -273,3 +273,15 @@ function StableNode{T}(𝒻, node) where {T}
     StableNode{T}(convert(T, 𝒻(node)), map(n -> StableNode{T}(𝒻, n), children(node)))
 end
 
+# isempty check for children that is consistent with interface
+# without this the fallback isempty can waste a call to iterate
+# tested the test (ch===()) but it ended up being slopwer
+ischildrenempty(@nospecialize ch::Tuple) = (@inline; ch == ())
+
+#fallback definition
+ischildrenempty(ch) =  (@inline; isempty(ch))
+
+
+
+
+
diff --git a/src/cursors.jl b/src/cursors.jl
index d3393d2..0b47487 100644
--- a/src/cursors.jl
+++ b/src/cursors.jl
@@ -283,7 +283,7 @@ struct StableCursor{N,S} <: TreeCursor{N,N}
     # note that this very deliberately takes childstatetype(n) and *not* childstatetype(p)
     # this is because p may be nothing
     StableCursor(::Nothing, n, st) = new{typeof(n),childstatetype(n)}(nothing, n, st)
-    
+
     # this method is important for eliminating expensive calls to childstatetype
     StableCursor(p::StableCursor{N,S}, n, st) where {N,S} = new{N,S}(p, n, st)
 end
@@ -374,3 +374,7 @@ TreeCursor(::NodeTypeUnknown, ::NonIndexedChildren, ::ParentLinks, ::ImplicitSib
 # extra methods to resolve ambiguity
 TreeCursor(::NodeTypeUnknown, ::IndexedChildren, ::StoredParents, ::StoredSiblings, node) = TrivialCursor(node)
 TreeCursor(::NodeTypeUnknown, ::NonIndexedChildren, ::StoredParents, ::StoredSiblings, node) = TrivialCursor(node)
+
+function ischildrenempty(x::TreeCursor)
+    (ischildrenempty ∘ children ∘ nodevalue)(x)
+end
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/iteration.jl b/src/iteration.jl
index f0ffbb9..c4623e2 100644
--- a/src/iteration.jl
+++ b/src/iteration.jl
@@ -107,7 +107,7 @@ initial(::Type{PreOrderState}, node) = PreOrderState(node)
 function next(f, s::PreOrderState)
     if f(nodevalue(s.cursor))
         ch = children(s.cursor)
-        isempty(ch) || return instance(PreOrderState, first(ch))
+        ischildrenempty(ch) || return instance(PreOrderState, first(ch))
     end
 
     csr = s.cursor
@@ -376,7 +376,7 @@ Base.iterate(ti::StatelessBFS) = (ti.root, [])
 function _descend_left(inds, next_node, level)
     while length(inds) ≠ level
         ch = children(next_node)
-        isempty(ch) && break
+        ischildrenempty(ch) && break
         push!(inds, 1)
         next_node = first(ch)
     end
diff --git a/src/printing.jl b/src/printing.jl
index 083d971..b902470 100644
--- a/src/printing.jl
+++ b/src/printing.jl
@@ -208,7 +208,7 @@ function print_tree(printnode::Function, io::IO, node;
     c = children(node)
 
     # No children?
-    isempty(c) && return
+    ischildrenempty(c) && return
 
     # Reached max depth?
     if depth ≥ maxdepth