diff --git a/src/c4/yml/event_handler_tree.hpp b/src/c4/yml/event_handler_tree.hpp
index 6ed9d249..d526125d 100644
--- a/src/c4/yml/event_handler_tree.hpp
+++ b/src/c4/yml/event_handler_tree.hpp
@@ -135,6 +135,18 @@ struct EventHandlerTree
 
     void finish_parse()
     {
+        /** This pointer is temporary. Remember that:
+         *
+         * - this handler object may be held by the user
+         * - it may be used with a temporary tree inside the parse function
+         * - when the parse function returns the temporary tree, its address
+         *   will change
+         *
+         * As a result, the user could try to read the tree from m_tree, and
+         * end up reading the stale temporary object.
+         *
+         * So it is better to clear it here; then the user will get an obvious
+         * segfault to read from m_tree. */
         m_tree = nullptr;
     }
 
@@ -298,13 +310,9 @@ struct EventHandlerTree
     /** @name YAML stream functions */
     /** @{ */
 
-    void begin_stream()
-    {
-    }
+    C4_ALWAYS_INLINE void begin_stream() {}
 
-    void end_stream()
-    {
-    }
+    C4_ALWAYS_INLINE void end_stream() {}
 
     /** @} */
 
@@ -797,16 +805,6 @@ struct EventHandlerTree
         }
     }
 
-    C4_ALWAYS_INLINE bool has_key_tag() const
-    {
-        return _has_any_(KEYTAG);
-    }
-
-    C4_ALWAYS_INLINE bool has_val_tag() const
-    {
-        return _has_any_(VALTAG);
-    }
-
     /** @} */
 
 public:
diff --git a/test/test_suite/test_suite_event_handler.hpp b/test/test_suite/test_suite_event_handler.hpp
index 41a0794f..e7342719 100644
--- a/test/test_suite/test_suite_event_handler.hpp
+++ b/test/test_suite/test_suite_event_handler.hpp
@@ -339,6 +339,20 @@ struct EventHandlerYamlStd
         return result;
     }
 
+    bool _should_push_on_begin_doc() const
+    {
+        const bool is_root = (m_stack.size() == 1u);
+        {
+            return is_root && (_has_any_(DOC) || m_curr->ev_has_children);
+        }
+    }
+
+    bool _should_pop_on_end_doc() const
+    {
+        const bool is_root = (m_stack.size() == 1u);
+        return !is_root && _has_any_(DOC);
+    }
+
     /** @} */
 
 public:
@@ -368,20 +382,6 @@ struct EventHandlerYamlStd
     /** @name YAML document functions */
     /** @{ */
 
-    bool _should_push_on_begin_doc() const
-    {
-        const bool is_root = (m_stack.size() == 1u);
-        {
-            return is_root && (_has_any_(DOC) || m_curr->ev_has_children);
-        }
-    }
-
-    bool _should_pop_on_end_doc() const
-    {
-        const bool is_root = (m_stack.size() == 1u);
-        return !is_root && _has_any_(DOC);
-    }
-
     /** called at the beginning of parsing a non-empty stream */
     void begin_doc()
     {
@@ -834,16 +834,6 @@ struct EventHandlerYamlStd
         }
     }
 
-    C4_ALWAYS_INLINE bool has_key_tag() const
-    {
-        return _has_any_(KEYTAG);
-    }
-
-    C4_ALWAYS_INLINE bool has_val_tag() const
-    {
-        return _has_any_(VALTAG);
-    }
-
     /** @} */
 
 public: