diff --git a/src/dock_state/mod.rs b/src/dock_state/mod.rs
index c385df5..4e7d3c4 100644
--- a/src/dock_state/mod.rs
+++ b/src/dock_state/mod.rs
@@ -43,11 +43,7 @@ impl<Tab> std::ops::Index<SurfaceIndex> for DockState<Tab> {
 
     #[inline(always)]
     fn index(&self, index: SurfaceIndex) -> &Self::Output {
-        let Some(tree) = self
-            .surfaces
-            .get(&index)
-            .and_then(|surface| surface.node_tree())
-        else {
+        let Some(tree) = self.surfaces.get(&index).map(|surface| surface.node_tree()) else {
             panic!("There did not exist a tree at surface index {}", index.0);
         };
         tree
@@ -60,7 +56,7 @@ impl<Tab> std::ops::IndexMut<SurfaceIndex> for DockState<Tab> {
         let Some(tree) = self
             .surfaces
             .get_mut(&index)
-            .and_then(|surface| surface.node_tree_mut())
+            .map(|surface| surface.node_tree_mut())
         else {
             panic!("There did not exist a tree at surface index {}", index.0);
         };
@@ -162,9 +158,7 @@ impl<Tab> DockState<Tab> {
     /// Returns true if the specified surface exists and isn't [`Empty`](Surface::Empty).
     #[inline]
     pub fn is_surface_valid(&self, surface_index: SurfaceIndex) -> bool {
-        self.surfaces
-            .get(&surface_index)
-            .map_or(false, |surface| !surface.is_empty())
+        self.surfaces.get(&surface_index).is_some()
     }
 
     /// Returns a list of all valid [`SurfaceIndex`]es.
@@ -447,8 +441,7 @@ impl<Tab> DockState<Tab> {
     pub fn iter_nodes(&self) -> impl Iterator<Item = &Node<Tab>> {
         self.surfaces
             .values()
-            .filter_map(|surface| surface.node_tree())
-            .flat_map(|nodes| nodes.iter())
+            .flat_map(|surface| surface.node_tree().iter())
     }
 
     /// Returns a new [`DockState`] while mapping and filtering the tab type.
@@ -476,7 +469,7 @@ impl<Tab> DockState<Tab> {
             .iter()
             .filter_map(|(idx, surface)| {
                 let surface = surface.filter_map_tabs(function.clone());
-                (!surface.is_empty()).then_some((*idx, surface))
+                (!surface.node_tree().is_empty()).then_some((*idx, surface))
             })
             .collect();
         DockState {
@@ -542,7 +535,7 @@ impl<Tab> DockState<Tab> {
             .values_mut()
             .for_each(|surface| surface.retain_tabs(predicate.clone()));
         self.surfaces
-            .retain(|idx, surface| idx.is_main() || !surface.is_empty());
+            .retain(|idx, surface| idx.is_main() || !surface.node_tree().is_empty());
     }
 }
 
@@ -560,11 +553,9 @@ where
     ///
     /// See also: [`find_main_surface_tab`](DockState::find_main_surface_tab)
     pub fn find_tab(&self, needle_tab: &Tab) -> Option<(SurfaceIndex, NodeIndex, TabIndex)> {
-        for &surface_index in self.valid_surface_indices().iter() {
-            if !self.surfaces[&surface_index].is_empty() {
-                if let Some((node_index, tab_index)) = self[surface_index].find_tab(needle_tab) {
-                    return Some((surface_index, node_index, tab_index));
-                }
+        for (surface_index, surface) in self.surfaces.iter() {
+            if let Some((node_index, tab_index)) = surface.node_tree().find_tab(needle_tab) {
+                return Some((*surface_index, node_index, tab_index));
             }
         }
         None
diff --git a/src/dock_state/surface.rs b/src/dock_state/surface.rs
index e0c7668..d7f48a4 100644
--- a/src/dock_state/surface.rs
+++ b/src/dock_state/surface.rs
@@ -6,9 +6,6 @@ use crate::{Node, NodeIndex, Tree, WindowState};
 #[derive(Clone, Debug)]
 #[cfg_attr(feature = "serde", derive(serde::Deserialize, serde::Serialize))]
 pub enum Surface<Tab> {
-    /// An empty surface, with nothing inside (practically, a null surface).
-    Empty,
-
     /// The main surface of a [`DockState`](crate::DockState), only one should exist at surface index 0 at any one time.
     Main(Tree<Tab>),
 
@@ -17,26 +14,19 @@ pub enum Surface<Tab> {
 }
 
 impl<Tab> Surface<Tab> {
-    /// Is this surface [`Empty`](Self::Empty) (in practice null)?
-    pub const fn is_empty(&self) -> bool {
-        matches!(self, Self::Empty)
-    }
-
     /// Get access to the node tree of this surface.
-    pub fn node_tree(&self) -> Option<&Tree<Tab>> {
+    pub fn node_tree(&self) -> &Tree<Tab> {
         match self {
-            Surface::Empty => None,
-            Surface::Main(tree) => Some(tree),
-            Surface::Window(tree, _) => Some(tree),
+            Surface::Main(tree) => tree,
+            Surface::Window(tree, _) => tree,
         }
     }
 
     /// Get mutable access to the node tree of this surface.
-    pub fn node_tree_mut(&mut self) -> Option<&mut Tree<Tab>> {
+    pub fn node_tree_mut(&mut self) -> &mut Tree<Tab> {
         match self {
-            Surface::Empty => None,
-            Surface::Main(tree) => Some(tree),
-            Surface::Window(tree, _) => Some(tree),
+            Surface::Main(tree) => tree,
+            Surface::Window(tree, _) => tree,
         }
     }
 
@@ -44,20 +34,14 @@ impl<Tab> Surface<Tab> {
     ///
     /// If the surface is [`Empty`](Self::Empty), then the returned [`Iterator`] will be empty.
     pub fn iter_nodes(&self) -> impl Iterator<Item = &Node<Tab>> {
-        match self.node_tree() {
-            Some(tree) => tree.iter(),
-            None => todo!(),
-        }
+        self.node_tree().iter()
     }
 
     /// Returns a mutable [`Iterator`] of nodes in this surface's tree.
     ///
     /// If the surface is [`Empty`](Self::Empty), then the returned [`Iterator`] will be empty.
     pub fn iter_nodes_mut(&mut self) -> impl Iterator<Item = &mut Node<Tab>> {
-        match self.node_tree_mut() {
-            Some(tree) => tree.iter_mut(),
-            None => todo!(),
-        }
+        self.node_tree_mut().iter_mut()
     }
 
     /// Returns an [`Iterator`] of **all** tabs in this surface's tree,
@@ -84,15 +68,9 @@ impl<Tab> Surface<Tab> {
         F: Clone + FnMut(&Tab) -> Option<NewTab>,
     {
         match self {
-            Surface::Empty => Surface::Empty,
             Surface::Main(tree) => Surface::Main(tree.filter_map_tabs(function)),
             Surface::Window(tree, window_state) => {
-                let tree = tree.filter_map_tabs(function);
-                if tree.is_empty() {
-                    Surface::Empty
-                } else {
-                    Surface::Window(tree, window_state.clone())
-                }
+                Surface::Window(tree.filter_map_tabs(function), window_state.clone())
             }
         }
     }
@@ -123,11 +101,7 @@ impl<Tab> Surface<Tab> {
     where
         F: Clone + FnMut(&mut Tab) -> bool,
     {
-        if let Surface::Main(tree) | Surface::Window(tree, _) = self {
-            tree.retain_tabs(predicate);
-            if tree.is_empty() {
-                *self = Surface::Empty;
-            }
-        }
+        let (Surface::Main(tree) | Surface::Window(tree, _)) = self;
+        tree.retain_tabs(predicate);
     }
 }