diff --git a/Sources/ContainerizationEXT4/EXT4+FileTree.swift b/Sources/ContainerizationEXT4/EXT4+FileTree.swift
index db69c995..aa26c247 100644
--- a/Sources/ContainerizationEXT4/EXT4+FileTree.swift
+++ b/Sources/ContainerizationEXT4/EXT4+FileTree.swift
@@ -22,7 +22,9 @@ extension EXT4 {
         class FileTreeNode {
             let inode: InodeNumber
             let name: String
-            var children: [Ptr<FileTreeNode>] = []
+            private(set) var children: [Ptr<FileTreeNode>] = []
+            // Name index of `children` for O(1) lookup, maintained by addChild/removeChild.
+            private(set) var childIndex: [String: Ptr<FileTreeNode>] = [:]
             var blocks: (start: UInt32, end: UInt32)?
             var additionalBlocks: [(start: UInt32, end: UInt32)]?
             var link: InodeNumber?
@@ -39,16 +41,19 @@ extension EXT4 {
             ) {
                 self.inode = inode
                 self.name = name
-                self.children = children
                 self.blocks = blocks
                 self.additionalBlocks = additionalBlocks
                 self.link = link
                 self.parent = parent
+                for child in children {
+                    self.addChild(child)
+                }
             }
 
             deinit {
                 self.children.removeAll()
                 self.children = []
+                self.childIndex.removeAll()
                 self.blocks = nil
                 self.additionalBlocks = nil
                 self.link = nil
@@ -64,6 +69,16 @@ extension EXT4 {
                 let path = components.reversed().joined(separator: "/")
                 return FilePath(path).lexicallyNormalized()
             }
+
+            func addChild(_ child: Ptr<FileTreeNode>) {
+                children.append(child)
+                childIndex[child.pointee.name] = child
+            }
+
+            func removeChild(named name: String) {
+                children.removeAll { $0.pointee.name == name }
+                childIndex[name] = nil
+            }
         }
 
         var root: Ptr<FileTreeNode>
@@ -82,18 +97,10 @@ extension EXT4 {
                 return node
             }
             for component in components {
-                var found = false
-                for childPtr in node.pointee.children {
-                    let child = childPtr.pointee
-                    if child.name == component {
-                        node = childPtr
-                        found = true
-                        break
-                    }
-                }
-                guard found else {
+                guard let childPtr = node.pointee.childIndex[component] else {
                     return nil
                 }
+                node = childPtr
             }
             return node
         }
diff --git a/Sources/ContainerizationEXT4/EXT4+Formatter.swift b/Sources/ContainerizationEXT4/EXT4+Formatter.swift
index 5f7ff44a..6cca3885 100644
--- a/Sources/ContainerizationEXT4/EXT4+Formatter.swift
+++ b/Sources/ContainerizationEXT4/EXT4+Formatter.swift
@@ -186,7 +186,7 @@ extension EXT4 {
                     blocks: nil,
                     link: targetNode.inode
                 ))
-            parentTreeNode.children.append(linkTreeNodePtr)
+            parentTreeNode.addChild(linkTreeNodePtr)
             parentTreeNodePtr.pointee = parentTreeNode
         }
 
@@ -254,9 +254,7 @@ extension EXT4 {
                 }
             }
             parentInodePtr.pointee = parentInode
-            parentNode.children.removeAll { childPtr in
-                childPtr.pointee.name == pathComponent
-            }
+            parentNode.removeChild(named: pathComponent)
             parentNodePtr.pointee = parentNode
 
             if let hardlink = pathNode.link {
@@ -412,7 +410,7 @@ extension EXT4 {
                         children: [],
                         blocks: (startBlock, endBlock)
                     ))
-                parentTreeNode.children.append(childTreeNodePtr)
+                parentTreeNode.addChild(childTreeNodePtr)
                 parentTreeNodePtr.pointee = parentTreeNode
             }
             childInode.mode = mode
diff --git a/Sources/ContainerizationEXT4/EXT4+Reader.swift b/Sources/ContainerizationEXT4/EXT4+Reader.swift
index 640b16ff..5b2fa90c 100644
--- a/Sources/ContainerizationEXT4/EXT4+Reader.swift
+++ b/Sources/ContainerizationEXT4/EXT4+Reader.swift
@@ -102,7 +102,7 @@ extension EXT4 {
                         itemTreeNode.blocks = blocks.first
                     }
                     let itemTreeNodePtr = Ptr(itemTreeNode)
-                    root.children.append(itemTreeNodePtr)
+                    root.addChild(itemTreeNodePtr)
                     itemPtr.pointee = root
                     let itemInode = try self.getInode(number: itemInodeNum)
                     if itemInode.mode.isDir() {
diff --git a/Tests/ContainerizationEXT4Tests/TestEXT4Reader+IO.swift b/Tests/ContainerizationEXT4Tests/TestEXT4Reader+IO.swift
index 40d241d2..37b77566 100644
--- a/Tests/ContainerizationEXT4Tests/TestEXT4Reader+IO.swift
+++ b/Tests/ContainerizationEXT4Tests/TestEXT4Reader+IO.swift
@@ -617,10 +617,10 @@ struct EXT4PathIOTests {
         let tree = EXT4.FileTree(EXT4.RootInode, "/")
 
         let dirPtr = EXT4.Ptr(EXT4.FileTree.FileTreeNode(inode: 3, name: "dir", parent: tree.root))
-        tree.root.pointee.children.append(dirPtr)
+        tree.root.pointee.addChild(dirPtr)
 
         let filePtr = EXT4.Ptr(EXT4.FileTree.FileTreeNode(inode: 4, name: "file", parent: dirPtr))
-        dirPtr.pointee.children.append(filePtr)
+        dirPtr.pointee.addChild(filePtr)
 
         #expect(dirPtr.pointee.path == FilePath("/dir"))
         #expect(filePtr.pointee.path == FilePath("/dir/file"))
@@ -631,10 +631,10 @@ struct EXT4PathIOTests {
         let tree = EXT4.FileTree(EXT4.RootInode, ".")
 
         let dirPtr = EXT4.Ptr(EXT4.FileTree.FileTreeNode(inode: 3, name: "dir", parent: tree.root))
-        tree.root.pointee.children.append(dirPtr)
+        tree.root.pointee.addChild(dirPtr)
 
         let filePtr = EXT4.Ptr(EXT4.FileTree.FileTreeNode(inode: 4, name: "file", parent: dirPtr))
-        dirPtr.pointee.children.append(filePtr)
+        dirPtr.pointee.addChild(filePtr)
 
         #expect(dirPtr.pointee.path == FilePath("dir"))
         #expect(filePtr.pointee.path == FilePath("dir/file"))
@@ -645,7 +645,7 @@ struct EXT4PathIOTests {
         let tree = EXT4.FileTree(EXT4.RootInode, "dir")
 
         let filePtr = EXT4.Ptr(EXT4.FileTree.FileTreeNode(inode: 3, name: "file", parent: tree.root))
-        tree.root.pointee.children.append(filePtr)
+        tree.root.pointee.addChild(filePtr)
 
         #expect(filePtr.pointee.path == FilePath("dir/file"))
     }