diff --git a/ggml-backend.c b/ggml-backend.c
index a355b5fe8..24e84b101 100644
--- a/ggml-backend.c
+++ b/ggml-backend.c
@@ -264,7 +264,6 @@ void ggml_allocator_default_free_tensor(struct ggml_backend_buffer * alloc, stru
     size_t size = ggml_backend_buffer_get_alloc_size(alloc, tensor);
     size = aligned_offset(NULL, size, allocator_ctx->alignment);
     AT_PRINTF("%s: freeing %s (%zu bytes) - n_free_blocks = %d\n", __func__, tensor->name, size, allocator_ctx->n_free_blocks);
-    tensor->freed = true;
 
 #ifdef GGML_ALLOCATOR_DEBUG
     remove_allocated_tensor(allocator_ctx, tensor);
@@ -858,13 +857,12 @@ static void ggml_graph_allocate_tensors_n(
             struct ggml_tensor * node = gf->nodes[i];
             node->n_children = 0;
             node->n_views = 0;
-            //node->freed = false;
         }
+
         for (int i = 0; i < gf->n_leafs; i++) {
             struct ggml_tensor * leaf = gf->leafs[i];
             leaf->n_children = 0;
             leaf->n_views = 0;
-            //leaf->freed = false;
         }
     }
 
@@ -912,7 +910,6 @@ static void ggml_graph_allocate_tensors_n(
                 if (parent == NULL) {
                     break;
                 }
-                GGML_ASSERT(!parent->freed && "tensor used after free");
                 allocate_node(buffer, parent);
             }
 
diff --git a/ggml.c b/ggml.c
index cff0b2f59..2cc8d42b7 100644
--- a/ggml.c
+++ b/ggml.c
@@ -4530,16 +4530,15 @@ struct ggml_tensor * ggml_new_tensor_impl(
         /*.is_param     =*/ false,
         /*.grad         =*/ NULL,
         /*.src          =*/ { NULL },
-        /*.node_id      =*/ -1,
+        /*.visited      =*/ false,
         /*.n_children   =*/ 0,
         /*.n_views      =*/ 0,
-        /*.freed        =*/ false,
         /*.perf_runs    =*/ 0,
         /*.perf_cycles  =*/ 0,
         /*.perf_time_us =*/ 0,
         /*.data         =*/ data,
-        /*.name         =*/ { 0 },
         /*.extra        =*/ NULL,
+        /*.name         =*/ { 0 },
         /*.padding      =*/ { 0 },
     };
 
@@ -15818,9 +15817,10 @@ static void ggml_visit_parents(struct ggml_cgraph * cgraph, struct ggml_tensor *
     }
 
     // check if already visited
-    if (node->node_id != -1) {
+    if (node->visited) {
         return;
     }
+    node->visited = true;
 
     for (int i = 0; i < GGML_MAX_SRC; ++i) {
         if (node->src[i]) {
@@ -15839,7 +15839,6 @@ static void ggml_visit_parents(struct ggml_cgraph * cgraph, struct ggml_tensor *
             ggml_format_name(node, "leaf_%d", cgraph->n_leafs);
         }
 
-        node->node_id = cgraph->n_leafs;
         cgraph->leafs[cgraph->n_leafs] = node;
         cgraph->n_leafs++;
     } else {
@@ -15849,7 +15848,6 @@ static void ggml_visit_parents(struct ggml_cgraph * cgraph, struct ggml_tensor *
             ggml_format_name(node, "node_%d", cgraph->n_nodes);
         }
 
-        node->node_id = cgraph->n_nodes;
         cgraph->nodes[cgraph->n_nodes] = node;
         cgraph->grads[cgraph->n_nodes] = node->grad;
         cgraph->n_nodes++;
@@ -15883,10 +15881,10 @@ void ggml_build_forward_expand(struct ggml_cgraph * cgraph, struct ggml_tensor *
 // TODO: this can be removed when ggml_build_forward_expand is removed
 void ggml_graph_close(struct ggml_cgraph * cgraph) {
     for (int i = 0; i < cgraph->n_nodes; ++i) {
-        cgraph->nodes[i]->node_id = -1;
+        cgraph->nodes[i]->visited = false;
     }
     for (int i = 0; i < cgraph->n_leafs; ++i) {
-        cgraph->leafs[i]->node_id = -1;
+        cgraph->leafs[i]->visited = false;
     }
     cgraph->closed = true;
 }
diff --git a/ggml.h b/ggml.h
index 50e81828a..0dc564109 100644
--- a/ggml.h
+++ b/ggml.h
@@ -422,10 +422,9 @@ extern "C" {
         struct ggml_tensor * grad;
         struct ggml_tensor * src[GGML_MAX_SRC];
 
-        int node_id; // used to build graphs
-        int n_children;
+        bool visited;   // used to build graphs
+        int n_children; // used by the allocator
         int n_views;
-        bool freed; // debug
 
         // performance
         int     perf_runs;
@@ -434,11 +433,11 @@ extern "C" {
 
         void * data;
 
-        char name[GGML_MAX_NAME];
-
         void * extra; // extra things e.g. for ggml-cuda.cu
 
-        char padding[8];
+        char name[GGML_MAX_NAME];
+
+        char padding[12];
     };
 
     static const size_t GGML_TENSOR_SIZE = sizeof(struct ggml_tensor);