diff --git a/pkg/types/rbtree.go b/pkg/types/rbtree.go
index fc1c84b2a..6064d742f 100644
--- a/pkg/types/rbtree.go
+++ b/pkg/types/rbtree.go
@@ -11,11 +11,9 @@ type RBTree struct {
 	size int
 }
 
-var neel = &RBNode{color: Black}
-
 func NewRBTree() *RBTree {
-	var root = neel
-	root.parent = neel
+	var root = NewNil()
+	root.parent = NewNil()
 	return &RBTree{
 		Root: root,
 	}
@@ -35,7 +33,7 @@ func (tree *RBTree) Delete(key fixedpoint.Value) bool {
 
 	// the deleting node has only one child, it's easy,
 	// we just connect the child the parent of the deleting node
-	if deleting.left == neel || deleting.right == neel {
+	if deleting.left.isNil() || deleting.right.isNil() {
 		y = deleting
 		// fmt.Printf("y = deleting = %+v\n", y)
 	} else {
@@ -47,16 +45,16 @@ func (tree *RBTree) Delete(key fixedpoint.Value) bool {
 	}
 
 	// y.left or y.right could be neel
-	if y.left != neel {
-		x = y.left
-	} else {
+	if y.left.isNil() {
 		x = y.right
+	} else {
+		x = y.left
 	}
 
 	// fmt.Printf("x = %+v\n", y)
 	x.parent = y.parent
 
-	if y.parent == neel {
+	if y.parent.isNil() {
 		tree.Root = x
 	} else if y == y.parent.left {
 		y.parent.left = x
@@ -144,18 +142,18 @@ func (tree *RBTree) DeleteFixup(current *RBNode) {
 }
 
 func (tree *RBTree) Upsert(key, val fixedpoint.Value) {
-	var y = neel
+	var y = NewNil()
 	var x = tree.Root
 	var node = &RBNode{
 		key:    key,
 		value:  val,
 		color:  Red,
-		left:   neel,
-		right:  neel,
-		parent: neel,
+		left:   NewNil(),
+		right:  NewNil(),
+		parent: NewNil(),
 	}
 
-	for x != neel {
+	for !x.isNil() {
 		y = x
 
 		if node.key == x.key {
@@ -171,7 +169,7 @@ func (tree *RBTree) Upsert(key, val fixedpoint.Value) {
 
 	node.parent = y
 
-	if y == neel {
+	if y.isNil() {
 		tree.Root = node
 	} else if node.key.Compare(y.key) < 0 {
 		y.left = node
@@ -183,18 +181,18 @@ func (tree *RBTree) Upsert(key, val fixedpoint.Value) {
 }
 
 func (tree *RBTree) Insert(key, val fixedpoint.Value) {
-	var y = neel
+	var y = NewNil()
 	var x = tree.Root
 	var node = &RBNode{
 		key:    key,
 		value:  val,
 		color:  Red,
-		left:   neel,
-		right:  neel,
-		parent: neel,
+		left:   NewNil(),
+		right:  NewNil(),
+		parent: NewNil(),
 	}
 
-	for x != neel {
+	for !x.isNil() {
 		y = x
 
 		if node.key.Compare(x.key) < 0 {
@@ -206,7 +204,7 @@ func (tree *RBTree) Insert(key, val fixedpoint.Value) {
 
 	node.parent = y
 
-	if y == neel {
+	if y.isNil() {
 		tree.Root = node
 	} else if node.key.Compare(y.key) < 0 {
 		y.left = node
@@ -220,7 +218,7 @@ func (tree *RBTree) Insert(key, val fixedpoint.Value) {
 
 func (tree *RBTree) Search(key fixedpoint.Value) *RBNode {
 	var current = tree.Root
-	for current != neel && key != current.key {
+	for !current.isNil() && key != current.key {
 		if key.Compare(current.key) < 0 {
 			current = current.left
 		} else {
@@ -228,7 +226,7 @@ func (tree *RBTree) Search(key fixedpoint.Value) *RBNode {
 		}
 	}
 
-	if current == neel {
+	if current.isNil() {
 		return nil
 	}
 
@@ -293,13 +291,13 @@ func (tree *RBTree) RotateLeft(x *RBNode) {
 	var y = x.right
 	x.right = y.left
 
-	if y.left != neel {
+	if !y.left.isNil() {
 		y.left.parent = x
 	}
 
 	y.parent = x.parent
 
-	if x.parent == neel {
+	if x.parent.isNil() {
 		tree.Root = y
 	} else if x == x.parent.left {
 		x.parent.left = y
@@ -315,13 +313,13 @@ func (tree *RBTree) RotateRight(y *RBNode) {
 	x := y.left
 	y.left = x.right
 
-	if x.right != neel {
+	if !x.right.isNil() {
 		x.right.parent = y
 	}
 
 	x.parent = y.parent
 
-	if y.parent == neel {
+	if y.parent.isNil() {
 		tree.Root = x
 	} else if y == y.parent.left {
 		y.parent.left = x
@@ -338,11 +336,11 @@ func (tree *RBTree) Rightmost() *RBNode {
 }
 
 func (tree *RBTree) RightmostOf(current *RBNode) *RBNode {
-	if current == neel || current == nil {
+	if current.isNil() || current == nil {
 		return nil
 	}
 
-	for current.right != neel {
+	for !current.right.isNil() {
 		current = current.right
 	}
 
@@ -354,11 +352,11 @@ func (tree *RBTree) Leftmost() *RBNode {
 }
 
 func (tree *RBTree) LeftmostOf(current *RBNode) *RBNode {
-	if current == neel || current == nil {
+	if current.isNil() || current == nil {
 		return nil
 	}
 
-	for current.left != neel {
+	for !current.left.isNil() {
 		current = current.left
 	}
 
@@ -366,12 +364,12 @@ func (tree *RBTree) LeftmostOf(current *RBNode) *RBNode {
 }
 
 func (tree *RBTree) Successor(current *RBNode) *RBNode {
-	if current.right != neel {
+	if !current.right.isNil() {
 		return tree.LeftmostOf(current.right)
 	}
 
 	var newNode = current.parent
-	for newNode != neel && current == newNode.right {
+	for !newNode.isNil() && current == newNode.right {
 		current = newNode
 		newNode = newNode.parent
 	}
@@ -384,7 +382,7 @@ func (tree *RBTree) Preorder(cb func(n *RBNode)) {
 }
 
 func (tree *RBTree) PreorderOf(current *RBNode, cb func(n *RBNode)) {
-	if current != neel && current != nil {
+	if !current.isNil() && current != nil {
 		cb(current)
 		tree.PreorderOf(current.left, cb)
 		tree.PreorderOf(current.right, cb)
@@ -397,7 +395,7 @@ func (tree *RBTree) Inorder(cb func(n *RBNode) bool) {
 }
 
 func (tree *RBTree) InorderOf(current *RBNode, cb func(n *RBNode) bool) {
-	if current != neel && current != nil {
+	if !current.isNil() && current != nil {
 		tree.InorderOf(current.left, cb)
 		if !cb(current) {
 			return
@@ -412,7 +410,7 @@ func (tree *RBTree) InorderReverse(cb func(n *RBNode) bool) {
 }
 
 func (tree *RBTree) InorderReverseOf(current *RBNode, cb func(n *RBNode) bool) {
-	if current != neel && current != nil {
+	if !current.isNil() && current != nil {
 		tree.InorderReverseOf(current.right, cb)
 		if !cb(current) {
 			return
@@ -426,7 +424,7 @@ func (tree *RBTree) Postorder(cb func(n *RBNode) bool) {
 }
 
 func (tree *RBTree) PostorderOf(current *RBNode, cb func(n *RBNode) bool) {
-	if current != neel && current != nil {
+	if !current.isNil() && current != nil {
 		tree.PostorderOf(current.left, cb)
 		tree.PostorderOf(current.right, cb)
 		if !cb(current) {
diff --git a/pkg/types/rbtree_node.go b/pkg/types/rbtree_node.go
index b387afe56..76560f6c1 100644
--- a/pkg/types/rbtree_node.go
+++ b/pkg/types/rbtree_node.go
@@ -20,3 +20,14 @@ type RBNode struct {
 	key, value          fixedpoint.Value
 	color               Color
 }
+
+func NewNil() *RBNode {
+	return &RBNode{color: Black}
+}
+
+func (node *RBNode) isNil() bool {
+	if node == nil {
+		return true
+	}
+	return node.color == Black && node.left == nil && node.right == nil
+}
diff --git a/pkg/types/rbtree_test.go b/pkg/types/rbtree_test.go
index 0daddf199..f3bac6aa0 100644
--- a/pkg/types/rbtree_test.go
+++ b/pkg/types/rbtree_test.go
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ package types
 
 import (
 	"math/rand"
+	"sync"
 	"testing"
 
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
@@ -11,6 +12,33 @@ import (
 
 var itov func(int64) fixedpoint.Value = fixedpoint.NewFromInt
 
+func TestRBTree_ConcurrentIndependence(t *testing.T) {
+	// each RBTree instances must not affect each other in concurrent environment
+	var wg sync.WaitGroup
+	for w := 0; w < 10; w++ {
+		wg.Add(1)
+		go func() {
+			defer wg.Done()
+			tree := NewRBTree()
+			for stepCnt := 0; stepCnt < 10000; stepCnt++ {
+				switch opCode := rand.Intn(2); opCode {
+				case 0:
+					priceI := rand.Int63n(16)
+					price := fixedpoint.NewFromInt(priceI)
+					tree.Delete(price)
+				case 1:
+					priceI := rand.Int63n(16)
+					volumeI := rand.Int63n(8)
+					tree.Upsert(fixedpoint.NewFromInt(priceI), fixedpoint.NewFromInt(volumeI))
+				default:
+					panic("impossible")
+				}
+			}
+		}()
+	}
+	wg.Wait()
+}
+
 func TestRBTree_InsertAndDelete(t *testing.T) {
 	tree := NewRBTree()
 	node := tree.Rightmost()
@@ -154,12 +182,12 @@ func TestRBTree_bulkInsert(t *testing.T) {
 		pvs[price] = volume
 	}
 	tree.Inorder(func(n *RBNode) bool {
-		if n.left != neel {
+		if !n.left.isNil() {
 			if !assert.True(t, n.key.Compare(n.left.key) > 0) {
 				return false
 			}
 		}
-		if n.right != neel {
+		if !n.right.isNil() {
 			if !assert.True(t, n.key.Compare(n.right.key) < 0) {
 				return false
 			}
@@ -206,12 +234,12 @@ func TestRBTree_bulkInsertAndDelete(t *testing.T) {
 
 	// validate tree structure
 	tree.Inorder(func(n *RBNode) bool {
-		if n.left != neel {
+		if !n.left.isNil() {
 			if !assert.True(t, n.key.Compare(n.left.key) > 0) {
 				return false
 			}
 		}
-		if n.right != neel {
+		if !n.right.isNil() {
 			if !assert.True(t, n.key.Compare(n.right.key) < 0) {
 				return false
 			}