diff --git a/AsyncDisplayKit/ASDisplayNode.mm b/AsyncDisplayKit/ASDisplayNode.mm
index cb035351..66019baf 100644
--- a/AsyncDisplayKit/ASDisplayNode.mm
+++ b/AsyncDisplayKit/ASDisplayNode.mm
@@ -1572,12 +1572,6 @@ static bool disableNotificationsForMovingBetweenParents(ASDisplayNode *from, ASD
 }
 
 - (void)addSubnode:(ASDisplayNode *)subnode
-{
-  ASDisplayNodeAssert(self.automaticallyManagesSubnodes == NO, @"Attempt to manually add subnode to node with automaticallyManagesSubnodes=YES. Node: %@", subnode);
-  [self _addSubnode:subnode];
-}
-
-- (void)_addSubnode:(ASDisplayNode *)subnode
 {
   ASDisplayNodeAssertThreadAffinity(self);
   ASDN::MutexLocker l(__instanceLock__);
@@ -1593,7 +1587,7 @@ static bool disableNotificationsForMovingBetweenParents(ASDisplayNode *from, ASD
   if (isMovingEquivalentParents) {
     [subnode __incrementVisibilityNotificationsDisabled];
   }
-  [subnode _removeFromSupernode];
+  [subnode removeFromSupernode];
 
   if (!_subnodes) {
     _subnodes = [[NSMutableArray alloc] init];
@@ -1649,8 +1643,8 @@ static bool disableNotificationsForMovingBetweenParents(ASDisplayNode *from, ASD
     [subnode __incrementVisibilityNotificationsDisabled];
   }
   
-  [subnode _removeFromSupernode];
-  [oldSubnode _removeFromSupernode];
+  [subnode removeFromSupernode];
+  [oldSubnode removeFromSupernode];
   
   if (!_subnodes)
     _subnodes = [[NSMutableArray alloc] init];
@@ -1686,12 +1680,6 @@ static bool disableNotificationsForMovingBetweenParents(ASDisplayNode *from, ASD
 }
 
 - (void)replaceSubnode:(ASDisplayNode *)oldSubnode withSubnode:(ASDisplayNode *)replacementSubnode
-{
-  ASDisplayNodeAssert(self.automaticallyManagesSubnodes == NO, @"Attempt to manually replace old node with replacement node to node with automaticallyManagesSubnodes=YES. Old Node: %@, replacement node: %@", oldSubnode, replacementSubnode);
-  [self _replaceSubnode:oldSubnode withSubnode:replacementSubnode];
-}
-
-- (void)_replaceSubnode:(ASDisplayNode *)oldSubnode withSubnode:(ASDisplayNode *)replacementSubnode
 {
   ASDisplayNodeAssertThreadAffinity(self);
   ASDN::MutexLocker l(__instanceLock__);
@@ -1722,12 +1710,6 @@ static NSInteger incrementIfFound(NSInteger i) {
 }
 
 - (void)insertSubnode:(ASDisplayNode *)subnode belowSubnode:(ASDisplayNode *)below
-{
-  ASDisplayNodeAssert(self.automaticallyManagesSubnodes == NO, @"Attempt to manually insert subnode to node with automaticallyManagesSubnodes=YES. Node: %@", subnode);
-  [self _insertSubnode:subnode belowSubnode:below];
-}
-
-- (void)_insertSubnode:(ASDisplayNode *)subnode belowSubnode:(ASDisplayNode *)below
 {
   ASDisplayNodeAssertThreadAffinity(self);
   ASDN::MutexLocker l(__instanceLock__);
@@ -1773,12 +1755,6 @@ static NSInteger incrementIfFound(NSInteger i) {
 }
 
 - (void)insertSubnode:(ASDisplayNode *)subnode aboveSubnode:(ASDisplayNode *)above
-{
-  ASDisplayNodeAssert(self.automaticallyManagesSubnodes == NO, @"Attempt to manually insert subnode to node with automaticallyManagesSubnodes=YES. Node: %@", subnode);
-  [self _insertSubnode:subnode aboveSubnode:above];
-}
-
-- (void)_insertSubnode:(ASDisplayNode *)subnode aboveSubnode:(ASDisplayNode *)above
 {
   ASDisplayNodeAssertThreadAffinity(self);
   ASDN::MutexLocker l(__instanceLock__);
@@ -1827,12 +1803,6 @@ static NSInteger incrementIfFound(NSInteger i) {
 }
 
 - (void)insertSubnode:(ASDisplayNode *)subnode atIndex:(NSInteger)idx
-{
-  ASDisplayNodeAssert(self.automaticallyManagesSubnodes == NO, @"Attempt to manually insert subnode to node with automaticallyManagesSubnodes=YES. Node: %@", subnode);
-  [self _insertSubnode:subnode atIndex:idx];
-}
-
-- (void)_insertSubnode:(ASDisplayNode *)subnode atIndex:(NSInteger)idx
 {
   ASDisplayNodeAssertThreadAffinity(self);
   ASDN::MutexLocker l(__instanceLock__);
@@ -1903,18 +1873,10 @@ static NSInteger incrementIfFound(NSInteger i) {
   [subnode __setSupernode:nil];
 }
 
+// NOTE: You must not called this method while holding the receiver's property lock. This may cause deadlocks.
 - (void)removeFromSupernode
-{
-  ASDisplayNodeAssert(self.supernode.automaticallyManagesSubnodes == NO, @"Attempt to manually remove subnode from node with automaticallyManagesSubnodes=YES. Node: %@", self);
-    
-  [self _removeFromSupernode];
-}
-
-// NOTE: You must not called this method while holding the receiver's property lock. This may cause deadlocks.
-- (void)_removeFromSupernode
 {
   ASDisplayNodeAssertThreadAffinity(self);
-  
   __instanceLock__.lock();
     __weak ASDisplayNode *supernode = _supernode;
     __weak UIView *view = _view;
diff --git a/AsyncDisplayKit/Private/ASDisplayNodeInternal.h b/AsyncDisplayKit/Private/ASDisplayNodeInternal.h
index 7cfd721a..0c72301c 100644
--- a/AsyncDisplayKit/Private/ASDisplayNodeInternal.h
+++ b/AsyncDisplayKit/Private/ASDisplayNodeInternal.h
@@ -209,17 +209,6 @@ FOUNDATION_EXPORT NSString * const ASRenderingEngineDidDisplayNodesScheduledBefo
 - (void)__layout;
 - (void)__setSupernode:(ASDisplayNode *)supernode;
 
-/**
- Internal method to add / replace / insert subnode and remove from supernode without checking if
- node has automaticallyManagesSubnodes set to YES. 
- */
-- (void)_addSubnode:(ASDisplayNode *)subnode;
-- (void)_replaceSubnode:(ASDisplayNode *)oldSubnode withSubnode:(ASDisplayNode *)replacementSubnode;
-- (void)_insertSubnode:(ASDisplayNode *)subnode belowSubnode:(ASDisplayNode *)below;
-- (void)_insertSubnode:(ASDisplayNode *)subnode aboveSubnode:(ASDisplayNode *)above;
-- (void)_insertSubnode:(ASDisplayNode *)subnode atIndex:(NSInteger)idx;
-- (void)_removeFromSupernode;
-
 // Private API for helper functions / unit tests.  Use ASDisplayNodeDisableHierarchyNotifications() to control this.
 - (BOOL)__visibilityNotificationsDisabled;
 - (BOOL)__selfOrParentHasVisibilityNotificationsDisabled;
diff --git a/AsyncDisplayKit/Private/ASLayoutTransition.mm b/AsyncDisplayKit/Private/ASLayoutTransition.mm
index 49801ab1..52af19fa 100644
--- a/AsyncDisplayKit/Private/ASLayoutTransition.mm
+++ b/AsyncDisplayKit/Private/ASLayoutTransition.mm
@@ -92,7 +92,7 @@ static inline BOOL ASLayoutCanTransitionAsynchronous(ASLayout *layout) {
   NSUInteger i = 0;
   for (ASDisplayNode *node in _insertedSubnodes) {
     NSUInteger p = _insertedSubnodePositions[i];
-    [_node _insertSubnode:node atIndex:p];
+    [_node insertSubnode:node atIndex:p];
     i += 1;
   }
 }
@@ -102,7 +102,7 @@ static inline BOOL ASLayoutCanTransitionAsynchronous(ASLayout *layout) {
   ASDN::MutexSharedLocker l(__instanceLock__);
   [self calculateSubnodeOperationsIfNeeded];
   for (ASDisplayNode *subnode in _removedSubnodes) {
-    [subnode _removeFromSupernode];
+    [subnode removeFromSupernode];
   }
 }
 
diff --git a/AsyncDisplayKitTests/ASDisplayNodeImplicitHierarchyTests.m b/AsyncDisplayKitTests/ASDisplayNodeImplicitHierarchyTests.m
index cfed90f6..1d5f0a00 100644
--- a/AsyncDisplayKitTests/ASDisplayNodeImplicitHierarchyTests.m
+++ b/AsyncDisplayKitTests/ASDisplayNodeImplicitHierarchyTests.m
@@ -18,7 +18,6 @@
 
 #import "ASStaticLayoutSpec.h"
 #import "ASStackLayoutSpec.h"
-#import "ASInsetLayoutSpec.h"
 
 @interface ASSpecTestDisplayNode : ASDisplayNode
 
@@ -118,24 +117,9 @@
   XCTAssertEqual(node.subnodes[2], node2);
 }
 
-- (void)testLayoutTransitionWillThrowForManualSubnodeManagement
-{
-  ASDisplayNode *node1 = [[ASDisplayNode alloc] init];
-  node1.name = @"node1";
-  
-  ASSpecTestDisplayNode *node = [[ASSpecTestDisplayNode alloc] init];
-  node.automaticallyManagesSubnodes = YES;
-  node.layoutSpecBlock = ^ASLayoutSpec *(ASDisplayNode *weakNode, ASSizeRange constrainedSize){
-    return [ASStaticLayoutSpec staticLayoutSpecWithChildren:@[node1]];
-  };
-  
-  XCTAssertNoThrow([node layoutThatFits:ASSizeRangeMake(CGSizeZero)]);
-  XCTAssertThrows([node1 removeFromSupernode]);
-}
-
 - (void)testLayoutTransitionMeasurementCompletionBlockIsCalledOnMainThread
 {
-  ASDisplayNode *displayNode = [[ASDisplayNode alloc] init];
+  ASDisplayNode *displayNode = [ASDisplayNode new];
   
   // Trigger explicit view creation to be able to use the Transition API
   [displayNode view];