diff --git a/dace/transformation/interstate/state_fusion.py b/dace/transformation/interstate/state_fusion.py
index 7e3dc6916b..0ce5b9f437 100644
--- a/dace/transformation/interstate/state_fusion.py
+++ b/dace/transformation/interstate/state_fusion.py
@@ -534,13 +534,15 @@ def apply(self, _, sdfg):
 
         # Merge common (data) nodes
         merged_nodes = set()
+        removed_nodes = set()
         for node in second_mid:
 
             # merge only top level nodes, skip everything else
             if node not in top2:
                 continue
 
-            candidates = [x for x in order if x.data == node.data and x in top and x not in merged_nodes]
+            candidates = [x for x in order
+                          if x.data == node.data and x in top and x not in merged_nodes and x not in removed_nodes]
             source_node = first_state.in_degree(node) == 0
 
             # If not source node, try to connect every memlet-intersecting candidate
@@ -552,6 +554,7 @@ def apply(self, _, sdfg):
                         sdutil.change_edge_src(first_state, cand, node)
                         sdutil.change_edge_dest(first_state, cand, node)
                         first_state.remove_node(cand)
+                        removed_nodes.add(cand)
                 continue
 
             if len(candidates) == 0:
@@ -571,6 +574,7 @@ def apply(self, _, sdfg):
             sdutil.change_edge_src(first_state, node, n)
             sdutil.change_edge_dest(first_state, node, n)
             first_state.remove_node(node)
+            removed_nodes.add(node)
             merged_nodes.add(n)
 
         # Redirect edges and remove second state
diff --git a/dace/transformation/passes/simplification/prune_empty_conditional_branches.py b/dace/transformation/passes/simplification/prune_empty_conditional_branches.py
index d7bd397830..a492a9a65c 100644
--- a/dace/transformation/passes/simplification/prune_empty_conditional_branches.py
+++ b/dace/transformation/passes/simplification/prune_empty_conditional_branches.py
@@ -61,7 +61,7 @@ def apply(self, region: ControlFlowRegion, _) -> Optional[int]:
         if len(region.branches) == 0:
             # The conditional has become entirely empty, remove it.
             replacement_node_before = region.parent_graph.add_state_before(region)
-            replacement_node_after = region.parent_graph.add_state_before(region)
+            replacement_node_after = region.parent_graph.add_state_after(region)
             region.parent_graph.add_edge(replacement_node_before, replacement_node_after, InterstateEdge())
             region.parent_graph.remove_node(region)