diff --git a/vtm/src/org/oscim/tiling/MapTile.java b/vtm/src/org/oscim/tiling/MapTile.java
index b68544bc..8bdb5429 100644
--- a/vtm/src/org/oscim/tiling/MapTile.java
+++ b/vtm/src/org/oscim/tiling/MapTile.java
@@ -69,8 +69,8 @@ public class MapTile extends Tile {
 	/**
 	 * absolute tile coordinates: tileX,Y / Math.pow(2, zoomLevel)
 	 */
-	public double x;
-	public double y;
+	public final double x;
+	public final double y;
 
 	/**
 	 * distance from map center
@@ -102,7 +102,7 @@ public class MapTile extends Tile {
 	/**
 	 * Pointer to access relatives in QuadTree
 	 */
-	public TileNode node;
+	public final TileNode node;
 
 	/**
 	 * to avoid drawing a tile twice per frame
@@ -141,10 +141,11 @@ public class MapTile extends Tile {
 	// e.g. x:-1,y:0,z:1 for x:1,y:0
 	MapTile holder;
 
-	public MapTile(int tileX, int tileY, byte zoomLevel) {
+	public MapTile(TileNode node, int tileX, int tileY, byte zoomLevel) {
 		super(tileX, tileY, zoomLevel);
 		this.x = (double) tileX / (1 << zoomLevel);
 		this.y = (double) tileY / (1 << zoomLevel);
+		this.node = node;
 	}
 
 	/**
diff --git a/vtm/src/org/oscim/tiling/TileManager.java b/vtm/src/org/oscim/tiling/TileManager.java
index c476c7da..51c843a3 100644
--- a/vtm/src/org/oscim/tiling/TileManager.java
+++ b/vtm/src/org/oscim/tiling/TileManager.java
@@ -90,8 +90,7 @@ public class TileManager {
 		@Override
 		public MapTile create(int x, int y, int z) {
 			TileNode t = super.add(x, y, z);
-			t.item = new MapTile(x, y, (byte) z);
-			t.item.node = t;
+			t.item = new MapTile(t, x, y, (byte) z);
 
 			return t.item;
 		}
@@ -106,7 +105,6 @@ public class TileManager {
 			super.remove(t.node);
 
 			t.node.item = null;
-			t.node = null;
 		}
 
 		@Override
diff --git a/vtm/src/org/oscim/tiling/TileRenderer.java b/vtm/src/org/oscim/tiling/TileRenderer.java
index 5ad968a5..96ba5a59 100644
--- a/vtm/src/org/oscim/tiling/TileRenderer.java
+++ b/vtm/src/org/oscim/tiling/TileRenderer.java
@@ -405,7 +405,7 @@ public class TileRenderer extends LayerRenderer {
 					//log.error(" + mNumTileHolder");
 					break;
 				}
-				MapTile holder = new MapTile(x, y, (byte) mZoom);
+				MapTile holder = new MapTile(null, x, y, (byte) mZoom);
 				holder.isVisible = true;
 				holder.holder = tile;
 				tile.isVisible = true;