for child in explicit_children:
                 assert isinstance(child.id_, int)
                 node.steps[child.id_] = make_node(child)
-                # ensure that one (!) explicit step of process replaces
-                # one (!) implicit step of same process
-                for i in [i for i, s in node.steps.items()
-                          if not s.is_explicit
-                          and s.process.id_ == child.step_process_id]:
-                    del node.steps[i]
-                    break
+                # # ensure that one (!) explicit step of process replaces
+                # # one (!) implicit step of same process
+                # for i in [i for i, s in node.steps.items()
+                #           if not s.process_step.owner_id == child.id_
+                #           and s.process.id_ == child.step_process_id]:
+                #     del node.steps[i]
+                #     break
             node.seen = node_id in seen_step_ids
             seen_step_ids.add(node_id)
             for id_, step in node.steps.items():
             walk_steps(step_id, step_node)
         return steps
 
-    def _add_step(self,
-                  db_conn: DatabaseConnection,
-                  id_: int | None,
-                  step_process_id: int,
-                  parent_step_id: int | None) -> ProcessStep:
-        """Create new ProcessStep, save and add it to self.explicit_steps.
-
-        Also checks against step recursion.
+    def set_steps(self, db_conn: DatabaseConnection,
+                  steps: list[ProcessStep]) -> None:
+        """Set self.explicit_steps in bulk.
 
-        The new step's parent_step_id will fall back to None either if no
-        matching ProcessStep is found (which can be assumed in case it was
-        just deleted under its feet), or if the parent step would not be
-        owned by the current Process.
+        Checks against recursion, and turns into top-level steps any of
+        unknown or non-owned parent.
         """
         def walk_steps(node: ProcessStep) -> None:
             if node.step_process_id == self.id_:
             for step in step_process.explicit_steps:
                 walk_steps(step)
 
-        if parent_step_id is not None:
-            try:
-                parent_step = ProcessStep.by_id(db_conn, parent_step_id)
-                if parent_step.owner_id != self.id_:
-                    parent_step_id = None
-            except NotFoundException:
-                parent_step_id = None
-        assert isinstance(self.id_, int)
-        step = ProcessStep(id_, self.id_, step_process_id, parent_step_id)
-        walk_steps(step)
-        self.explicit_steps += [step]
-        step.save(db_conn)  # NB: This ensures a non-None step.id_.
-        return step
-
-    def set_steps(self, db_conn: DatabaseConnection,
-                  steps: list[tuple[int | None, int, int | None]]) -> None:
-        """Set self.explicit_steps in bulk."""
         assert isinstance(self.id_, int)
         for step in self.explicit_steps:
             step.uncache()
         self.explicit_steps = []
         db_conn.delete_where('process_steps', 'owner', self.id_)
-        for step_tuple in steps:
-            self._add_step(db_conn, step_tuple[0],
-                           step_tuple[1], step_tuple[2])
+        for step in steps:
+            step.save(db_conn)
+            if step.parent_step_id is not None:
+                try:
+                    parent_step = ProcessStep.by_id(db_conn,
+                                                    step.parent_step_id)
+                    if parent_step.owner_id != self.id_:
+                        step.parent_step_id = None
+                except NotFoundException:
+                    step.parent_step_id = None
+            walk_steps(step)
+            self.explicit_steps += [step]
 
     def save(self, db_conn: DatabaseConnection) -> None:
         """Add (or re-write) self and connected items to DB."""
 
 
     def test_Process_steps(self) -> None:
         """Test addition, nesting, and non-recursion of ProcessSteps"""
-        def add_step(proc: Process,
-                     steps_proc: list[tuple[int | None, int, int | None]],
-                     step_tuple: tuple[int | None, int, int | None],
-                     expected_id: int) -> None:
-            steps_proc += [step_tuple]
-            proc.set_steps(self.db_conn, steps_proc)
-            steps_proc[-1] = (expected_id, step_tuple[1], step_tuple[2])
+        # pylint: disable=too-many-locals
         p1, p2, p3 = self.three_processes()
         assert isinstance(p1.id_, int)
         assert isinstance(p2.id_, int)
         assert isinstance(p3.id_, int)
-        steps_p1: list[tuple[int | None, int, int | None]] = []
+        steps_p1: list[ProcessStep] = []
         # add step of process p2 as first (top-level) step to p1
-        add_step(p1, steps_p1, (None, p2.id_, None), 1)
+        s_p2_to_p1 = ProcessStep(None, p1.id_, p2.id_, None)
+        steps_p1 += [s_p2_to_p1]
+        p1.set_steps(self.db_conn, steps_p1)
         p1_dict: dict[int, ProcessStepsNode] = {}
         p1_dict[1] = ProcessStepsNode(p2, None, True, {}, False)
         self.assertEqual(p1.get_steps(self.db_conn, None), p1_dict)
         # add step of process p3 as second (top-level) step to p1
-        add_step(p1, steps_p1, (None, p3.id_, None), 2)
-        step_2 = p1.explicit_steps[-1]
+        s_p3_to_p1 = ProcessStep(None, p1.id_, p3.id_, None)
+        steps_p1 += [s_p3_to_p1]
+        p1.set_steps(self.db_conn, steps_p1)
         p1_dict[2] = ProcessStepsNode(p3, None, True, {}, False)
         self.assertEqual(p1.get_steps(self.db_conn, None), p1_dict)
         # add step of process p3 as first (top-level) step to p2,
+        steps_p2: list[ProcessStep] = []
+        s_p3_to_p2 = ProcessStep(None, p2.id_, p3.id_, None)
+        steps_p2 += [s_p3_to_p2]
+        p2.set_steps(self.db_conn, steps_p2)
         # expect it as implicit sub-step of p1's second (p3) step
-        steps_p2: list[tuple[int | None, int, int | None]] = []
-        add_step(p2, steps_p2, (None, p3.id_, None), 3)
-        p1_dict[1].steps[3] = ProcessStepsNode(p3, None, False, {}, False)
+        p2_dict = {3: ProcessStepsNode(p3, None, False, {}, False)}
+        p1_dict[1].steps[3] = p2_dict[3]
         self.assertEqual(p1.get_steps(self.db_conn, None), p1_dict)
-        # add step of process p2 as explicit sub-step to p1's first sub-step
-        add_step(p1, steps_p1, (None, p2.id_, step_2.id_), 4)
-        step_3 = ProcessStepsNode(p3, None, False, {}, True)
-        p1_dict[2].steps[4] = ProcessStepsNode(p2, step_2.id_, True,
-                                               {3: step_3}, False)
+        # add step of process p2 as explicit sub-step to p1's second sub-step
+        s_p2_to_p1_first = ProcessStep(None, p1.id_, p2.id_, s_p3_to_p1.id_)
+        steps_p1 += [s_p2_to_p1_first]
+        p1.set_steps(self.db_conn, steps_p1)
+        seen_3 = ProcessStepsNode(p3, None, False, {}, True)
+        p1_dict[2].steps[4] = ProcessStepsNode(p2, s_p3_to_p1.id_, True,
+                                               {3: seen_3}, False)
         self.assertEqual(p1.get_steps(self.db_conn, None), p1_dict)
         # add step of process p3 as explicit sub-step to non-existing p1
         # sub-step (of id=999), expect it to become another p1 top-level step
-        add_step(p1, steps_p1, (None, p3.id_, 999), 5)
+        s_p3_to_p1_999 = ProcessStep(None, p1.id_, p3.id_, 999)
+        steps_p1 += [s_p3_to_p1_999]
+        p1.set_steps(self.db_conn, steps_p1)
         p1_dict[5] = ProcessStepsNode(p3, None, True, {}, False)
         self.assertEqual(p1.get_steps(self.db_conn, None), p1_dict)
         # add step of process p3 as explicit sub-step to p1's implicit p3
         # sub-step, expect it to become another p1 top-level step
-        add_step(p1, steps_p1, (None, p3.id_, 3), 6)
+        s_p3_to_p1_impl_p3 = ProcessStep(None, p1.id_, p3.id_, s_p3_to_p2.id_)
+        steps_p1 += [s_p3_to_p1_impl_p3]
+        p1.set_steps(self.db_conn, steps_p1)
         p1_dict[6] = ProcessStepsNode(p3, None, True, {}, False)
         self.assertEqual(p1.get_steps(self.db_conn, None), p1_dict)
         self.assertEqual(p1.used_as_step_by(self.db_conn), [])
         self.assertEqual(p2.used_as_step_by(self.db_conn), [p1])
         self.assertEqual(p3.used_as_step_by(self.db_conn), [p1, p2])
-        # add step of process p2 as explicit sub-step to p1's second (p3)
-        # top-level step
-        add_step(p1, steps_p1, (None, p3.id_, 2), 7)
-        p1_dict[2].steps[7] = ProcessStepsNode(p3, 2, True, {}, False)
-        # import pprint
-        # pprint.pp(p1.get_steps(self.db_conn, None))
-        # pprint.pp(p1_dict)
+        # # add step of process p3 as explicit sub-step to p1's first sub-step,
+        # # expect it to eliminate implicit p3 sub-step
+        # s_p3_to_p1_first_explicit = ProcessStep(None, p1.id_, p3.id_,
+        #                                         s_p2_to_p1.id_)
+        # p1_dict[1].steps = {7: ProcessStepsNode(p3, 1, True, {}, False)}
+        # p1_dict[2].steps[4].steps[3].seen = False
+        # steps_p1 += [s_p3_to_p1_first_explicit]
+        # p1.set_steps(self.db_conn, steps_p1)
+        # self.assertEqual(p1.get_steps(self.db_conn, None), p1_dict)
+        # ensure implicit steps non-top explicit steps are shown
+        s_p3_to_p2_first = ProcessStep(None, p2.id_, p3.id_, s_p3_to_p2.id_)
+        steps_p2 += [s_p3_to_p2_first]
+        p2.set_steps(self.db_conn, steps_p2)
+        p1_dict[1].steps[3].steps[7] = ProcessStepsNode(p3, 3, False, {},
+                                                        False)
+        p1_dict[2].steps[4].steps[3].steps[7] = ProcessStepsNode(p3, 3, False,
+                                                                 {}, True)
         self.assertEqual(p1.get_steps(self.db_conn, None), p1_dict)
 
     def test_Process_conditions(self) -> None:
         assert isinstance(p1.id_, int)
         assert isinstance(p2.id_, int)
         assert isinstance(p3.id_, int)
-        p2.set_steps(self.db_conn, [(None, p1.id_, None)])
+        step = ProcessStep(None, p2.id_, p1.id_, None)
+        p2.set_steps(self.db_conn, [step])
         with self.assertRaises(HandledException):
             p1.remove(self.db_conn)
-        step = p2.explicit_steps[0]
         p2.set_steps(self.db_conn, [])
         with self.assertRaises(NotFoundException):
             ProcessStep.by_id(self.db_conn, step.id_)
         p1.remove(self.db_conn)
-        p2.set_steps(self.db_conn, [(None, p3.id_, None)])
-        step = p2.explicit_steps[0]
+        step = ProcessStep(None, p2.id_, p3.id_, None)
+        p2.set_steps(self.db_conn, [step])
         p2.remove(self.db_conn)
         with self.assertRaises(NotFoundException):
             ProcessStep.by_id(self.db_conn, step.id_)
         p2 = Process(None)
         p1.save(self.db_conn)
         p2.save(self.db_conn)
+        assert isinstance(p1.id_, int)
         assert isinstance(p2.id_, int)
-        p1.set_steps(self.db_conn, [(None, p2.id_, None)])
-        step = p1.explicit_steps[0]
+        step = ProcessStep(None, p1.id_, p2.id_, None)
+        p1.set_steps(self.db_conn, [step])
         step.remove(self.db_conn)
         self.assertEqual(p1.explicit_steps, [])
         self.check_storage([])