diff --git a/src/entt/entity/sparse_set.hpp b/src/entt/entity/sparse_set.hpp
index f5a649751..277e2612e 100644
--- a/src/entt/entity/sparse_set.hpp
+++ b/src/entt/entity/sparse_set.hpp
@@ -242,20 +242,17 @@ class basic_sparse_set {
         }
     }
 
-    std::size_t append(const Entity entt) {
+    void append(const Entity entt) {
         ENTT_ASSERT(count != reserved.second(), "Not enough space left");
         ENTT_ASSERT(current(entt) == entity_traits::to_version(tombstone), "Slot not available");
         assure_page(page(entt))[offset(entt)] = entity_traits::combine(static_cast<typename entity_traits::entity_type>(count), entity_traits::to_integral(entt));
-        packed_array[count] = entt;
-        return count++;
+        packed_array[count++] = entt;
     }
 
-    std::size_t recycle(const Entity entt) ENTT_NOEXCEPT {
+    void recycle(const Entity entt) {
         ENTT_ASSERT(current(entt) == entity_traits::to_version(tombstone), "Slot not available");
-        const auto pos = static_cast<size_type>(entity_traits::to_entity(free_list));
         assure_page(page(entt))[offset(entt)] = entity_traits::combine(entity_traits::to_integral(free_list), entity_traits::to_integral(entt));
-        free_list = std::exchange(packed_array[pos], entt);
-        return pos;
+        free_list = std::exchange(packed_array[static_cast<size_type>(entity_traits::to_entity(free_list))], entt);
     }
 
 protected:
@@ -651,18 +648,17 @@ public:
      * results in undefined behavior.
      *
      * @param entt A valid identifier.
-     * @return The slot used for insertion.
      */
-    size_type emplace(const entity_type entt) {
+    void emplace(const entity_type entt) {
         if(free_list == null) {
             if(const auto len = reserved.second(); count == len) {
                 const size_type sz = static_cast<size_type>(len * growth_factor_v);
                 resize_packed_array(sz + !(sz > len));
             }
 
-            return append(entt);
+            append(entt);
         } else {
-            return recycle(entt);
+            recycle(entt);
         }
     }
 
diff --git a/src/entt/entity/storage.hpp b/src/entt/entity/storage.hpp
index 0cae6824d..37c6427ef 100644
--- a/src/entt/entity/storage.hpp
+++ b/src/entt/entity/storage.hpp
@@ -271,7 +271,7 @@ class basic_storage: public basic_sparse_set<Entity, typename std::allocator_tra
     }
 
     template<typename It, typename Generator>
-    void recycle_or_append(It first, It last, Generator generator) {
+    void consume_range(It first, It last, Generator generator) {
         if constexpr(comp_traits::in_place_delete::value) {
             for(const auto sz = base_type::size(); first != last && base_type::slot() != sz; ++first) {
                 emplace(*first, generator());
@@ -642,8 +642,8 @@ public:
         construct(elem, std::forward<Args>(args)...);
 
         ENTT_TRY {
-            [[maybe_unused]] const auto curr = base_type::emplace(entt);
-            ENTT_ASSERT(pos == curr, "Misplaced component");
+            base_type::emplace(entt);
+            ENTT_ASSERT(pos == base_type::index(entt), "Misplaced component");
         } ENTT_CATCH {
             destroy(packed[page(pos)][offset(pos)]);
             ENTT_THROW;
@@ -682,7 +682,7 @@ public:
      */
     template<typename It>
     void insert(It first, It last, const value_type &value = {}) {
-        recycle_or_append(std::move(first), std::move(last), [&value]() -> decltype(auto) { return value; });
+        consume_range(std::move(first), std::move(last), [&value]() -> decltype(auto) { return value; });
     }
 
     /**
@@ -699,7 +699,7 @@ public:
      */
     template<typename EIt, typename CIt, typename = std::enable_if_t<std::is_same_v<std::decay_t<typename std::iterator_traits<CIt>::value_type>, value_type>>>
     void insert(EIt first, EIt last, CIt from) {
-        recycle_or_append(std::move(first), std::move(last), [&from]() -> decltype(auto) { return *(from++); });
+        consume_range(std::move(first), std::move(last), [&from]() -> decltype(auto) { return *(from++); });
     }
 
 private:
diff --git a/test/entt/entity/sparse_set.cpp b/test/entt/entity/sparse_set.cpp
index 9c7ebb417..dcd48587a 100644
--- a/test/entt/entity/sparse_set.cpp
+++ b/test/entt/entity/sparse_set.cpp
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ TEST(SparseSet, Functionalities) {
     ASSERT_EQ(set.capacity(), 42u);
     ASSERT_TRUE(set.empty());
 
-    ASSERT_EQ(set.emplace(entt::entity{42}), 0u);
+    set.emplace(entt::entity{42});
 
     ASSERT_FALSE(set.empty());
     ASSERT_EQ(set.size(), 1u);
@@ -56,7 +56,7 @@ TEST(SparseSet, Functionalities) {
     ASSERT_EQ(set.at(0u), static_cast<entt::entity>(entt::null));
     ASSERT_EQ(set.at(1u), static_cast<entt::entity>(entt::null));
 
-    ASSERT_EQ(set.emplace(entt::entity{42}), 0u);
+    set.emplace(entt::entity{42});
 
     ASSERT_FALSE(set.empty());
     ASSERT_EQ(set.index(entt::entity{42}), 0u);
@@ -279,13 +279,14 @@ TEST(SparseSet, EmplaceOutOfBounds) {
     entt::sparse_set set{entt::deletion_policy::in_place};
     entt::entity entities[2u]{entt::entity{0}, entt::entity{ENTT_SPARSE_PAGE}};
     
-    ASSERT_EQ(set.emplace(entities[0u]), 0u);
+    set.emplace(entities[0u]);
+
     ASSERT_EQ(set.extent(), ENTT_SPARSE_PAGE);
     ASSERT_EQ(set.index(entities[0u]), 0u);
 
     set.erase(entities[0u]);
+    set.emplace(entities[1u]);
 
-    ASSERT_EQ(set.emplace(entities[1u]), 0u);
     ASSERT_EQ(set.extent(), 2u * ENTT_SPARSE_PAGE);
     ASSERT_EQ(set.index(entities[1u]), 0u);
 }
@@ -481,12 +482,13 @@ TEST(SparseSet, StableErase) {
     ASSERT_TRUE(*set.begin() == entt::tombstone);
     ASSERT_EQ(set.slot(), 1u);
 
-    ASSERT_EQ(set.emplace(entities[0u]), 1u);
+    set.emplace(entities[0u]);
+
     ASSERT_EQ(*++set.begin(), entities[0u]);
 
-    ASSERT_EQ(set.emplace(entities[1u]), 0u);
-    ASSERT_EQ(set.emplace(entities[2u]), 2u);
-    ASSERT_EQ(set.emplace(entt::entity{0}), 3u);
+    set.emplace(entities[1u]);
+    set.emplace(entities[2u]);
+    set.emplace(entt::entity{0});
 
     ASSERT_EQ(set.size(), 4u);
     ASSERT_EQ(*set.begin(), entt::entity{0});
@@ -671,12 +673,13 @@ TEST(SparseSet, StableRemove) {
     ASSERT_TRUE(*set.begin() == entt::tombstone);
     ASSERT_EQ(set.slot(), 1u);
 
-    ASSERT_EQ(set.emplace(entities[0u]), 1u);
+    set.emplace(entities[0u]);
+
     ASSERT_EQ(*++set.begin(), entities[0u]);
 
-    ASSERT_EQ(set.emplace(entities[1u]), 0u);
-    ASSERT_EQ(set.emplace(entities[2u]), 2u);
-    ASSERT_EQ(set.emplace(entt::entity{0}), 3u);
+    set.emplace(entities[1u]);
+    set.emplace(entities[2u]);
+    set.emplace(entt::entity{0});
 
     ASSERT_EQ(set.size(), 4u);
     ASSERT_EQ(*set.begin(), entt::entity{0});