diff --git a/src/GeometryEvaluator.cc b/src/GeometryEvaluator.cc
index 6b5a8c89..7f1a8cc9 100644
--- a/src/GeometryEvaluator.cc
+++ b/src/GeometryEvaluator.cc
@@ -342,6 +342,14 @@ Polygon2d *GeometryEvaluator::applyToChildren2D(const AbstractNode &node, OpenSC
 
 	std::vector<const Polygon2d *> children = collectChildren2D(node);
 
+	if (children.empty()) {
+		return NULL;
+	}
+
+	if (children.size() == 1) {
+		return new Polygon2d(*children[0]); // Copy
+	}
+
 	ClipperLib::ClipType clipType;
 	switch (op) {
 	case OPENSCAD_UNION:
@@ -359,7 +367,26 @@ Polygon2d *GeometryEvaluator::applyToChildren2D(const AbstractNode &node, OpenSC
 		break;
 	}
 
-	return ClipperUtils::apply(children, clipType);
+	if (clipType == ClipperLib::ctIntersection && !children.empty()) {
+		// intersection operations must be split into a sequence of binary operations
+
+		std::vector<const Polygon2d *> operands(2);
+		operands[0] = children[0];
+
+		for (int i = 1; i < children.size(); i++) {
+			operands[1] = children[i];
+			Polygon2d * result = ClipperUtils::apply(operands, clipType);
+			if (operands[0] != children[0]) delete operands[0];
+			operands[0] = result;
+		}
+
+		assert(children.size() >= 2);
+		// We know that this is ok
+		return const_cast<Polygon2d *>(operands[0]);
+	}
+	else {
+		return ClipperUtils::apply(children, clipType);
+	}
 }
 
 /*!