Index: D:/sites/elle_root/kernel/classes/ezcontentobjecttreenode.php
===================================================================
--- D:/sites/elle_root/kernel/classes/ezcontentobjecttreenode.php	(revision 26501)
+++ D:/sites/elle_root/kernel/classes/ezcontentobjecttreenode.php	(working copy)
@@ -1369,12 +1369,23 @@
                             $sqlDepthOperator = '=';
                         }
                     }
-                    $nodeDepth += $depth;
-                    $depthCond = ' and ezcontentobject_tree.depth '. $sqlDepthOperator . ' ' . $nodeDepth . ' ';
+                   	$nodeDepth += $depth;
+                   	$depthCond = ' and ezcontentobject_tree.depth '. $sqlDepthOperator . ' ' . $nodeDepth . ' ';
                 }
 
                 $outNotEqParentStr          = " and ezcontentobject_tree.node_id != $nodeID ";
-                $sqlPartForOneNodeList[]    = " ( ezcontentobject_tree.path_string like '$nodePath%'   $depthCond $outNotEqParentStr ) ";
+                
+                if ( $depth == 1 and ( $sqlDepthOperator == '=' or $sqlDepthOperator == '<=' ) )
+                {
+                	// Special SQL optimization case: we are searching for direct children of a node.
+                	// Instead of going for a like operator on path_string column, we go for an equality operator on parent_node_id column
+                	// NB: IF we where sure that ther is no node that is parent of self, we could remove $outNotEqParentStr altogether
+                	$sqlPartForOneNodeList[]    = " ( ezcontentobject_tree.parent_node_id = $nodeID $outNotEqParentStr ) "; 
+                }
+                else
+                {
+                	$sqlPartForOneNodeList[]    = " ( ezcontentobject_tree.path_string like '$nodePath%' $depthCond $outNotEqParentStr ) ";
+                }
                 $outNotEqParentStr          = '';
             }
             $outPathConditionStr = implode( ' or ', $sqlPartForOneNodeList );