diff --git a/lib/src/clixon_xpath.c b/lib/src/clixon_xpath.c
index 1bf1dff9..fb820df0 100644
--- a/lib/src/clixon_xpath.c
+++ b/lib/src/clixon_xpath.c
@@ -611,12 +611,12 @@ xpath_vec_ctx(cxobj      *xcur,
         goto done;
     if (xp_eval(&xc, xptree, nsc, localonly, xrp) < 0)
         goto done;
+    retval = 0;
+ done:
     if (xc.xc_nodeset){
         free(xc.xc_nodeset);
         xc.xc_nodeset = NULL;
     }
-    retval = 0;
- done:
     if (xptree)
         xpath_tree_free(xptree);
     return retval;
diff --git a/lib/src/clixon_xpath_eval.c b/lib/src/clixon_xpath_eval.c
index 59b9c308..cd104921 100644
--- a/lib/src/clixon_xpath_eval.c
+++ b/lib/src/clixon_xpath_eval.c
@@ -481,7 +481,7 @@ xp_eval_predicate(xp_ctx     *xc,
     xp_ctx  *xrc = NULL;
     int      i;
     cxobj   *x;
-    xp_ctx  *xcc;
+    xp_ctx  *xcc = NULL;
     
     if (xs->xs_c0 != NULL){ /* eval previous predicates */
         if (xp_eval(xc, xs->xs_c0, nsc, localonly, &xr0) < 0)   
@@ -522,8 +522,8 @@ xp_eval_predicate(xp_ctx     *xc,
                 goto done;
             if (xp_eval(xcc, xs->xs_c1, nsc, localonly, &xrc) < 0)
                 goto done;
-            if (xcc)
-                ctx_free(xcc);
+            ctx_free(xcc);
+            xcc = NULL;
             if (xrc->xc_type == XT_NUMBER){
                 /* If the result is a number, the result will be converted to true
                    if the number is equal to the context position */
@@ -556,6 +556,8 @@ xp_eval_predicate(xp_ctx     *xc,
     }
     retval = 0;
  done:
+    if (xcc)
+        ctx_free(xcc);
     if (xr0)
         ctx_free(xr0);
     if (xr1)
@@ -932,8 +934,11 @@ xp_relop(xp_ctx    *xc1,
     if (xr->xc_type == XT_BOOL && xr->xc_bool != 0)
         xr->xc_bool = 1;
     *xrp = xr;
+    xr = NULL;
     retval = 0;
  done:
+    if (xr)
+        ctx_free(xr);
     return retval;
 }
 
diff --git a/test/test_confirmed_commit.sh b/test/test_confirmed_commit.sh
index a7def9b0..66015da3 100755
--- a/test/test_confirmed_commit.sh
+++ b/test/test_confirmed_commit.sh
@@ -4,6 +4,9 @@
 # TODO:
 # - privileges drop
 # - lock check
+# Notes:
+# 1. May tests without "new" which makes it difficult to debug
+# 2. Sleeps are difficult when running valgrind tests when startup times (eg netconf) increase
 
 # Magic line must be first in script (see README.md)
 s="$_" ; . ./lib.sh || if [ "$s" = $0 ]; then exit 0; else return 0; fi
@@ -100,12 +103,13 @@ function edit_config() {
 function assert_config_equals() {
   TARGET="$1"
   EXPECTED="$2"
-#  new "get-config: $TARGET"
+  new "assert_config_equals $TARGET"
   rpc "<get-config><source><$TARGET/></source></get-config>" "$(data "$EXPECTED")"
 }
 
 # delete all
 function reset() {
+  new "reset"
   rpc "<edit-config><target><candidate/></target><default-operation>none</default-operation><config operation=\"delete\"/></edit-config>" "<ok/>"
   commit
   assert_config_equals "candidate" ""
@@ -139,11 +143,11 @@ fi
 new "wait backend"
 wait_backend
 
-new "Hello check confirm-commit capability"
+new "1. Hello check confirm-commit capability"
 expecteof "$clixon_netconf -f $cfg" 0 "<?xml version=\"1.0\" encoding=\"UTF-8\"?><hello $DEFAULTONLY><capabilities><capability>urn:ietf:params:netconf:base:1.1</capability></capabilities></hello>]]>]]>" "<capability>urn:ietf:params:netconf:capability:confirmed-commit:1.1</capability>" '^$'
 
 ################################################################################
-new "netconf ephemeral confirmed-commit rolls back after disconnect"
+new "2. netconf ephemeral confirmed-commit rolls back after disconnect"
 reset
 edit_config "candidate" "$CONFIGB"
 assert_config_equals "candidate" "$CONFIGB"
@@ -152,7 +156,7 @@ assert_config_equals "running" ""
 
 ################################################################################
 
-new "netconf persistent confirmed-commit"
+new "3.netconf persistent confirmed-commit"
 reset
 edit_config "candidate" "$CONFIGB"
 commit "<confirmed/><persist>a</persist>"
@@ -163,27 +167,27 @@ assert_config_equals "running" "$CONFIGBPLUSC"
 
 ################################################################################
 
-new "netconf cancel-commit with invalid persist-id"
+new "4. netconf cancel-commit with invalid persist-id"
 rpc "<cancel-commit><persist-id>abc</persist-id></cancel-commit>" "<rpc-error><error-type>application</error-type><error-tag>invalid-value</error-tag><error-severity>error</error-severity><error-message>a confirmed-commit with the given persist-id was not found</error-message></rpc-error>"
 
 ################################################################################
 
-new "netconf cancel-commit with valid persist-id"
+new "5. netconf cancel-commit with valid persist-id"
 rpc "<cancel-commit><persist-id>ab</persist-id></cancel-commit>" "<ok/>"
 
 ################################################################################
 
-new "netconf persistent confirmed-commit with timeout"
+new "6. netconf persistent confirmed-commit with timeout"
 reset
 edit_config "candidate" "$CONFIGB"
-commit "<confirmed/><confirm-timeout>2</confirm-timeout><persist>abcd</persist>"
+commit "<confirmed/><confirm-timeout>3</confirm-timeout><persist>abcd</persist>"
 assert_config_equals "running" "$CONFIGB"
-sleep 2
+sleep 3
 assert_config_equals "running" ""
 
 ################################################################################
 
-new "netconf persistent confirmed-commit with reset timeout"
+new "7. netconf persistent confirmed-commit with reset timeout"
 reset
 edit_config "candidate" "$CONFIGB"
 commit "<confirmed/><persist>abcde</persist><confirm-timeout>5</confirm-timeout>"
@@ -199,7 +203,7 @@ assert_config_equals "running" ""
 
 ################################################################################
 
-new "netconf persistent confirming-commit to epehemeral confirmed-commit should rollback"
+new "8. netconf persistent confirming-commit to epehemeral confirmed-commit should rollback"
 reset
 edit_config "candidate" "$CONFIGB"
 commit "<confirmed/><persist/><confirm-timeout>10</confirm-timeout>"
@@ -209,7 +213,7 @@ assert_config_equals "running" ""
 
 ################################################################################
 
-new "netconf confirming-commit for persistent confirmed-commit with empty persist value"
+new "9. netconf confirming-commit for persistent confirmed-commit with empty persist value"
 reset
 edit_config "candidate" "$CONFIGB"
 commit "<confirmed/><persist/><confirm-timeout>10</confirm-timeout>"
@@ -221,7 +225,7 @@ assert_config_equals "running" "$CONFIGB"
 # TODO reconsider logic around presence/absence of rollback_db as a signal as dropping permissions may impact ability
 # to unlink and/or create that file. see clixon_datastore.c#xmldb_delete() and backend_startup.c#startup_mode_startup()
 
-new "backend loads rollback if present at startup"
+new "10. backend loads rollback if present at startup"
 reset
 edit_config "candidate" "$CONFIGB"
 commit ""
@@ -253,7 +257,7 @@ new "start backend -s init -f $cfg"
 start_backend -s init -f $cfg
 
 ################################################################################
-new "backend loads failsafe at startup if rollback present but cannot be loaded"
+new "11. backend loads failsafe at startup if rollback present but cannot be loaded"
 
 new "wait backend"
 wait_backend
@@ -301,7 +305,7 @@ wait_backend
 
 ################################################################################
 
-new "ephemeral confirmed-commit survives unrelated ephemeral session disconnect"
+new "12. ephemeral confirmed-commit survives unrelated ephemeral session disconnect"
 reset
 edit_config "candidate" "$CONFIGB"
 assert_config_equals "candidate" "$CONFIGB"
@@ -309,7 +313,10 @@ assert_config_equals "candidate" "$CONFIGB"
 # use HELLONO11 which uses older EOM framing
 sleep 60 |  cat <(echo "$HELLONO11<rpc $DEFAULTNS><commit><confirmed/><confirm-timeout>60</confirm-timeout></commit></rpc>]]>]]>") -| $clixon_netconf -qf $cfg  >> /dev/null &
 PIDS=($(jobs -l % | cut -c 6- | awk '{print $1}'))
-assert_config_equals "running" "$CONFIGB"                       # assert config twice to prove it surives disconnect
+if [ $valgrindtest -eq 1 ]; then
+    sleep 1
+fi
+assert_config_equals "running" "$CONFIGB"                       # assert config twice to prove it survives disconnect
 assert_config_equals "running" "$CONFIGB"                       # of ephemeral sessions
 
 new "soft kill ${PIDS[0]}"
@@ -317,7 +324,7 @@ kill ${PIDS[0]}                   # kill the while loop above to close STDIN on
 
 ################################################################################
 
-new "cli ephemeral confirmed-commit rolls back after disconnect"
+new "13. cli ephemeral confirmed-commit rolls back after disconnect"
 reset
 
 tmppipe=$(mktemp -u)
@@ -340,7 +347,7 @@ rm $tmppipe
 
 ################################################################################
 
-new "cli persistent confirmed-commit"
+new "14. cli persistent confirmed-commit"
 reset
 
 cat << EOF | clixon_cli -f $cfg >> /dev/null
@@ -360,35 +367,35 @@ assert_config_equals "running" "$CONFIGBPLUSC"
 
 ################################################################################
 
-new "cli cancel-commit with invalid persist-id"
+new "15. cli cancel-commit with invalid persist-id"
 expectpart "$($clixon_cli -lo -1 -f $cfg commit persist-id abc cancel)" 255 "a confirmed-commit with the given persist-id was not found"
 
 ################################################################################
 
-new "cli cancel-commit with valid persist-id"
+new "16. cli cancel-commit with valid persist-id"
 expectpart "$($clixon_cli -lo -1 -f $cfg commit persist-id ab cancel)" 0 "^$"
 assert_config_equals "running" ""
 
 ################################################################################
 
-new "cli cancel-commit with no confirmed-commit in progress"
+new "17. cli cancel-commit with no confirmed-commit in progress"
 expectpart "$($clixon_cli -lo -1 -f $cfg commit persist-id ab cancel)" 255 "no confirmed-commit is in progress"
 
 ################################################################################
 
-new "cli persistent confirmed-commit with timeout"
+new "18. cli persistent confirmed-commit with timeout"
 reset
 cat << EOF | clixon_cli -f $cfg >> /dev/null
 set table parameter eth0
-commit confirmed persist abcd 2
+commit confirmed persist abcd 3
 EOF
 assert_config_equals "running" "$CONFIGB"
-sleep 2
+sleep 3
 assert_config_equals "running" ""
 
 ################################################################################
 
-new "cli persistent confirmed-commit with reset timeout"
+new "19. cli persistent confirmed-commit with reset timeout"
 reset
 cat << EOF | clixon_cli -f $cfg >> /dev/null
 set table parameter eth0
@@ -441,7 +448,7 @@ assert_config_equals "running" "$CONFIGBPLUSC"
 
 ################################################################################
 
-new "restconf persistid expect fail"
+new "20. restconf persistid expect fail"
 reset
 edit_config "candidate" "$CONFIGB"
 commit "<confirmed/><persist>a</persist>"
diff --git a/test/test_netconf.sh b/test/test_netconf.sh
index 660861dc..e4bde339 100755
--- a/test/test_netconf.sh
+++ b/test/test_netconf.sh
@@ -359,7 +359,9 @@ expecteof_netconf "$clixon_netconf -qf $cfg" 0 "$DEFAULTHELLO" "<xx:rpc xmlns:xx
 
 new "asynchronous lock running"
 sleep 60 |  cat <(echo "$HELLONO11<rpc $DEFAULTNS><lock><target><running/></target></lock></rpc>]]>]]>") -| $clixon_netconf -qf $cfg  >> /dev/null &
-
+if [ $valgrindtest -eq 1 ]; then
+    sleep 1
+fi
 PIDS=($(jobs -l % | cut -c 6- | awk '{print $1}'))
 
 new "try commit should fail"
@@ -373,7 +375,7 @@ sleep 60 |  cat <(echo "$HELLONO11<rpc $DEFAULTNS><commit><confirmed/><confirm-t
 PIDS=($(jobs -l % | cut -c 6- | awk '{print $1}'))
 
 new "try lock should fail"
-expecteof_netconf "$clixon_netconf -qf $cfg" 0 "$DEFAULTHELLO" "<rpc $DEFAULTNS><lock><target><running/></target></lock></rpc>" "<rpc-reply $DEFAULTNS><rpc-error><error-type>protocol</error-type><error-tag>lock-denied</error-tag><error-info><session-id>[0-9]*</session-id></error-info><error-severity>error</error-severity><error-message>Operation failed, another session has an ongoing confirmed commit</error-message></rpc-error></rpc-reply>"
+expecteof_netconf "$clixon_netconf -qf $cfg" 0 "$DEFAULTHELLO" "<rpc $DEFAULTNS><lock><target><running/></target></lock></rpc>" "<rpc-reply $DEFAULTNS><rpc-error><error-type>protocol</error-type><error-tag>lock-denied</error-tag><error-info><session-id>[0-9]*</session-id></error-info><error-severity>error</error-severity><error-message>Operation failed, "
 
 new "soft kill ${PIDS[0]}"
 kill ${PIDS[0]}                   # kill the while loop above to close STDIN on 1st
diff --git a/util/Makefile.in b/util/Makefile.in
index c60eaf38..1f508fcb 100644
--- a/util/Makefile.in
+++ b/util/Makefile.in
@@ -155,10 +155,10 @@ clixon_util_regexp: clixon_util_regexp.c $(LIBDEPS)
 clixon_util_socket: clixon_util_socket.c $(LIBDEPS)
 	$(CC) $(INCLUDES) $(CPPFLAGS) @CFLAGS@ $(LDFLAGS) $^ $(LIBS) -o $@
 
-clixon_util_validate: clixon_util_validate.c $(LIBDEPS) $(BELIBDEPS) 
+clixon_util_validate: clixon_util_validate.c $(BELIBDEPS) $(LIBDEPS) 
 	$(CC) $(INCLUDES) $(CPPFLAGS) @CFLAGS@ $(LDFLAGS) $^ -l clixon_backend -o $@ $(LIBS) $(BELIBS)
 
-clixon_util_dispatcher: clixon_util_dispatcher.c $(LIBDEPS) $(BELIBDEPS) 
+clixon_util_dispatcher: clixon_util_dispatcher.c $(BELIBDEPS) $(LIBDEPS)
 	$(CC) $(INCLUDES) $(CPPFLAGS) @CFLAGS@ $(LDFLAGS) $^ -l clixon_backend -o $@ $(LIBS) $(BELIBS)
 
 ifdef with_restconf