diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 0d4e90cb..0ed8bef6 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -42,6 +42,9 @@
 ## 6.2.0
 Expected: April 2023
 
+* C-API
+  * `candidate_commit()`: validate_level (added in 6.1) marked obsolete
+	
 ## 6.1.0
 19 Feb 2023
 
diff --git a/apps/backend/backend_client.c b/apps/backend/backend_client.c
index 919a15f8..673c5754 100644
--- a/apps/backend/backend_client.c
+++ b/apps/backend/backend_client.c
@@ -510,7 +510,7 @@ from_client_edit_config(clicon_handle h,
     }
     /* Limited validation of incoming payload
      */
-    if ((ret = xml_yang_minmax_recurse(xc, &xret)) < 0)
+    if ((ret = xml_yang_minmax_recurse(xc, 1, &xret)) < 0)
         goto done;
     /* xmldb_put (difflist handling) requires list keys */
     if (ret==1 && (ret = xml_yang_validate_list_key_only(xc, &xret)) < 0)
@@ -567,7 +567,7 @@ from_client_edit_config(clicon_handle h,
                 break;
             }
         }
-        if ((ret = candidate_commit(h, NULL, "candidate", myid, VL_FULL, cbret)) < 0){ /* Assume validation fail, nofatal */
+        if ((ret = candidate_commit(h, NULL, "candidate", myid, 0, cbret)) < 0){ /* Assume validation fail, nofatal */
             if (netconf_operation_failed(cbret, "application", clicon_err_reason)< 0)
                 goto done;
             xmldb_copy(h, "running", "candidate");
diff --git a/apps/backend/backend_commit.c b/apps/backend/backend_commit.c
index 2c372b19..a7d5864e 100644
--- a/apps/backend/backend_commit.c
+++ b/apps/backend/backend_commit.c
@@ -465,7 +465,6 @@ startup_commit(clicon_handle  h,
  * @param[in]  h       Clicon handle
  * @param[in]  db      The (candidate) database. The wanted backend state
  * @param[in]  td      Transaction data
- * @param[in]  vlev    Validation level (0: full validation)
  * @param[out] xret    Error XML tree, if retval is 0. Free with xml_free after use
  * @retval     1       Validation OK       
  * @retval     0       Validation failed (with xret set)
@@ -478,7 +477,6 @@ static int
 validate_common(clicon_handle       h, 
                 char               *db,
                 transaction_data_t *td,
-                validate_level      vlev,
                 cxobj             **xret)
 {
     int         retval = -1;
@@ -546,18 +544,16 @@ validate_common(clicon_handle       h,
     if (plugin_transaction_begin_all(h, td) < 0)
         goto done;
 
-    if (vlev == VL_FULL){
-        /* 5. Make generic validation on all new or changed data.
-           Note this is only call that uses 3-values */
-        if ((ret = generic_validate(h, yspec, td, xret)) < 0)
-            goto done;
-        if (ret == 0)
-            goto fail;
+    /* 5. Make generic validation on all new or changed data.
+       Note this is only call that uses 3-values */
+    if ((ret = generic_validate(h, yspec, td, xret)) < 0)
+        goto done;
+    if (ret == 0)
+        goto fail;
 
-        /* 6. Call plugin transaction validate callbacks */
-        if (plugin_transaction_validate_all(h, td) < 0)
-            goto done;
-    }
+    /* 6. Call plugin transaction validate callbacks */
+    if (plugin_transaction_validate_all(h, td) < 0)
+        goto done;
 
     /* 7. Call plugin transaction complete callbacks */
     if (plugin_transaction_complete_all(h, td) < 0)
@@ -598,7 +594,7 @@ candidate_validate(clicon_handle h,
     if ((td = transaction_new()) == NULL)
         goto done;
         /* Common steps (with commit) */
-    if ((ret = validate_common(h, db, td, VL_FULL, &xret)) < 0){
+    if ((ret = validate_common(h, db, td, &xret)) < 0){
         /* A little complex due to several sources of validation fails or errors.
          * (1) xerr is set -> translate to cbret; (2) cbret set use that; otherwise
          * use clicon_err. 
@@ -652,7 +648,7 @@ candidate_validate(clicon_handle h,
  * @param[in]  xe         Request: <rpc><xn></rpc>  (or NULL)
  * @param[in]  db         A candidate database, not necessarily "candidate"
  * @param[in]  myid       Client id of triggering incoming message (or 0)
- * @param[in]  vlev       Validation level (0: full validation)
+ * @param[in]  vlev       Validation level (0: full validation) // obsolete
  * @param[out] cbret      Return xml tree, eg <rpc-reply>..., <rpc-error.. (if retval = 0)
  * @retval     1          Validation OK       
  * @retval     0          Validation failed (with cbret set)
@@ -663,7 +659,7 @@ candidate_commit(clicon_handle h,
                  cxobj        *xe,
                  char         *db,
                  uint32_t      myid,
-                 validate_level vlev,
+                 validate_level vlev, // obsolete
                  cbuf         *cbret)
 {
     int                 retval = -1;
@@ -679,7 +675,7 @@ candidate_commit(clicon_handle h,
     /* Common steps (with validate). Load candidate and running and compute diffs
      * Note this is only call that uses 3-values
      */
-    if ((ret = validate_common(h, db, td, vlev, &xret)) < 0)
+    if ((ret = validate_common(h, db, td, &xret)) < 0)
         goto done;
 
     /* If the confirmed-commit feature is enabled, execute phase 2:
@@ -824,7 +820,7 @@ from_client_commit(clicon_handle h,
             goto done;
         goto ok;
     }
-    if ((ret = candidate_commit(h, xe, "candidate", myid, VL_FULL, cbret)) < 0){ /* Assume validation fail, nofatal */
+    if ((ret = candidate_commit(h, xe, "candidate", myid, 0, cbret)) < 0){ /* Assume validation fail, nofatal */
         clicon_debug(1, "Commit candidate failed");
         if (ret < 0)
             if (netconf_operation_failed(cbret, "application", clicon_err_reason)< 0)
@@ -1091,7 +1087,7 @@ load_failsafe(clicon_handle h,
         goto done;
     if (xmldb_db_reset(h, "running") < 0)
         goto done;
-    ret = candidate_commit(h, NULL, db, 0, VL_FULL, cbret);
+    ret = candidate_commit(h, NULL, db, 0, 0, cbret);
     if (ret != 1)
         if (xmldb_copy(h, "tmp", "running") < 0)
             goto done;
diff --git a/apps/backend/backend_confirm.c b/apps/backend/backend_confirm.c
index fa8fb371..dcbdefb8 100644
--- a/apps/backend/backend_confirm.c
+++ b/apps/backend/backend_confirm.c
@@ -653,7 +653,7 @@ do_rollback(clicon_handle h,
         confirmed_commit_persist_id_set(h, NULL);
     }
     confirmed_commit_state_set(h, ROLLBACK);
-    if (candidate_commit(h, NULL, "rollback", 0, VL_FULL, cbret) < 0) { /* Assume validation fail, nofatal */
+    if (candidate_commit(h, NULL, "rollback", 0, 0, cbret) < 0) { /* Assume validation fail, nofatal */
         /* theoretically, this should never error, since the rollback database was previously active and therefore
          * had itself been previously and successfully committed.
          */
diff --git a/example/main/Makefile.in b/example/main/Makefile.in
index 8613c9fd..0eb9c72d 100644
--- a/example/main/Makefile.in
+++ b/example/main/Makefile.in
@@ -46,7 +46,6 @@ top_srcdir  	= @top_srcdir@
 prefix 		= @prefix@
 bindir 		= @bindir@
 includedir	= @includedir@
-datarootdir     = @datarootdir@
 sysconfdir      = @sysconfdir@
 datarootdir	= @datarootdir@
 localstatedir   = @localstatedir@
diff --git a/lib/clixon/clixon_validate_minmax.h b/lib/clixon/clixon_validate_minmax.h
index 86283728..1cc1b403 100644
--- a/lib/clixon/clixon_validate_minmax.h
+++ b/lib/clixon/clixon_validate_minmax.h
@@ -43,6 +43,6 @@
 /*
  * Prototypes
  */
-int xml_yang_minmax_recurse(cxobj *xt, cxobj **xret);
+int xml_yang_minmax_recurse(cxobj *xt, int recurse, cxobj **xret);
 
 #endif  /* _CLIXON_VALIDATE_MINMAX_H_ */
diff --git a/lib/src/clixon_validate.c b/lib/src/clixon_validate.c
index 338264a8..fe7c1c7a 100644
--- a/lib/src/clixon_validate.c
+++ b/lib/src/clixon_validate.c
@@ -1359,7 +1359,7 @@ xml_yang_validate_all(clicon_handle h,
     /* Check unique and min-max after choice test for example*/
     if (yang_config(yt) != 0){
         /* Checks if next level contains any unique list constraints */
-        if ((ret = xml_yang_minmax_recurse(xt, xret)) < 0)
+        if ((ret = xml_yang_minmax_recurse(xt, 1, xret)) < 0)
             goto done;
         if (ret == 0)
             goto fail;
@@ -1396,7 +1396,7 @@ xml_yang_validate_all_top(clicon_handle h,
         if ((ret = xml_yang_validate_all(h, x, xret)) < 1)
             return ret;
     }
-    if ((ret = xml_yang_minmax_recurse(xt, xret)) < 1)
+    if ((ret = xml_yang_minmax_recurse(xt, 0, xret)) < 1)
         return ret;
     return 1;
 }
diff --git a/lib/src/clixon_validate_minmax.c b/lib/src/clixon_validate_minmax.c
index 99c2c8c3..7268537d 100644
--- a/lib/src/clixon_validate_minmax.c
+++ b/lib/src/clixon_validate_minmax.c
@@ -633,6 +633,8 @@ xml_yang_minmax_gap_analysis(cxobj      *xt,
  * 7   null             nolist  neq   gap analysis; nopresence-check; 
  * 8   list             nolist  neq   gap analysis; yprev: check-minmax; nopresence-check; 
  * @param[in]  xt      XML parent (may have lists w unique constraints as child)
+ * @param[in]  recurse Set if called in a recursive loop (will recurse anyway), 
+ *                     otherwise non-presence containers will be traversed
  * @param[out] xret    Error XML tree. Free with xml_free after use
  * @retval     1       Validation OK
  * @retval     0       Validation failed (xret set)
@@ -643,6 +645,7 @@ xml_yang_minmax_gap_analysis(cxobj      *xt,
  */
 int
 xml_yang_minmax_recurse(cxobj  *xt,
+                        int     recurse,
                         cxobj **xret)
 {
     int           retval = -1;
@@ -709,11 +712,11 @@ xml_yang_minmax_recurse(cxobj  *xt,
             }
             if (ret == 0)
                 goto fail;
-            if (keyw == Y_CONTAINER &&
+            if (recurse && keyw == Y_CONTAINER &&
                 yang_find(y, Y_PRESENCE, NULL) == NULL){
                 yang_stmt *yc = NULL;
                 while ((yc = yn_each(y, yc)) != NULL) {
-                    if ((ret = xml_yang_minmax_recurse(x, xret)) < 0)
+                    if ((ret = xml_yang_minmax_recurse(x, recurse, xret)) < 0)
                         goto done;
                     if (ret == 0)
                         goto fail;
diff --git a/util/clixon_util_validate.c b/util/clixon_util_validate.c
index 3ed5e427..acf924f7 100644
--- a/util/clixon_util_validate.c
+++ b/util/clixon_util_validate.c
@@ -227,7 +227,7 @@ main(int    argc,
         goto done;
     }
     if (commit){
-        if ((ret = candidate_commit(h, NULL, database, 0, VL_FULL, cb)) < 0)
+        if ((ret = candidate_commit(h, NULL, database, 0, 0, cb)) < 0)
             goto done;
     }
     else{