diff --git a/apps/backend/backend_plugin.c b/apps/backend/backend_plugin.c
index 450fd720..29038b63 100644
--- a/apps/backend/backend_plugin.c
+++ b/apps/backend/backend_plugin.c
@@ -115,6 +115,7 @@ clixon_plugin_statedata(clicon_handle    h,
     cxobj          *x = NULL;
     clixon_plugin  *cp = NULL;
     plgstatedata_t *fn;          /* Plugin statedata fn */
+    cbuf           *cberr = NULL; 
     
     while ((cp = clixon_plugin_each(h, cp)) != NULL) {
 	if ((fn = cp->cp_api.ca_statedata) == NULL)
@@ -133,21 +134,11 @@ clixon_plugin_statedata(clicon_handle    h,
 	if (ret > 0 && (ret = xml_yang_validate_add(h, x, &xerr)) < 0)
 	    goto done;
 	if (ret == 0){
-	    cbuf  *cberr = NULL; /* XXX Cumbersome, try to fold into one cb */
-	    cbuf  *cberr2 = NULL;
-	    if (netconf_err2cb(xpath_first(xerr, "rpc-error"), &cberr) < 0)
+	    cprintf(cberr, "Internal error: state callback returned invalid XML: ");
+	    if (netconf_err2cb(xpath_first(xerr, "rpc-error"), cberr) < 0)
 		goto done;
-	    if ((cberr2 = cbuf_new()) == NULL){
-		clicon_err(OE_UNIX, errno, "cbuf_new");
+	    if (netconf_operation_failed_xml(xret, "application", cbuf_get(cberr))< 0)
 		goto done;
-	    }
-	    cprintf(cberr2, "Internal error: state callback returned invalid XML: %s", cbuf_get(cberr));
-	    if (netconf_operation_failed_xml(xret, "application", cbuf_get(cberr2))< 0)
-		goto done;
-	    if (cberr)
-		cbuf_free(cberr);
-	    if (cberr2)
-		cbuf_free(cberr2);
 	    goto fail;
 	}
 	if ((ret = netconf_trymerge(x, yspec, xret)) < 0)
@@ -161,6 +152,8 @@ clixon_plugin_statedata(clicon_handle    h,
     }
     retval = 1;
  done:
+    if (cberr)
+	cbuf_free(cberr);
     if (x)
 	xml_free(x);
     if (xerr)
diff --git a/lib/clixon/clixon_netconf_lib.h b/lib/clixon/clixon_netconf_lib.h
index 463671c2..06e5c83b 100644
--- a/lib/clixon/clixon_netconf_lib.h
+++ b/lib/clixon/clixon_netconf_lib.h
@@ -90,7 +90,7 @@ int netconf_trymerge(cxobj *x, yang_stmt *yspec, cxobj **xret);
 int netconf_module_features(clicon_handle h);
 int netconf_module_load(clicon_handle h);
 char *netconf_db_find(cxobj *xn, char *name);
-int netconf_err2cb(cxobj *xerr, cbuf **cberr);
+int netconf_err2cb(cxobj *xerr, cbuf *cberr);
 const netconf_content netconf_content_str2int(char *str);
 const char *netconf_content_int2str(netconf_content nr);
 int netconf_hello_server(clicon_handle h, cbuf *cb, uint32_t session_id);
diff --git a/lib/src/clixon_netconf_lib.c b/lib/src/clixon_netconf_lib.c
index 2f9efaec..78d18692 100644
--- a/lib/src/clixon_netconf_lib.c
+++ b/lib/src/clixon_netconf_lib.c
@@ -1338,39 +1338,36 @@ netconf_db_find(cxobj *xn,
 }
 
 /*! Generate netconf error msg to cbuf to use in string printout or logs
- * @param[in]  xerr    Netconf error message on the level: <rpc-error>
- * @param[out] cberr   Translation from netconf err to cbuf. Free with cbuf_free.
+ * @param[in]     xerr    Netconf error message on the level: <rpc-error>
+ * @param[in,out] cberr   Translation from netconf err to cbuf.
  * @retval     0       OK, with cberr set
  * @retval    -1       Error
  * @code
- *     cbuf  *cb = NULL;
- *     if (netconf_err2cb(xerr, &cb) < 0)
+ *     cbuf *cb = NULL;
+ *     if ((cb = cbuf_new()) ==NULL){
+ * 	  err;
+ *     if (netconf_err2cb(xerr, cb) < 0)
  *        err;
  *     printf("%s", cbuf_get(cb));
+ *     cbuf_free(cb);
  * @endcode
  * @see clicon_rpc_generate_error
  */
 int
 netconf_err2cb(cxobj *xerr,
-	       cbuf **cberr)
+	       cbuf  *cberr)
 {
     int    retval = -1;
-    cbuf  *cb = NULL;
     cxobj *x;
 
-    if ((cb = cbuf_new()) ==NULL){
-	clicon_err(OE_XML, errno, "cbuf_new");
-	goto done;
-    }
     if ((x=xpath_first(xerr, "error-type"))!=NULL)
-	cprintf(cb, "%s ", xml_body(x));
+	cprintf(cberr, "%s ", xml_body(x));
     if ((x=xpath_first(xerr, "error-tag"))!=NULL)
-	cprintf(cb, "%s ", xml_body(x));
+	cprintf(cberr, "%s ", xml_body(x));
     if ((x=xpath_first(xerr, "error-message"))!=NULL)
-	cprintf(cb, "%s ", xml_body(x));
+	cprintf(cberr, "%s ", xml_body(x));
     if ((x=xpath_first(xerr, "error-info"))!=NULL)
-	clicon_xml2cbuf(cb, xml_child_i(x,0), 0, 0, -1);
-    *cberr = cb;
+	clicon_xml2cbuf(cberr, xml_child_i(x,0), 0, 0, -1);
     retval = 0;
  done:
     return retval;
diff --git a/lib/src/clixon_proto_client.c b/lib/src/clixon_proto_client.c
index 146cc52a..a1de8f4e 100644
--- a/lib/src/clixon_proto_client.c
+++ b/lib/src/clixon_proto_client.c
@@ -236,7 +236,11 @@ clicon_rpc_generate_error(const char  *prefix,
     int    retval = -1;
     cbuf  *cb = NULL;
 
-    if (netconf_err2cb(xerr, &cb) < 0)
+    if ((cb = cbuf_new()) ==NULL){
+	clicon_err(OE_XML, errno, "cbuf_new");
+	goto done;
+    }
+    if (netconf_err2cb(xerr, cb) < 0)
 	goto done;
     if (prefix)
 	clicon_log(LOG_ERR, "%s: %s", prefix, cbuf_get(cb));
diff --git a/util/clixon_util_xml.c b/util/clixon_util_xml.c
index 45a1b0e7..30b4d9e2 100644
--- a/util/clixon_util_xml.c
+++ b/util/clixon_util_xml.c
@@ -234,7 +234,11 @@ main(int    argc,
 	if (ret > 0 && (ret = xml_yang_validate_add(h, xc, &xerr)) < 0)
 	    goto done;
 	if (ret == 0){
-	    if (netconf_err2cb(xerr, &cbret) < 0)
+	    if ((cbret = cbuf_new()) ==NULL){
+		clicon_err(OE_XML, errno, "cbuf_new");
+		goto done;
+	    }
+	    if (netconf_err2cb(xerr, cbret) < 0)
 		goto done;
 	    fprintf(stderr, "xml validation error: %s\n", cbuf_get(cbret));
 	    goto done;