diff --git a/apps/backend/backend_main.c b/apps/backend/backend_main.c
index e0d70a2c..23017ff5 100644
--- a/apps/backend/backend_main.c
+++ b/apps/backend/backend_main.c
@@ -111,6 +111,8 @@ backend_terminate(clicon_handle h)
 	yspec_free(yspec);
     if ((yspec = clicon_config_yang(h)) != NULL)
 	yspec_free(yspec);
+    if ((yspec = clicon_nacm_ext_yang(h)) != NULL)
+	yspec_free(yspec);
     if ((nsctx = clicon_nsctx_global_get(h)) != NULL)
 	cvec_free(nsctx);
     if ((x = clicon_nacm_ext(h)) != NULL)
@@ -212,12 +214,13 @@ nacm_load_external(clicon_handle h)
 	clicon_err(OE_XML, 0, "No xml tree in %s", filename);
 	goto done;
     }
+    if (clicon_nacm_ext_yang_set(h, yspec) < 0)
+	goto done;
     if (clicon_nacm_ext_set(h, xt) < 0)
 	goto done;
+
     retval = 0;
  done:
-    // XXX    if (yspec) /* The clixon yang-spec is not used after this */
-    // XXX	yspec_free(yspec);
     if (f)
 	fclose(f);
     return retval;
diff --git a/lib/clixon/clixon_data.h b/lib/clixon/clixon_data.h
index 961ac7aa..a541beac 100644
--- a/lib/clixon/clixon_data.h
+++ b/lib/clixon/clixon_data.h
@@ -58,6 +58,9 @@ int clicon_dbspec_yang_set(clicon_handle h, yang_stmt *ys);
 yang_stmt * clicon_config_yang(clicon_handle h);
 int clicon_config_yang_set(clicon_handle h, yang_stmt *ys);
 
+yang_stmt * clicon_nacm_ext_yang(clicon_handle h);
+int clicon_nacm_ext_yang_set(clicon_handle h, yang_stmt *ys);
+
 cvec *clicon_nsctx_global_get(clicon_handle h);
 int clicon_nsctx_global_set(clicon_handle h, cvec *nsctx);
 
diff --git a/lib/src/clixon_data.c b/lib/src/clixon_data.c
index 45e5bc46..2e11bd2b 100644
--- a/lib/src/clixon_data.c
+++ b/lib/src/clixon_data.c
@@ -146,6 +146,42 @@ clicon_config_yang_set(clicon_handle   h,
     return 0;
 }
 
+/*! Get YANG specification for external NACM (separate from application yangs)
+ * @param[in]  h     Clicon handle
+ * @retval     yspec Yang spec
+ * @see clicon_nacm_ext  for external NACM XML
+ */
+yang_stmt *
+clicon_nacm_ext_yang(clicon_handle h)
+{
+    clicon_hash_t  *cdat = clicon_data(h);
+    size_t          len;
+    void           *p;
+
+    if ((p = clicon_hash_value(cdat, "nacm_ext_yang", &len)) != NULL)
+	return *(yang_stmt **)p;
+    return NULL;
+}
+
+/*! Set yang specification for external NACM
+ * @param[in]  h     Clicon handle
+ * @param[in]  yspec Yang spec (malloced pointer)
+ * @see clicon_nacm_ext_set  for external NACM XML
+ */
+int
+clicon_nacm_ext_yang_set(clicon_handle   h, 
+			 yang_stmt      *ys)
+{
+    clicon_hash_t  *cdat = clicon_data(h);
+
+    /* It is the pointer to ys that should be copied by hash,
+       so we send a ptr to the ptr to indicate what to copy.
+     */
+    if (clicon_hash_add(cdat, "nacm_ext_yang", &ys, sizeof(ys)) == NULL)
+	return -1;
+    return 0;
+}
+
 /*! Get Global "canonical" namespace context
  * Canonical: use prefix and namespace specified in the yang modules.
  * @param[in]  h     Clicon handle