diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 0fdc9955..2d028621 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -65,6 +65,8 @@ Users may have to change how they access the system
 
 ### Minor features
 
+* Restconf internal start: fail early if clixon_restconf binary is not found
+  * If CLICON_BACKEND_RESTCONF_PROCESS is true
 * Added linenumbers to all YANG symbols for better debug and errors
   * Improved error messages for YANG identityref:s and leafref:s by adding original line numbers
 
diff --git a/apps/backend/backend_plugin_restconf.c b/apps/backend/backend_plugin_restconf.c
index fe39c8c5..aef1df7b 100644
--- a/apps/backend/backend_plugin_restconf.c
+++ b/apps/backend/backend_plugin_restconf.c
@@ -45,6 +45,7 @@
 #include <unistd.h>
 #include <errno.h>
 #include <assert.h>
+#include <sys/stat.h>
 
 /* cligen */
 #include <cligen/cligen.h>
@@ -240,12 +241,14 @@ restconf_rpc_wrapper(clicon_handle    h,
 static int
 restconf_pseudo_process_control(clicon_handle h)
 {
-    int    retval = -1;
-    char **argv = NULL;
-    int    i;
-    int    nr;
-    cbuf  *cb = NULL;
-    char  *dir = NULL;
+    int         retval = -1;
+    char      **argv = NULL;
+    int         i;
+    int         nr;
+    cbuf       *cb = NULL;
+    char       *dir = NULL;
+    char       *pgm;
+    struct stat fstat;
 
     nr = 10;
     if ((argv = calloc(nr, sizeof(char *))) == NULL){
@@ -269,7 +272,15 @@ restconf_pseudo_process_control(clicon_handle h)
 	}
     }
     cprintf(cb, "%s/clixon_restconf", dir);
-    argv[i++] = cbuf_get(cb);
+    pgm = cbuf_get(cb);
+    /* Sanity check: program exists */
+    if (stat(pgm, &fstat) < 0) {
+	clicon_err(OE_FATAL, errno, "%s, you may have set CLICON_BACKEND_RESTCONF_PROCESS but clixon_restconf is not found in %s. Try overriding with CLICON_RESTCONF_INSTALLDIR",
+		   pgm,
+		   CLIXON_CONFIG_SBINDIR);
+	goto done;
+    }
+    argv[i++] = pgm;
     argv[i++] = "-f";
     argv[i++] = clicon_option_str(h, "CLICON_CONFIGFILE");
     /* Add debug if backend has debug. 
diff --git a/lib/src/clixon_proc.c b/lib/src/clixon_proc.c
index 8c51b6e1..812daed7 100644
--- a/lib/src/clixon_proc.c
+++ b/lib/src/clixon_proc.c
@@ -98,6 +98,7 @@
 #ifdef HAVE_SETNS /* linux network namespaces */
 #include <sched.h> /* setns / unshare */
 #endif
+#include <sys/stat.h>
 #include <sys/types.h>
 #include <sys/wait.h>
 #include <sys/param.h>
@@ -271,6 +272,7 @@ clixon_proc_background(char       **argv,
     sigfn_t       oldhandler = NULL;
     sigset_t      oset;
     struct rlimit rlim = {0, };
+    struct stat   fstat;
 
     clicon_debug(1, "%s", __FUNCTION__);
     if (argv == NULL){
@@ -284,6 +286,11 @@ clixon_proc_background(char       **argv,
 	    i++;
 	}
     }
+    /* Sanity check: program exists */
+    if (stat(argv[0], &fstat) < 0) {
+	clicon_err(OE_FATAL, errno, "%s", argv[0]);
+	goto quit;
+    }
     /* Before here call quit on error */
     sigprocmask(0, NULL, &oset);
     set_signal(SIGINT, clixon_proc_sigint, &oldhandler);
diff --git a/test/lib.sh b/test/lib.sh
index faee3d50..24288c48 100755
--- a/test/lib.sh
+++ b/test/lib.sh
@@ -147,7 +147,7 @@ fi
 #: ${OPENCONFIG=$(pwd)/public} # just skip if not set
 
 # Standard IETF RFC yang files. 
-: ${IETFRFC=../yang/standard}
+: ${IETFRFC=../yang/mandatory}
 
 # Some restconf tests can run IPv6, but its complicated because:
 # - docker by default does not run IPv6
diff --git a/test/test_restconf_internal.sh b/test/test_restconf_internal.sh
index 78382002..336c9452 100755
--- a/test/test_restconf_internal.sh
+++ b/test/test_restconf_internal.sh
@@ -485,6 +485,9 @@ new "kill restconf"
 sleep $DEMSLEEP
 stop_restconf
 
+new "Start backend with wrong restconf bindir"
+expectpart "$(sudo $clixon_backend -Fs init -f $cfg -l o -o CLICON_RESTCONF_INSTALLDIR=/usr/local/xxxx)" 255 "FATAL: /usr/local/xxxx/clixon_restconf" "No such file or directory"
+
 new "endtest"
 endtest