diff --git a/lib/src/clixon_data.c b/lib/src/clixon_data.c
index 1bfba5c1..ba0e6d19 100644
--- a/lib/src/clixon_data.c
+++ b/lib/src/clixon_data.c
@@ -864,46 +864,6 @@ clicon_argv_set(clixon_handle h,
     return retval;
 }
 
-/*! Get xml database element including id, xml cache, empty on startup and dirty bit
- *
- * @param[in]  h    Clixon handle
- * @param[in]  db   Name of database
- * @retval     de   Database element
- * @retval     NULL None found
- */
-db_elmnt *
-clicon_db_elmnt_get(clixon_handle h,
-                    const char   *db)
-{
-    clicon_hash_t *cdat = clicon_db_elmnt(h);
-    void          *p;
-
-    if ((p = clicon_hash_value(cdat, db, NULL)) != NULL)
-        return (db_elmnt *)p;
-    return NULL;
-}
-
-/*! Set xml database element including id, xml cache, empty on startup and dirty bit
- *
- * @param[in] h   Clixon handle
- * @param[in] db  Name of database
- * @param[in] de  Database element
- * @retval    0   OK
- * @retval   -1   Error
- * @see xmldb_disconnect
-*/
-int
-clicon_db_elmnt_set(clixon_handle h,
-                    const char   *db,
-                    db_elmnt     *de)
-{
-    clicon_hash_t  *cdat = clicon_db_elmnt(h);
-
-    if (clicon_hash_add(cdat, db, de, sizeof(*de))==NULL)
-        return -1;
-    return 0;
-}
-
 /*! Get session id
  *
  * @param[in]  h    Clixon handle
diff --git a/lib/src/clixon_datastore.c b/lib/src/clixon_datastore.c
index a3e57429..a2d34293 100644
--- a/lib/src/clixon_datastore.c
+++ b/lib/src/clixon_datastore.c
@@ -85,6 +85,46 @@
 #include "clixon_datastore_write.h"
 #include "clixon_datastore_read.h"
 
+/*! Get xml database element including id, xml cache, empty on startup and dirty bit
+ *
+ * @param[in]  h    Clixon handle
+ * @param[in]  db   Name of database
+ * @retval     de   Database element
+ * @retval     NULL None found
+ */
+db_elmnt *
+clicon_db_elmnt_get(clixon_handle h,
+                    const char   *db)
+{
+    clicon_hash_t *cdat = clicon_db_elmnt(h);
+    void          *p;
+
+    if ((p = clicon_hash_value(cdat, db, NULL)) != NULL)
+        return (db_elmnt *)p;
+    return NULL;
+}
+
+/*! Set xml database element including id, xml cache, empty on startup and dirty bit
+ *
+ * @param[in] h   Clixon handle
+ * @param[in] db  Name of database
+ * @param[in] de  Database element
+ * @retval    0   OK
+ * @retval   -1   Error
+ * @see xmldb_disconnect
+*/
+int
+clicon_db_elmnt_set(clixon_handle h,
+                    const char   *db,
+                    db_elmnt     *de)
+{
+    clicon_hash_t  *cdat = clicon_db_elmnt(h);
+
+    if (clicon_hash_add(cdat, db, de, sizeof(*de))==NULL)
+        return -1;
+    return 0;
+}
+
 /*! Translate from symbolic database name to actual filename in file-system
  *
  * @param[in]   th       text handle handle
@@ -182,14 +222,14 @@ xmldb_copy(clixon_handle h,
            const char   *from, 
            const char   *to)
 {
-    int                 retval = -1;
-    char               *fromfile = NULL;
-    char               *tofile = NULL;
-    db_elmnt           *de1 = NULL; /* from */
-    db_elmnt           *de2 = NULL; /* to */
-    db_elmnt            de0 = {0,};
-    cxobj              *x1 = NULL;  /* from */
-    cxobj              *x2 = NULL;  /* to */
+    int        retval = -1;
+    char      *fromfile = NULL;
+    char      *tofile = NULL;
+    db_elmnt  *de1 = NULL; /* from */
+    db_elmnt  *de2 = NULL; /* to */
+    db_elmnt   de0 = {0,};
+    cxobj     *x1 = NULL;  /* from */
+    cxobj     *x2 = NULL;  /* to */
 
     clixon_debug(CLIXON_DBG_DATASTORE, "%s %s", from, to);
     /* XXX lock */
@@ -563,6 +603,30 @@ xmldb_modified_get(clixon_handle h,
     return de->de_modified;
 }
 
+/*! Set modified flag from datastore
+ *
+ * @param[in]  h     Clixon handle
+ * @param[in]  db    Database name
+ * @param[in]  value 0 or 1
+ * @retval     0     OK
+ * @retval    -1     Error (datastore does not exist)
+ * @note This only makes sense for "candidate", see RFC 6241 Sec 7.5
+ */
+int
+xmldb_modified_set(clixon_handle h,
+                   const char   *db,
+                   int           value)
+{
+    db_elmnt *de;
+
+    if ((de = clicon_db_elmnt_get(h, db)) == NULL){
+        clixon_err(OE_CFG, EFAULT, "datastore %s does not exist", db);
+        return -1;
+    }
+    de->de_modified = value;
+    return 0;
+}
+
 /*! Get empty flag from datastore (the datastore was empty ON LOAD)
  *
  * @param[in]  h     Clixon handle
@@ -584,18 +648,62 @@ xmldb_empty_get(clixon_handle h,
     return de->de_empty;
 }
 
-/*! Set modified flag from datastore
+/*! Set empty flag from datastore (the datastore was empty ON LOAD)
  *
  * @param[in]  h     Clixon handle
  * @param[in]  db    Database name
  * @param[in]  value 0 or 1
  * @retval     0     OK
  * @retval    -1     Error (datastore does not exist)
- * @note This only makes sense for "candidate", see RFC 6241 Sec 7.5
- * @note This only works if db cache is used,...
  */
 int
-xmldb_modified_set(clixon_handle h,
+xmldb_empty_set(clixon_handle h,
+                const char   *db,
+                int           value)
+{
+    db_elmnt *de;
+
+    if ((de = clicon_db_elmnt_get(h, db)) == NULL){
+        clixon_err(OE_CFG, EFAULT, "datastore %s does not exist", db);
+        return -1;
+    }
+    de->de_empty = value;
+    return 0;
+}
+
+/*! Get volatile flag of datastore
+ *
+ * Whether to sync to disk on every update (ie xmldb_put)
+ * @param[in]  h     Clixon handle
+ * @param[in]  db    Database name
+ * @retval     1     Db was empty on load
+ * @retval     0     Db was not empty on load
+ * @retval    -1     Error (datastore does not exist)
+ */
+int
+xmldb_volatile_get(clixon_handle h,
+                   const char   *db)
+{
+    db_elmnt *de;
+
+    if ((de = clicon_db_elmnt_get(h, db)) == NULL){
+        clixon_err(OE_CFG, EFAULT, "datastore %s does not exist", db);
+        return -1;
+    }
+    return de->de_volatile;
+}
+
+/*! Set datastore status of datastore
+ *
+ * Whether to sync to disk on every update (ie xmldb_put)
+ * @param[in]  h     Clixon handle
+ * @param[in]  db    Database name
+ * @param[in]  value 0 or 1
+ * @retval     0     OK
+ * @retval    -1     Error (datastore does not exist)
+ */
+int
+xmldb_volatile_set(clixon_handle h,
                    const char   *db,
                    int           value)
 {
@@ -605,7 +713,7 @@ xmldb_modified_set(clixon_handle h,
         clixon_err(OE_CFG, EFAULT, "datastore %s does not exist", db);
         return -1;
     }
-    de->de_modified = value;
+    de->de_volatile = value;
     return 0;
 }
 
diff --git a/lib/src/clixon_datastore_write.c b/lib/src/clixon_datastore_write.c
index ff9a5bbe..fa456d05 100644
--- a/lib/src/clixon_datastore_write.c
+++ b/lib/src/clixon_datastore_write.c
@@ -1314,9 +1314,10 @@ xmldb_put(clixon_handle       h,
         de0.de_xml = x0;
     de0.de_empty = (xml_child_nr(de0.de_xml) == 0);
     clicon_db_elmnt_set(h, db, &de0);
-    /* Write cache to file */
-    if (xmldb_write_cache2file(h, db) < 0)
-        goto done;
+    /* Write cache to file unless volatile */
+    if (xmldb_volatile_get(h, db) == 0)
+        if (xmldb_write_cache2file(h, db) < 0)
+            goto done;
     retval = 1;
  done:
     clixon_debug(CLIXON_DBG_DATASTORE | CLIXON_DBG_DETAIL, "retval:%d", retval);
diff --git a/lib/src/clixon_xml_default.c b/lib/src/clixon_xml_default.c
index d5b31c36..74008cc1 100644
--- a/lib/src/clixon_xml_default.c
+++ b/lib/src/clixon_xml_default.c
@@ -72,6 +72,9 @@
 #include "clixon_xml_nsctx.h"
 #include "clixon_xml_map.h"
 #include "clixon_xml_default.h"
+#include "clixon_netconf_lib.h"
+#include "clixon_yang_module.h"
+#include "clixon_datastore.h"
 
 /* Forward */
 static int xml_default(yang_stmt *yt, cxobj *xt, int state);
diff --git a/lib/src/clixon_xml_map.c b/lib/src/clixon_xml_map.c
index f74fc015..798dbc2e 100644
--- a/lib/src/clixon_xml_map.c
+++ b/lib/src/clixon_xml_map.c
@@ -579,8 +579,8 @@ xml_tree_equal(cxobj     *x0,
 {
     int        retval = 1; /* Not equal */
     int        eq;
-    yang_stmt *yc0;
-    yang_stmt *yc1;
+    yang_stmt *y0c;
+    yang_stmt *y1c;
     char      *b0;
     char      *b1;
     cxobj     *x0c; /* x0 child */
@@ -594,41 +594,35 @@ xml_tree_equal(cxobj     *x0,
     for (;;){
         if (x0c == NULL && x1c == NULL)
             goto ok;
-        else if (x0c == NULL){
-            /* If cl:ignore-compare extension, return equal */
-            if ((yc1 = xml_spec(x1c)) != NULL){
-                if (yang_extension_value(yc1, "ignore-compare", CLIXON_LIB_NS, &extflag, NULL) < 0)
-                    goto done;
-                if (extflag)
-                    goto ok;
-            }
-            goto done;
-        }
-        else if (x1c == NULL){
-            if ((yc0 = xml_spec(x0c)) != NULL){
-                if (yang_extension_value(yc0, "ignore-compare", CLIXON_LIB_NS, &extflag, NULL) < 0)
-                    goto done;
-                if (extflag)
-                    goto ok;
-            }
-            goto done;
-        }
-        if ((yc0 = xml_spec(x0c)) != NULL){
-            if (yang_extension_value(yc0, "ignore-compare", CLIXON_LIB_NS, &extflag, NULL) < 0)
+        /* If cl:ignore-compare extension, return equal */
+        if (x0c && (y0c = xml_spec(x0c)) != NULL){
+            if (yang_extension_value(y0c, "ignore-compare", CLIXON_LIB_NS, &extflag, NULL) < 0)
                 goto done;
             if (extflag){ /* skip */
-                x0c = xml_child_each(x0, x0c, CX_ELMNT);
-                continue;
+                if (x1c) {
+                    x0c = xml_child_each(x0, x0c, CX_ELMNT);
+                    continue;
+                }
+                else
+                    goto ok;
             }
         }
-        if ((yc1 = xml_spec(x1c)) != NULL){
-            if (yang_extension_value(yc1, "ignore-compare", CLIXON_LIB_NS, &extflag, NULL) < 0)
+        if (x1c && (y1c = xml_spec(x1c)) != NULL){
+            if (yang_extension_value(y1c, "ignore-compare", CLIXON_LIB_NS, &extflag, NULL) < 0)
                 goto done;
             if (extflag){ /* skip */
-                x1c = xml_child_each(x1, x1c, CX_ELMNT);
-                continue;
+                if (x1c) {
+                    x1c = xml_child_each(x1, x1c, CX_ELMNT);
+                    continue;
+                }
+                else
+                    goto ok;
             }
         }
+        if (x0c == NULL)
+            goto done;
+        else if (x1c == NULL)
+            goto done;
         /* Both x0c and x1c exists, check if they are yang-equal. */
         if ((eq = xml_cmp(x0c, x1c, 0, 0, NULL)) != 0){
             goto done;
@@ -637,11 +631,11 @@ xml_tree_equal(cxobj     *x0,
             /* xml-spec NULL could happen with anydata children for example,
              * if so, continue compare children but without yang
              */
-            if (yc0 && yc1 && yc0 != yc1){ /* choice */
+            if (y0c && y1c && y0c != y1c){ /* choice */
                 goto done;
             }
             else
-                if (yc0 && yang_keyword_get(yc0) == Y_LEAF){
+                if (y0c && yang_keyword_get(y0c) == Y_LEAF){
                     /* if x0c and x1c are leafs w bodies, then they may be changed */
                     b0 = xml_body(x0c);
                     b1 = xml_body(x1c);