diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 30b8e72f..940860b8 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -86,6 +86,7 @@ If you submit "nopresence" without a leaf, it will automatically be removed:
   * You need to define state data in a backend callback. See the example and documentation for more details.
 
 ### Minor changes:
+* Added prefix parsing of xpath, allowing eg /p:x/p:y, but prefix ignored.
 * Corrected Yang union CLI generation and type validation. Recursive unions did not work.
 * Corrected Yang pattern type escaping problem, ie '\.' did not work properly. This requires update of cligen as well.
 * Compliance with RFC: Rename yang xpath to schema_nodeid and syntaxnode to datanode.
diff --git a/apps/backend/backend_client.c b/apps/backend/backend_client.c
index 84389dd4..39f1cb39 100644
--- a/apps/backend/backend_client.c
+++ b/apps/backend/backend_client.c
@@ -885,7 +885,7 @@ from_client_msg(clicon_handle        h,
     cxobj               *xt = NULL;
     cxobj               *x;
     cxobj               *xe;
-    char                *name;
+    char                *name = NULL;
     char                *db;
     cbuf                *cbret = NULL; /* return message */
     int                  pid;
diff --git a/lib/src/clixon_xml_map.c b/lib/src/clixon_xml_map.c
index 01fa5dcc..dccf0fa5 100644
--- a/lib/src/clixon_xml_map.c
+++ b/lib/src/clixon_xml_map.c
@@ -1979,9 +1979,6 @@ xml_merge(cxobj     *x0,
     cxobj     *x1c; /* mod child */
     yang_stmt *yc;
 
-    /* Assure top-levels are 'config' */
-    assert(x0 && strcmp(xml_name(x0),"config")==0);
-    assert(x1 && strcmp(xml_name(x1),"config")==0);
     /* Loop through children of the modification tree */
     x1c = NULL;
     while ((x1c = xml_child_each(x1, x1c, CX_ELMNT)) != NULL) {
diff --git a/lib/src/clixon_xsl.c b/lib/src/clixon_xsl.c
index 5b953c04..0d3146d4 100644
--- a/lib/src/clixon_xsl.c
+++ b/lib/src/clixon_xsl.c
@@ -150,6 +150,7 @@ struct xpath_predicate{
 struct xpath_element{
     struct xpath_element   *xe_next;
     enum axis_type          xe_type;
+    char                   *xe_prefix; /* eg for namespaces */
     char                   *xe_str; /* eg for child */
     struct xpath_predicate *xe_predicate; /* eg within [] */
 };
@@ -217,6 +218,7 @@ xpath_element_new(enum axis_type          atype,
     struct xpath_element   *xe;
     char                   *str1 = NULL;
     char                   *pred;
+    char                   *local;
 
     if ((xe = malloc(sizeof(*xe))) == NULL){
 	clicon_err(OE_UNIX, errno, "malloc");
@@ -232,7 +234,18 @@ xpath_element_new(enum axis_type          atype,
 	if (xpath_split(str1, &pred) < 0) /* Can be more predicates */
 	    goto done;
 	if (strlen(str1)){
-	    if ((xe->xe_str = strdup(str1)) == NULL){
+	    /* Split into prefix and localname */
+	    if ((local = index(str1, ':')) != NULL){
+		*local = '\0';
+		local++;
+		if ((xe->xe_prefix = strdup(str1)) == NULL){
+		    clicon_err(OE_XML, errno, "%s: strdup", __FUNCTION__);
+		    goto done;
+		}
+	    }
+	    else
+		local = str1;
+	    if ((xe->xe_str = strdup(local)) == NULL){
 		clicon_err(OE_XML, errno, "%s: strdup", __FUNCTION__);
 		goto done;
 	    }
@@ -264,6 +277,8 @@ xpath_element_free(struct xpath_element *xe)
 
     if (xe->xe_str)
 	free(xe->xe_str);
+    if (xe->xe_prefix)
+	free(xe->xe_prefix);
     while ((xp = xe->xe_predicate) != NULL){
 	xe->xe_predicate = xp->xp_next;
 	if (xp->xp_expr)
diff --git a/test/test_leafref.sh b/test/test_leafref.sh
index 6c74f070..e500d5b4 100755
--- a/test/test_leafref.sh
+++ b/test/test_leafref.sh
@@ -11,40 +11,30 @@ clixon_cli=clixon_cli
 
 cat <<EOF > /tmp/leafref.yang
 module example{
-     typedef admin-status{
-        type string;
-     }
-     list interface {
-         key "name";
-         leaf name {
-             type string;
-         }
-         leaf admin-status {
-             type admin-status;
-         }
-         list address {
-             key "ip";
-             leaf ip {
-                 type string;
+    import ietf-ip {
+      prefix ip;
+    }
+    container default-address {
+         leaf absname {
+             type leafref {
+                 path "/ip:interfaces/ip:interface/ip:name";
              }
          }
-     }
-     container default-address {
-         leaf ifname {
+         leaf relname {
              type leafref {
-                 path "../../interface/name";
+                 path "../../interfaces/interface/name";
              }
          }
          leaf address {
              type leafref {
-                 path "../../interface[name=eth0]"
+                 path "../../interfaces/interface[name=eth0]"
                     + "/address/ip";
              }
          }
     }
 }
 EOF
-#                 path "../../interface[name = current()/../ifname]"
+# XXX not eth0                path "../../interface[name = current()/../ifname]"
 
 # kill old backend (if any)
 new "kill old backend"
@@ -61,16 +51,17 @@ if [ $? -ne 0 ]; then
 fi
 
 new "leafref base config"
-expecteof "$clixon_netconf -qf $clixon_cf -y /tmp/leafref.yang" "<rpc><edit-config><target><candidate/></target><config><interface><name>eth0</name><admin-status>up</admin-status><address><ip>192.0.2.1</ip></address><address><ip>192.0.2.2</ip></address></interface><interface><name>lo</name><admin-status>up</admin-status><address><ip>127.0.0.1</ip></address></interface></config></edit-config></rpc>]]>]]>" "^<rpc-reply><ok/></rpc-reply>]]>]]>$"
+expecteof "$clixon_netconf -qf $clixon_cf -y /tmp/leafref.yang" "<rpc><edit-config><target><candidate/></target><config><interfaces>
+<interface><name>eth0</name>  <type>eth</type>  <ipv4><address><ip>192.0.2.1</ip></address></ipv4>  <ipv4><address><ip>192.0.2.2</ip></address></ipv4></interface><interface><name>lo</name><type>lo</type><ipv4><address><ip>127.0.0.1</ip></address></ipv4></interface></interfaces></config></edit-config></rpc>]]>]]>" "^<rpc-reply><ok/></rpc-reply>]]>]]>$"
 
 new "leafref get config"
-expecteof "$clixon_netconf -qf $clixon_cf" '<rpc><get-config><source><candidate/></source></get-config></rpc>]]>]]>' '^<rpc-reply><data><interface><name>eth0</name>'
+expecteof "$clixon_netconf -qf $clixon_cf" '<rpc><get-config><source><candidate/></source></get-config></rpc>]]>]]>' '^<rpc-reply><data><interfaces><interface><name>eth0</name>'
 
 new "leafref base commit"
 expecteof "$clixon_netconf -qf $clixon_cf -y /tmp/leafref.yang" "<rpc><commit/></rpc>]]>]]>" "^<rpc-reply><ok/></rpc-reply>]]>]]>$"
 
 new "leafref add wrong ref"
-expecteof "$clixon_netconf -qf $clixon_cf -y /tmp/leafref.yang" "<rpc><edit-config><target><candidate/></target><config><default-address><ifname>eth3</ifname><address>10.0.4.6</address></default-address></config></edit-config></rpc>]]>]]>" "^<rpc-reply><ok/></rpc-reply>]]>]]>$"
+expecteof "$clixon_netconf -qf $clixon_cf -y /tmp/leafref.yang" "<rpc><edit-config><target><candidate/></target><config><default-address><absname>eth3</absname><address>10.0.4.6</address></default-address></config></edit-config></rpc>]]>]]>" "^<rpc-reply><ok/></rpc-reply>]]>]]>$"
 
 new "leafref validate"
 expecteof "$clixon_netconf -qf $clixon_cf -y /tmp/leafref.yang" "<rpc><validate><source><candidate/></source></validate></rpc>]]>]]>" "^<rpc-reply><rpc-error><error-tag>missing-attribute</error-tag>"
@@ -78,18 +69,31 @@ expecteof "$clixon_netconf -qf $clixon_cf -y /tmp/leafref.yang" "<rpc><validate>
 new "leafref discard-changes"
 expecteof "$clixon_netconf -qf $clixon_cf" "<rpc><discard-changes/></rpc>]]>]]>" "^<rpc-reply><ok/></rpc-reply>]]>]]>$"
 
-new "leafref add correct ref"
-expecteof "$clixon_netconf -qf $clixon_cf -y /tmp/leafref.yang" "<rpc><edit-config><target><candidate/></target><config><default-address><ifname>eth0</ifname><address>192.0.2.2</address></default-address></config></edit-config></rpc>]]>]]>" "^<rpc-reply><ok/></rpc-reply>]]>]]>$"
+new "leafref add correct absref"
+expecteof "$clixon_netconf -qf $clixon_cf -y /tmp/leafref.yang" "<rpc><edit-config><target><candidate/></target><config><default-address><absname>eth0</absname></default-address></config></edit-config></rpc>]]>]]>" "^<rpc-reply><ok/></rpc-reply>]]>]]>$"
+
+new "leafref add correct relref"
+expecteof "$clixon_netconf -qf $clixon_cf -y /tmp/leafref.yang" "<rpc><edit-config><target><candidate/></target><config><default-address><relname>eth0</relname></default-address></config></edit-config></rpc>]]>]]>" "^<rpc-reply><ok/></rpc-reply>]]>]]>$"
+
+# XXX add address
 
 new "leafref validate (ok)"
 expecteof "$clixon_netconf -qf $clixon_cf -y /tmp/leafref.yang" "<rpc><validate><source><candidate/></source></validate></rpc>]]>]]>" "^<rpc-reply><ok/></rpc-reply>"
 
 new "leafref delete leaf"
-expecteof "$clixon_netconf -qf $clixon_cf -y /tmp/leafref.yang" "<rpc><edit-config><target><candidate/></target><config><interface operation=\"delete\"><name>eth0</name></interface></config></edit-config></rpc>]]>]]>" "^<rpc-reply><ok/></rpc-reply>"
+expecteof "$clixon_netconf -qf $clixon_cf -y /tmp/leafref.yang" "<rpc><edit-config><target><candidate/></target><config><interfaces><interface operation=\"delete\"><name>eth0</name></interface></interfaces></config></edit-config></rpc>]]>]]>" "^<rpc-reply><ok/></rpc-reply>"
 
 new "leafref validate (should fail)"
 expecteof "$clixon_netconf -qf $clixon_cf -y /tmp/leafref.yang" "<rpc><validate><source><candidate/></source></validate></rpc>]]>]]>"  "^<rpc-reply><rpc-error><error-tag>missing-attribute</error-tag>"
 
+new "leafref discard-changes"
+expecteof "$clixon_netconf -qf $clixon_cf" "<rpc><discard-changes/></rpc>]]>]]>" "^<rpc-reply><ok/></rpc-reply>]]>]]>$"
+
+new "cli leafref lo"
+expectfn "$clixon_cli -1f $clixon_cf -y /tmp/leafref.yang -l o set default-address absname lo" "^$"
+
+new "cli leafref validate"
+expectfn "$clixon_cli -1f $clixon_cf -y /tmp/leafref.yang -l o validate" "^$"
 
 new "Kill backend"
 # Check if still alive