diff --git a/lib/src/clixon_xpath.c b/lib/src/clixon_xpath.c
index 64352055..43845787 100644
--- a/lib/src/clixon_xpath.c
+++ b/lib/src/clixon_xpath.c
@@ -290,11 +290,14 @@ xpath_tree2cbuf(xpath_tree *xs,
     switch (xs->xs_type){
     case XP_AND: /* and or */
     case XP_ADD: /* div mod + * - */
-    case XP_RELEX: /* !=, >= <= < > = */
-    case XP_UNION:
 	if (xs->xs_c1)
 	    cprintf(xcb, " %s ", clicon_int2str(xpopmap, xs->xs_int));
 	break;
+    case XP_RELEX: /* !=, >= <= < > = */
+    case XP_UNION: /* | */
+	if (xs->xs_c1)
+	    cprintf(xcb, "%s", clicon_int2str(xpopmap, xs->xs_int));
+	break;
     case XP_PATHEXPR:
 	/* [19]    PathExpr ::=  | FilterExpr '/' RelativeLocationPath	
 		                 | FilterExpr '//' RelativeLocationPath	
diff --git a/test/test_xpath_canonical.sh b/test/test_xpath_canonical.sh
index e541234b..d339d31c 100755
--- a/test/test_xpath_canonical.sh
+++ b/test/test_xpath_canonical.sh
@@ -48,13 +48,13 @@ new "xpath canonical form (other)"
 expectpart "$($clixon_util_xpath -c -y $ydir -p /i:x/j:y -n i:urn:example:a -n j:urn:example:b)" 0 '/a:x/b:y' '0 : a = "urn:example:a"' '1 : b = "urn:example:b"'
 
 new "xpath canonical form predicate 1"
-expectpart "$($clixon_util_xpath -c -y $ydir -p "/i:x[j:y='e1']" -n i:urn:example:a -n j:urn:example:b)" 0 "/a:x\[b:y = 'e1'\]" '0 : a = "urn:example:a"' '1 : b = "urn:example:b"'
+expectpart "$($clixon_util_xpath -c -y $ydir -p "/i:x[j:y='e1']" -n i:urn:example:a -n j:urn:example:b)" 0 "/a:x\[b:y='e1'\]" '0 : a = "urn:example:a"' '1 : b = "urn:example:b"'
 
 new "xpath canonical form predicate self"
-expectpart "$($clixon_util_xpath -c -y $ydir -p "/i:x[.='42']" -n i:urn:example:a -n j:urn:example:b)" 0 "/a:x\[. = '42'\]" '0 : a = "urn:example:a"'
+expectpart "$($clixon_util_xpath -c -y $ydir -p "/i:x[.='42']" -n i:urn:example:a -n j:urn:example:b)" 0 "/a:x\[.='42'\]" '0 : a = "urn:example:a"'
 
 new "xpath canonical form descendants"
-expectpart "$($clixon_util_xpath -c -y $ydir -p "//x[.='42']" -n null:urn:example:a -n j:urn:example:b)" 0 "//a:x\[. = '42'\]" '0 : a = "urn:example:a"'
+expectpart "$($clixon_util_xpath -c -y $ydir -p "//x[.='42']" -n null:urn:example:a -n j:urn:example:b)" 0 "//a:x\[.='42'\]" '0 : a = "urn:example:a"'
 
 new "xpath canonical form (no default should fail)"
 expectpart "$($clixon_util_xpath -c -y $ydir -p /x/j:y -n i:urn:example:a -n j:urn:example:b 2> /dev/null)" 255