diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 92ee5b10..e89cc639 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -79,6 +79,7 @@ Users may have to change how they access the system
     * Leaf-list support: `a [ x y z ]`
     * List key support: `a x y { ... }`
     * See compile-time option `TEXT_LIST_KEYS`
+  * Keep backward-compatible non-top-level prefix with compile-time option `TEXT_SYNTAX_NOPREFIX`
 
 ### C/CLI-API changes on existing features
 
diff --git a/include/clixon_custom.h b/include/clixon_custom.h
index ca327354..0f47244d 100644
--- a/include/clixon_custom.h
+++ b/include/clixon_custom.h
@@ -164,3 +164,8 @@
  */
 #define PROTO_RESTART_RECONNECT
 
+/*! Disable top-level prefix for text syntax printing and parsing introduced in 5.8
+ * Note this is for showing/saving/printing, it is NOT for parsing/loading.
+ * This means that text output can not be parsed and loaded.
+ */
+#undef TEXT_SYNTAX_NOPREFIX
diff --git a/lib/src/clixon_text_syntax.c b/lib/src/clixon_text_syntax.c
index cba69917..a78e9b8e 100644
--- a/lib/src/clixon_text_syntax.c
+++ b/lib/src/clixon_text_syntax.c
@@ -123,15 +123,16 @@ xml2txt1(cxobj            *xn,
     int        retval = -1;
     int        exist = 0;
     yang_stmt *yn;
-    yang_stmt *yp = NULL;
-    yang_stmt *ymod;
-    yang_stmt *ypmod;
-    char      *prefix = NULL;
     char      *value;
     cg_var    *cvi;
     cvec      *cvk = NULL; /* vector of index keys */
     cbuf      *cb = NULL;
-
+#ifndef TEXT_SYNTAX_NOPREFIX
+    yang_stmt *yp = NULL;
+    yang_stmt *ymod;
+    yang_stmt *ypmod;
+    char      *prefix = NULL;
+#endif
     if (xn == NULL || fn == NULL){
 	clicon_err(OE_XML, EINVAL, "xn or fn is NULL");
 	goto done;
@@ -143,6 +144,7 @@ xml2txt1(cxobj            *xn,
 	    if (exist)
 		goto ok;
 	}
+#ifndef TEXT_SYNTAX_NOPREFIX
 	/* Find out prefix if needed: topmost or new module a la API-PATH */
 	if (ys_real_module(yn, &ymod) < 0)
 	    goto done;
@@ -155,6 +157,7 @@ xml2txt1(cxobj            *xn,
 	}
 	else
 	    prefix = yang_argument_get(ymod);
+#endif
 	if (yang_keyword_get(yn) == Y_LIST){
 	    if ((cvk = yang_cvec_get(yn)) == NULL){
 		clicon_err(OE_YANG, 0, "No keys");
@@ -209,8 +212,10 @@ xml2txt1(cxobj            *xn,
     }
     if (*leafl == 0){
 	(*fn)(f, "%*s", 4*level, "");
+#ifndef TEXT_SYNTAX_NOPREFIX
 	if (prefix)
 	    (*fn)(f, "%s:", prefix);
+#endif
 	(*fn)(f, "%s", xml_name(xn));
     }
     cvi = NULL; 	/* Lists only */