diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 5aefe207..8864ca1e 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -79,6 +79,7 @@ Developers may need to change their code
 
 ### Corrected Bugs
 
+* Fixed error memory in RESTCONF PATCH/PUT when accessing top-level data node.
 * Fixed: [ Calling copy-config RPC from restconf #158](https://github.com/clicon/clixon/issues/158)
 * Fixed: [namespace prefix nc is not supported in full #154](https://github.com/clicon/clixon/issues/154)
   * edit-config "config" parameter did not work with prefix other than null
diff --git a/apps/restconf/restconf_methods.c b/apps/restconf/restconf_methods.c
index 1fb6060f..2b1c77ce 100644
--- a/apps/restconf/restconf_methods.c
+++ b/apps/restconf/restconf_methods.c
@@ -479,10 +479,22 @@ api_data_write(clicon_handle h,
      * Replace xparent with x, ie bottom of api-path with data 
      */	    
     dname = xml_name(xdata);
-    if (api_path==NULL && strcmp(dname,"data")==0){
+    if (api_path==NULL) {
+	if (strcmp(dname, "data")!=0){
+	    if (netconf_bad_element_xml(&xerr, "application", dname,
+					"Data element does not match top-level data") < 0)
+		goto done;
+	    if ((xe = xpath_first(xerr, NULL, "rpc-error")) == NULL){
+		clicon_err(OE_XML, EINVAL, "rpc-error not found (internal error)");
+		goto done;
+	    }
+	    if (api_return_err(h, req, xe, pretty, media_out, 0) < 0)
+		goto done;
+	    goto ok;
+	}
 	if (xml_addsub(NULL, xdata) < 0)
 	    goto done;
-	if (xtop)
+	if (xtop) /* also xbot */
 	    xml_free(xtop);
 	xtop = xdata;
 	xml_name_set(xtop, "config");
@@ -494,7 +506,7 @@ api_data_write(clicon_handle h,
 		goto done;
 	}
     }
-    else {
+    else { /* api-path != NULL */
 	/* There is an api-path that defines an element in the datastore tree.
 	 * Not top-of-tree.
 	 */
@@ -502,7 +514,8 @@ api_data_write(clicon_handle h,
 
 	/* Check same symbol in api-path as data */	    
 	if (strcmp(dname, xml_name(xbot))){
-	    if (netconf_operation_failed_xml(&xerr, "protocol", "Not same symbol in api-path as data") < 0)
+	    if (netconf_bad_element_xml(&xerr, "application", dname,
+					"Data element does not match api-path") < 0)
 		goto done;
 	    if ((xe = xpath_first(xerr, NULL, "rpc-error")) == NULL){
 		clicon_err(OE_XML, EINVAL, "rpc-error not found (internal error)");
@@ -564,8 +577,9 @@ api_data_write(clicon_handle h,
 		}
 	    }
 	}
-	xml_purge(xbot);
-	if (xml_addsub(xparent, xdata) < 0)
+	if (xtop != xbot) /* Should always be true */
+	    xml_purge(xbot);
+	if (xml_addsub(xparent, xdata) < 0) 
 	    goto done;
 	/* If restconf insert/point attributes are present, translate to netconf */
 	if (restconf_insert_attributes(xdata, qvec) < 0)
@@ -584,7 +598,7 @@ api_data_write(clicon_handle h,
 	    if (namespace && strcmp(namespace, xml_value(xa))==0)
 		xml_purge(xa);
 	}
-    }
+    } /* api-path != NULL */
     /* For internal XML protocol: add username attribute for access control
      */
     username = clicon_username_get(h);
diff --git a/test/test_restconf_patch.sh b/test/test_restconf_patch.sh
index 0e8baeec..af8dcbca 100755
--- a/test/test_restconf_patch.sh
+++ b/test/test_restconf_patch.sh
@@ -236,6 +236,12 @@ expectpart "$(curl -u andy:bar $CURLOPTS -X PATCH -H 'Content-Type: application/
 new "The key leaf values MUST be the same as the key leaf values in the request"
 expectpart "$(curl -u andy:bar $CURLOPTS -X PATCH  -H "Content-Type: application/yang-data+json" $RCPROTO://localhost/restconf/data/example-jukebox:jukebox/library/artist=Clash/album=London%20Calling -d '{"example-jukebox:album":{"name":"The Clash"}}')" 0 'HTTP/1.1 412 Precondition Failed'
 
+new "PATCH on root resource extra c" # merge extra/c
+expectpart "$(curl -u andy:bar $CURLOPTS -X PATCH  -H "Content-Type: application/yang-data+json" $RCPROTO://localhost/restconf/data -d '{"ietf-restconf:data":{"example-jukebox:extra":"c"}}')" 0 "HTTP/1.1 204 No Content"
+
+new "GET check" # XXX: "data" should probably be namespaced?
+expectpart "$(curl -u andy:bar $CURLOPTS -X GET $RCPROTO://localhost/restconf/data?content=config -H 'Accept: application/yang-data+xml')" 0 'HTTP/1.1 200 OK' '<extra xmlns="http://example.com/ns/example-jukebox">c</extra>' '<data>'
+
 if [ $RC -ne 0 ]; then
     new "Kill restconf daemon"
     stop_restconf