diff --git a/lib/clixon/clixon_yang.h b/lib/clixon/clixon_yang.h
index b9ce42c4..4a254e36 100644
--- a/lib/clixon/clixon_yang.h
+++ b/lib/clixon/clixon_yang.h
@@ -266,6 +266,9 @@ cvec      *yang_cvec_get(yang_stmt *ys);
 int        yang_cvec_set(yang_stmt *ys, cvec *cvv);
 cg_var    *yang_cvec_add(yang_stmt *ys, enum cv_type type, char *name);
 int        yang_cvec_rm(yang_stmt *ys, char *name);
+int        yang_ref_get(yang_stmt *ys);
+int        yang_ref_inc(yang_stmt *ys);
+int        yang_ref_dec(yang_stmt *ys);
 uint16_t   yang_flag_get(yang_stmt *ys, uint16_t flag);
 int        yang_flag_set(yang_stmt *ys, uint16_t flag);
 int        yang_flag_reset(yang_stmt *ys, uint16_t flag);
diff --git a/lib/src/clixon_datastore_read.c b/lib/src/clixon_datastore_read.c
index 63ffcb31..d728b5ae 100644
--- a/lib/src/clixon_datastore_read.c
+++ b/lib/src/clixon_datastore_read.c
@@ -708,7 +708,7 @@ xmldb_readfile(clixon_handle    h,
              * Same ymodules are inserted into yspec1, ie pointers only
              */
             if (needclone && xmodfile){
-                if ((yspec1 = yspec_new1(h, YANG_DOMAIN_TOP, "tmp")) == NULL)
+                if ((yspec1 = yspec_new1(h, YANG_DOMAIN_TOP, "prevyang")) == NULL)
                     goto done;
                 xmsd = NULL;
                 while ((xmsd = xml_child_each(xmodfile, xmsd, CX_ELMNT)) != NULL) {
@@ -722,6 +722,7 @@ xmldb_readfile(clixon_handle    h,
                         continue; // XXX error?
                     if (yn_insert1(yspec1, ymod) < 0)
                         goto done;
+                    yang_ref_inc(ymod);
                 }
             }
         } /* if msdiff */
@@ -747,8 +748,6 @@ xmldb_readfile(clixon_handle    h,
  done:
     if (mr.mr_subdir)
         free(mr.mr_subdir);
-    if (yspec1)
-        ys_free1(yspec1, 1);
     if (xmodfile)
         xml_free(xmodfile);
     if (msdiff)
diff --git a/lib/src/clixon_yang.c b/lib/src/clixon_yang.c
index c9fdab3f..90c515f9 100644
--- a/lib/src/clixon_yang.c
+++ b/lib/src/clixon_yang.c
@@ -425,6 +425,47 @@ yang_cvec_rm(yang_stmt *ys,
     return 0;
 }
 
+/*! Get yang object reference count
+ *
+ * @param[in]  ys    Yang statement
+ * @retval     ref   Reference coun t
+ */
+int
+yang_ref_get(yang_stmt *ys)
+{
+    return ys->ys_ref;
+}
+
+/*! Increment yang object reference count with +1
+ *
+ * @param[in]  ys    Yang statement
+ * @retval     0
+ */
+int
+yang_ref_inc(yang_stmt *ys)
+{
+    ys->ys_ref++;
+    return 0;
+}
+
+/*! Decrement yang object reference count with -1
+ *
+ * @param[in]  ys    Yang statement
+ * @retval     0     Ok
+ * @retval    -1     Error
+ */
+int
+yang_ref_dec(yang_stmt *ys)
+{
+    int retval = -1;
+
+    if (ys->ys_ref > 0)
+        ys->ys_ref--;
+    retval = 0;
+    // done:
+    return retval;
+}
+
 /*! Get yang stmt flags, used for internal algorithms
  *
  * @param[in]  ys     Yang statement
@@ -1154,8 +1195,13 @@ ys_freechildren(yang_stmt *ys)
 int
 ys_free(yang_stmt *ys)
 {
-    ys_freechildren(ys);
-    ys_free1(ys, 1);
+    if (yang_ref_get(ys) > 0){
+        yang_ref_dec(ys);
+    }
+    else {
+        ys_freechildren(ys);
+        ys_free1(ys, 1);
+    }
     return 0;
 }
 
diff --git a/lib/src/clixon_yang_internal.h b/lib/src/clixon_yang_internal.h
index 0d239a87..7e8b4080 100644
--- a/lib/src/clixon_yang_internal.h
+++ b/lib/src/clixon_yang_internal.h
@@ -68,7 +68,9 @@ typedef struct yang_type_cache yang_type_cache;
  */
 struct yang_stmt {
     /* On x86_64, the following three fields take 8 bytes */
-    enum rfc_6020      ys_keyword:16; /* YANG keyword */
+    enum rfc_6020      ys_keyword:8; /* YANG keyword */
+    uint8_t            ys_ref;       /* Reference count for free: 0 means
+                                      * no sharing, 1: two references */
     uint16_t           ys_flags;     /* Flags according to YANG_FLAG_MARK and others */
     uint32_t           ys_len;       /* Number of children */
 #ifdef YANG_SPEC_LINENR
@@ -112,6 +114,7 @@ struct yang_stmt {
         rpc_callback_t  *ysu_action_cb; /* Y_ACTION: Action callback list*/
         char            *ysu_filename;  /* Y_MODULE/Y_SUBMODULE: For debug/errors: filename */
         yang_type_cache *ysu_typecache; /* Y_TYPE: cache all typedef data except unions */
+
     } u;
 };
 
diff --git a/test/test_confirmed_commit.sh b/test/test_confirmed_commit.sh
index b8a2af10..f6ab7a24 100755
--- a/test/test_confirmed_commit.sh
+++ b/test/test_confirmed_commit.sh
@@ -184,9 +184,10 @@ rpc "<cancel-commit><persist-id>ab</persist-id></cancel-commit>" "<ok/>"
 new "6. netconf persistent confirmed-commit with timeout"
 reset
 edit_config "candidate" "$CONFIGB"
-commit "<confirmed/><confirm-timeout>3</confirm-timeout><persist>abcd</persist>"
+# need 5 for valgrind netconf that takes a couple of seconds to finish
+commit "<confirmed/><confirm-timeout>5</confirm-timeout><persist>abcd</persist>"
 assert_config_equals "running" "$CONFIGB"
-sleep 3
+sleep 5
 assert_config_equals "running" ""
 
 ################################################################################