diff --git a/apps/backend/backend_commit.c b/apps/backend/backend_commit.c
index 9262d8a0..cbcc5314 100644
--- a/apps/backend/backend_commit.c
+++ b/apps/backend/backend_commit.c
@@ -227,12 +227,10 @@ startup_common(clicon_handle       h,
 		xml_print(stderr, xret);
 		clicon_err(OE_XML, 0, "%s: YANG binding error", __func__);
 	    }
-	    exit(0);
-	}
-	/* sort yang */
-	if (xml_sort_recurse(xt) < 0) {
+
+	}	/* sort yang */
+	else if (xml_sort_recurse(xt) < 0) {
 	    clicon_err(OE_XML, EFAULT, "Yang sort error");
-	    exit(0);
         }
 	if (xmldb_dump(h, stdout, xt) < 0)
 	    goto done;
diff --git a/lib/src/clixon_datastore_write.c b/lib/src/clixon_datastore_write.c
index 1044096b..5e74fdec 100644
--- a/lib/src/clixon_datastore_write.c
+++ b/lib/src/clixon_datastore_write.c
@@ -1057,6 +1057,9 @@ xmldb_dump(clicon_handle   h,
     char  *format;
     int    pretty;
     
+    /* clear XML tree of defaults */
+    if (xml_tree_prune_flagged(xt, XML_FLAG_DEFAULT, 1) < 0)
+	goto done;
     /* Add modstate first */
     if ((x = clicon_modst_cache_get(h, 1)) != NULL){
 	if ((xmodst = xml_dup(x)) == NULL)
diff --git a/test/test_upgrade_quit.sh b/test/test_upgrade_quit.sh
index dce92d99..0c95d3c3 100755
--- a/test/test_upgrade_quit.sh
+++ b/test/test_upgrade_quit.sh
@@ -285,7 +285,7 @@ EOF
 
 MODSTATE='<modules-state xmlns="urn:ietf:params:xml:ns:yang:ietf-yang-library"><module-set-id>0</module-set-id><module><name>clixon-lib</name><revision>2020-04-23</revision><namespace>http://clicon.org/lib</namespace></module><module><name>ietf-inet-types</name><revision>2013-07-15</revision><namespace>urn:ietf:params:xml:ns:yang:ietf-inet-types</namespace></module><module><name>ietf-netconf</name><revision>2011-06-01</revision><namespace>urn:ietf:params:xml:ns:netconf:base:1.0</namespace></module><module><name>ietf-restconf</name><revision>2017-01-26</revision><namespace>urn:ietf:params:xml:ns:yang:ietf-restconf</namespace></module><module><name>ietf-yang-library</name><revision>2016-06-21</revision><namespace>urn:ietf:params:xml:ns:yang:ietf-yang-library</namespace></module><module><name>ietf-yang-types</name><revision>2013-07-15</revision><namespace>urn:ietf:params:xml:ns:yang:ietf-yang-types</namespace></module><module><name>interfaces</name><revision>2018-02-20</revision><namespace>urn:example:interfaces</namespace></module></modules-state>'
 
-XML='<interfaces xmlns="urn:example:interfaces"><interface><name>e0</name><type>eth</type><admin-status>up</admin-status><statistics><in-octets>54326.432</in-octets><in-unicast-pkts>8458765</in-unicast-pkts></statistics><docs><descr>First interface</descr></docs></interface><interface><name>e1</name><type>eth</type><admin-status>down</admin-status></interface></interfaces>'
+XML='<interfaces xmlns="urn:example:interfaces"><interface><name>e0</name><docs><descr>First interface</descr></docs><type>eth</type><admin-status>up</admin-status><statistics><in-octets>54326.432</in-octets><in-unicast-pkts>8458765</in-unicast-pkts></statistics></interface><interface><name>e1</name><type>eth</type><admin-status>down</admin-status></interface></interfaces>'
 
 ALL="<config>$MODSTATE$XML</config>"