diff --git a/src/cli.cpp b/src/cli.cpp
index 3805dbc..0635c28 100644
--- a/src/cli.cpp
+++ b/src/cli.cpp
@@ -22,12 +22,12 @@
 static const auto usage = R"(CLI interface to sysrepo
 
 Usage:
-  sysrepo-cli [-d <datastore>]
+  sysrepo-cli [-d <datastore_target>]
   sysrepo-cli (-h | --help)
   sysrepo-cli --version
 
 Options:
-  -d <datastore>   can be "running" or "startup" [default: running])";
+  -d <datastore_target>   can be "running", "startup" or "operational" [default: operational])";
 #elif defined(YANG_CLI)
 #include <boost/spirit/home/x3.hpp>
 #include <filesystem>
@@ -54,15 +54,15 @@
 static const auto usage = R"(CLI interface for NETCONF
 
 Usage:
-  netconf-cli [-v] [-p <port>] <host>
-  netconf-cli [-v] --socket <path>
+  netconf-cli [-v] [-d <datastore_target>] [-p <port>] <host>
+  netconf-cli [-v] [-d <datastore_target>] --socket <path>
   netconf-cli (-h | --help)
   netconf-cli --version
 
 Options:
   -v         enable verbose mode
   -p <port>  port number [default: 830]
-)";
+  -d <datastore_target>   can be "running", "startup" or "operational" [default: operational])";
 #include "cli-netconf.hpp"
 #include "netconf_access.hpp"
 #define PROGRAM_NAME "netconf-cli"
@@ -95,20 +95,26 @@
     Replxx lineEditor;
     std::atomic<int> backendReturnCode = 0;
 
-#if defined(SYSREPO_CLI)
-    auto datastoreType = Datastore::Running;
+    // For some reason, GCC10 still needs [[maybe_unused]] because of conditional compilation...
+    [[maybe_unused]] auto datastoreTarget = DatastoreTarget::Operational;
     if (const auto& ds = args["-d"]) {
         if (ds.asString() == "startup") {
-            datastoreType = Datastore::Startup;
+            datastoreTarget = DatastoreTarget::Startup;
         } else if (ds.asString() == "running") {
-            datastoreType = Datastore::Running;
+            datastoreTarget = DatastoreTarget::Running;
+        } else if (ds.asString() == "operational") {
+            datastoreTarget = DatastoreTarget::Operational;
         } else {
-            std::cerr << PROGRAM_NAME << ": unknown datastore: " << ds.asString() << "\n";
+            std::cerr << PROGRAM_NAME << ": unknown datastore target: " << ds.asString() << "\n";
             return 1;
         }
     }
-    auto datastore = std::make_shared<SysrepoAccess>(datastoreType);
-    std::cout << "Connected to sysrepo [datastore: " << (datastoreType == Datastore::Startup ? "startup" : "running") << "]" << std::endl;
+
+    auto datastoreTargetString = args["-d"] ? args["-d"].asString() : std::string("operational");
+
+#if defined(SYSREPO_CLI)
+    auto datastore = std::make_shared<SysrepoAccess>();
+    std::cout << "Connected to sysrepo [datastore target: " << datastoreTargetString << "]" << std::endl;
 #elif defined(YANG_CLI)
     auto datastore = std::make_shared<YangAccess>();
     if (args["--configonly"].asBool()) {
@@ -189,10 +195,13 @@
             return 1;
         }
     }
+    std::cout << "Connected via NETCONF [datastore target: " << datastoreTargetString << "]" << std::endl;
 #else
 #error "Unknown CLI backend"
 #endif
 
+    datastore->setTarget(datastoreTarget);
+
 #if defined(SYSREPO_CLI) || defined(NETCONF_CLI)
     auto createTemporaryDatastore = [](const std::shared_ptr<DatastoreAccess>& datastore) {
         return std::make_shared<YangAccess>(std::static_pointer_cast<YangSchema>(datastore->schema()));
diff --git a/src/datastore_access.cpp b/src/datastore_access.cpp
index 9ca931f..eba90e0 100644
--- a/src/datastore_access.cpp
+++ b/src/datastore_access.cpp
@@ -31,6 +31,11 @@
     }
 }
 
+void DatastoreAccess::setTarget(const DatastoreTarget target)
+{
+    m_target = target;
+}
+
 const char* DatastoreException::what() const noexcept
 {
     return m_what.c_str();
diff --git a/src/datastore_access.hpp b/src/datastore_access.hpp
index b29e152..3012a7e 100644
--- a/src/datastore_access.hpp
+++ b/src/datastore_access.hpp
@@ -37,6 +37,12 @@
     std::string m_what;
 };
 
+enum class DatastoreTarget {
+    Startup,
+    Running,
+    Operational
+};
+
 class Schema;
 
 struct dataPath_;
@@ -51,6 +57,7 @@
     virtual void deleteItem(const std::string& path) = 0;
     virtual void moveItem(const std::string& path, std::variant<yang::move::Absolute, yang::move::Relative> move) = 0;
     virtual Tree execute(const std::string& path, const Tree& input) = 0;
+    void setTarget(const DatastoreTarget target);
 
     virtual std::shared_ptr<Schema> schema() = 0;
 
@@ -59,6 +66,9 @@
     virtual void copyConfig(const Datastore source, const Datastore destination) = 0;
     [[nodiscard]] virtual std::string dump(const DataFormat format) const = 0;
 
+protected:
+    DatastoreTarget m_target = DatastoreTarget::Operational;
+
 private:
     friend class DataQuery;
     virtual std::vector<ListInstance> listInstances(const std::string& path) = 0;
diff --git a/src/netconf_access.cpp b/src/netconf_access.cpp
index ecd337e..3405fe3 100644
--- a/src/netconf_access.cpp
+++ b/src/netconf_access.cpp
@@ -15,11 +15,38 @@
 
 
 NetconfAccess::~NetconfAccess() = default;
+namespace {
+auto targetToDs_get(const DatastoreTarget target)
+{
+    switch (target) {
+    case DatastoreTarget::Operational:
+        return libnetconf::NmdaDatastore::Operational;
+    case DatastoreTarget::Running:
+        return libnetconf::NmdaDatastore::Running;
+    case DatastoreTarget::Startup:
+        return libnetconf::NmdaDatastore::Startup;
+    }
 
+    __builtin_unreachable();
+}
+
+auto targetToDs_set(const DatastoreTarget target)
+{
+    switch (target) {
+    case DatastoreTarget::Operational:
+    case DatastoreTarget::Running:
+        return libnetconf::NmdaDatastore::Candidate;
+    case DatastoreTarget::Startup:
+        return libnetconf::NmdaDatastore::Startup;
+    }
+
+    __builtin_unreachable();
+}
+}
 DatastoreAccess::Tree NetconfAccess::getItems(const std::string& path) const
 {
     Tree res;
-    auto config = m_session->getData(libnetconf::NmdaDatastore::Operational, (path != "/") ? std::optional{path} : std::nullopt);
+    auto config = m_session->getData(targetToDs_get(m_target), (path != "/") ? std::optional{path} : std::nullopt);
 
     if (config) {
         lyNodesToTree(res, config->tree_for());
@@ -119,7 +146,7 @@
 void NetconfAccess::doEditFromDataNode(std::shared_ptr<libyang::Data_Node> dataNode)
 {
     auto data = dataNode->print_mem(LYD_XML, 0);
-    m_session->editData(libnetconf::NmdaDatastore::Candidate, data);
+    m_session->editData(targetToDs_set(m_target), data);
 }
 
 void NetconfAccess::commitChanges()
diff --git a/src/sysrepo_access.cpp b/src/sysrepo_access.cpp
index 6bcb6f0..30a3e25 100644
--- a/src/sysrepo_access.cpp
+++ b/src/sysrepo_access.cpp
@@ -77,28 +77,56 @@
     __builtin_unreachable();
 }
 
-SysrepoAccess::SysrepoAccess(const Datastore datastore)
+SysrepoAccess::SysrepoAccess()
     : m_connection(std::make_shared<sysrepo::Connection>())
     , m_session(std::make_shared<sysrepo::Session>(m_connection))
     , m_schema(std::make_shared<YangSchema>(m_session->get_context()))
 {
     try {
-        m_session = std::make_shared<sysrepo::Session>(m_connection, toSrDatastore(datastore));
+        m_session = std::make_shared<sysrepo::Session>(m_connection);
     } catch (sysrepo::sysrepo_exception& ex) {
         reportErrors();
     }
 }
 
+namespace {
+auto targetToDs_get(const DatastoreTarget target)
+{
+    switch (target) {
+    case DatastoreTarget::Operational:
+        return SR_DS_OPERATIONAL;
+    case DatastoreTarget::Running:
+        return SR_DS_RUNNING;
+    case DatastoreTarget::Startup:
+        return SR_DS_STARTUP;
+    }
+
+    __builtin_unreachable();
+}
+
+auto targetToDs_set(const DatastoreTarget target)
+{
+    switch (target) {
+    case DatastoreTarget::Operational:
+    case DatastoreTarget::Running:
+        // TODO: Doing candidate here doesn't work, why?
+        return SR_DS_RUNNING;
+    case DatastoreTarget::Startup:
+        return SR_DS_STARTUP;
+    }
+
+    __builtin_unreachable();
+}
+}
+
 DatastoreAccess::Tree SysrepoAccess::getItems(const std::string& path) const
 {
     using namespace std::string_literals;
     Tree res;
 
     try {
-        auto oldDs = m_session->session_get_ds();
-        m_session->session_switch_ds(SR_DS_OPERATIONAL);
+        m_session->session_switch_ds(targetToDs_get(m_target));
         auto config = m_session->get_data(((path == "/") ? "/*" : path).c_str());
-        m_session->session_switch_ds(oldDs);
         if (config) {
             lyNodesToTree(res, config->tree_for());
         }
@@ -111,6 +139,7 @@
 void SysrepoAccess::setLeaf(const std::string& path, leaf_data_ value)
 {
     try {
+        m_session->session_switch_ds(targetToDs_set(m_target));
         m_session->set_item(path.c_str(), boost::apply_visitor(valFromValue(), value));
     } catch (sysrepo::sysrepo_exception& ex) {
         reportErrors();
@@ -120,6 +149,7 @@
 void SysrepoAccess::createItem(const std::string& path)
 {
     try {
+        m_session->session_switch_ds(targetToDs_set(m_target));
         m_session->set_item(path.c_str());
     } catch (sysrepo::sysrepo_exception& ex) {
         reportErrors();
@@ -131,6 +161,7 @@
     try {
         // Have to use SR_EDIT_ISOLATE, because deleting something that's been set without committing is not supported
         // https://github.com/sysrepo/sysrepo/issues/1967#issuecomment-625085090
+        m_session->session_switch_ds(targetToDs_set(m_target));
         m_session->delete_item(path.c_str(), SR_EDIT_ISOLATE);
     } catch (sysrepo::sysrepo_exception& ex) {
         reportErrors();
@@ -164,12 +195,14 @@
             destination = instanceToString(relative.m_path);
         }
     }
+    m_session->session_switch_ds(targetToDs_set(m_target));
     m_session->move_item(source.c_str(), toSrMoveOp(move), destination.c_str(), destination.c_str());
 }
 
 void SysrepoAccess::commitChanges()
 {
     try {
+        m_session->session_switch_ds(targetToDs_set(m_target));
         m_session->apply_changes(OPERATION_TIMEOUT_MS, 1);
     } catch (sysrepo::sysrepo_exception& ex) {
         reportErrors();
@@ -179,6 +212,7 @@
 void SysrepoAccess::discardChanges()
 {
     try {
+        m_session->session_switch_ds(targetToDs_set(m_target));
         m_session->discard_changes();
     } catch (sysrepo::sysrepo_exception& ex) {
         reportErrors();
@@ -188,16 +222,15 @@
 DatastoreAccess::Tree SysrepoAccess::execute(const std::string& path, const Tree& input)
 {
     auto inputNode = treeToRpcInput(m_session->get_context(), path, input);
+    m_session->session_switch_ds(targetToDs_set(m_target));
     auto output = m_session->rpc_send(inputNode);
     return rpcOutputToTree(path, output);
 }
 
 void SysrepoAccess::copyConfig(const Datastore source, const Datastore destination)
 {
-    auto oldDs = m_session->session_get_ds();
     m_session->session_switch_ds(toSrDatastore(destination));
     m_session->copy_config(toSrDatastore(source), nullptr, OPERATION_TIMEOUT_MS, 1);
-    m_session->session_switch_ds(oldDs);
 }
 
 std::shared_ptr<Schema> SysrepoAccess::schema()
diff --git a/src/sysrepo_access.hpp b/src/sysrepo_access.hpp
index 55e8ac6..7a02d8b 100644
--- a/src/sysrepo_access.hpp
+++ b/src/sysrepo_access.hpp
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@
 class SysrepoAccess : public DatastoreAccess {
 public:
     ~SysrepoAccess() override;
-    SysrepoAccess(const Datastore datastore);
+    SysrepoAccess();
     [[nodiscard]] Tree getItems(const std::string& path) const override;
     void setLeaf(const std::string& path, leaf_data_ value) override;
     void createItem(const std::string& path) override;
diff --git a/tests/data_query.cpp b/tests/data_query.cpp
index eb8e838..64250da 100644
--- a/tests/data_query.cpp
+++ b/tests/data_query.cpp
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@
     SysrepoSubscription subscriptionOther("other-module");
 
 #ifdef sysrepo_BACKEND
-    SysrepoAccess datastore(Datastore::Running);
+    SysrepoAccess datastore;
 #elif defined(netconf_BACKEND)
     const auto NETOPEER_SOCKET = getenv("NETOPEER_SOCKET");
     NetconfAccess datastore(NETOPEER_SOCKET);
diff --git a/tests/datastore_access.cpp b/tests/datastore_access.cpp
index 84c6705..76e4f7f 100644
--- a/tests/datastore_access.cpp
+++ b/tests/datastore_access.cpp
@@ -124,7 +124,7 @@
     SysrepoSubscription subStartup("example-schema", &mockStartup, SR_DS_STARTUP);
 
 #ifdef sysrepo_BACKEND
-    SysrepoAccess datastore(Datastore::Running);
+    SysrepoAccess datastore;
 #elif defined(netconf_BACKEND)
     const auto NETOPEER_SOCKET = getenv("NETOPEER_SOCKET");
     NetconfAccess datastore(NETOPEER_SOCKET);
@@ -915,7 +915,7 @@
     trompeloeil::sequence seq1;
 
 #ifdef sysrepo_BACKEND
-    auto datastore = std::make_shared<SysrepoAccess>(Datastore::Running);
+    auto datastore = std::make_shared<SysrepoAccess>();
 #elif defined(netconf_BACKEND)
     const auto NETOPEER_SOCKET = getenv("NETOPEER_SOCKET");
     auto datastore = std::make_shared<NetconfAccess>(NETOPEER_SOCKET);
@@ -1069,3 +1069,72 @@
 
     waitForCompletionAndBitMore(seq1);
 }
+
+#if not defined(yang_BACKEND)
+TEST_CASE("datastore targets")
+{
+    const auto testNode = "/example-schema:leafInt32";
+    {
+        auto conn = std::make_shared<sysrepo::Connection>();
+        auto sess = std::make_shared<sysrepo::Session>(conn);
+        sess->delete_item(testNode);
+        sess->apply_changes(1000, 1);
+        sess->session_switch_ds(SR_DS_STARTUP);
+        sess->delete_item(testNode);
+        sess->apply_changes(1000, 1);
+    }
+    MockRecorder mockRunning;
+    MockRecorder mockStartup;
+
+#ifdef sysrepo_BACKEND
+    SysrepoAccess datastore;
+#elif defined(netconf_BACKEND)
+    const auto NETOPEER_SOCKET = getenv("NETOPEER_SOCKET");
+    NetconfAccess datastore(NETOPEER_SOCKET);
+#else
+#error "Unknown backend"
+#endif
+
+    auto testGetItems = [&datastore] (const auto& path, const DatastoreAccess::Tree& expected) {
+        REQUIRE(datastore.getItems(path) == expected);
+    };
+
+    SECTION("subscriptions change operational target")
+    {
+        // Default target is operational, so setting a value and reading it should return no values as there are no
+        // subscriptions yet.
+        datastore.setLeaf(testNode, 10);
+        datastore.commitChanges();
+        testGetItems(testNode, {});
+
+        // Now we create a subscription and try again.
+        SysrepoSubscription subRunning("example-schema", &mockRunning);
+        testGetItems(testNode, {{testNode, 10}});
+    }
+
+    SECTION("running shows stuff even without subscriptions")
+    {
+        datastore.setTarget(DatastoreTarget::Running);
+        datastore.setLeaf(testNode, 10);
+        datastore.commitChanges();
+        testGetItems(testNode, {{testNode, 10}});
+
+        // Actually creating a subscription shouldn't make a difference.
+        SysrepoSubscription subRunning("example-schema", &mockRunning);
+        testGetItems(testNode, {{testNode, 10}});
+    }
+
+    SECTION("startup changes only affect startup")
+    {
+        datastore.setTarget(DatastoreTarget::Startup);
+        datastore.setLeaf(testNode, 10);
+        datastore.commitChanges();
+        testGetItems(testNode, {{testNode, 10}});
+        datastore.setTarget(DatastoreTarget::Running);
+        testGetItems(testNode, {});
+        datastore.setTarget(DatastoreTarget::Operational);
+        testGetItems(testNode, {});
+    }
+
+}
+#endif