diff --git a/src/tree_data.c b/src/tree_data.c
index 4da6eb2..6514520 100644
--- a/src/tree_data.c
+++ b/src/tree_data.c
@@ -273,6 +273,44 @@
     return ret;
 }
 
+API ly_bool
+lyd_is_default(const struct lyd_node *node)
+{
+    const struct lysc_node_leaf *leaf;
+    const struct lysc_node_leaflist *llist;
+    const struct lyd_node_term *term;
+    LY_ARRAY_COUNT_TYPE u;
+
+    assert(node->schema->nodetype & LYD_NODE_TERM);
+    term = (const struct lyd_node_term *)node;
+
+    if (node->schema->nodetype == LYS_LEAF) {
+        leaf = (const struct lysc_node_leaf *)node->schema;
+        if (!leaf->dflt) {
+            return 0;
+        }
+
+        /* compare with the default value */
+        if (leaf->type->plugin->compare(&term->value, leaf->dflt)) {
+            return 0;
+        }
+    } else {
+        llist = (const struct lysc_node_leaflist *)node->schema;
+        if (!llist->dflts) {
+            return 0;
+        }
+
+        LY_ARRAY_FOR(llist->dflts, u) {
+            /* compare with each possible default value */
+            if (llist->type->plugin->compare(&term->value, llist->dflts[u])) {
+                return 0;
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
+    return 1;
+}
+
 static LYD_FORMAT
 lyd_parse_get_format(const struct ly_in *in, LYD_FORMAT format)
 {