diff --git a/src/tree_data.c b/src/tree_data.c
index ef44019..4e0e18b 100644
--- a/src/tree_data.c
+++ b/src/tree_data.c
@@ -3389,3 +3389,22 @@
 
     return pos;
 }
+
+API struct lyd_node *
+lyd_first_sibling(const struct lyd_node *node)
+{
+    struct lyd_node *start;
+
+    if (!node) {
+        return NULL;
+    }
+
+    /* get the first sibling */
+    if (node->parent) {
+        start = node->parent->child;
+    } else {
+        for (start = (struct lyd_node *)node; start->prev->next; start = start->prev);
+    }
+
+    return start;
+}
diff --git a/src/tree_data.h b/src/tree_data.h
index 1a2fb46..a5accd5 100644
--- a/src/tree_data.h
+++ b/src/tree_data.h
@@ -786,6 +786,15 @@
 uint32_t lyd_list_pos(const struct lyd_node *instance);
 
 /**
+ * @brief Get the first sibling of the given node.
+ *
+ * @param[in] node Node which first sibling is going to be the result.
+ * @return The first sibling of the given node or the node itself if it is the first child of the parent.
+ */
+struct lyd_node *
+lyd_first_sibling(const struct lyd_node *node);
+
+/**
  * @brief Learn the length of LYB data.
  *
  * @param[in] data LYB data to examine.
diff --git a/tests/utests/data/test_tree_data.c b/tests/utests/data/test_tree_data.c
index 0cf0851..2143904 100644
--- a/tests/utests/data/test_tree_data.c
+++ b/tests/utests/data/test_tree_data.c
@@ -358,6 +358,32 @@
     *state = NULL;
 }
 
+static void
+test_first_sibling(void **state)
+{
+    *state = test_first_sibling;
+
+    const char *data;
+    struct lyd_node *tree;
+    struct lyd_node_inner *parent;
+
+    data = "<bar xmlns=\"urn:tests:a\">test</bar>"
+        "<l1 xmlns=\"urn:tests:a\"><a>one</a><b>one</b><c>one</c></l1>"
+        "<foo xmlns=\"urn:tests:a\">test</foo>";
+    assert_int_equal(LY_SUCCESS, lyd_parse_data_mem(ctx, data, LYD_XML, 0, LYD_VALIDATE_PRESENT, &tree));
+    assert_ptr_equal(tree, lyd_first_sibling(tree->next));
+    assert_ptr_equal(tree, lyd_first_sibling(tree));
+    assert_ptr_equal(tree, lyd_first_sibling(tree->prev));
+    parent = (struct lyd_node_inner*)tree->next;
+    assert_int_equal(LYS_LIST, parent->schema->nodetype);
+    assert_ptr_equal(parent->child, lyd_first_sibling(parent->child->next));
+    assert_ptr_equal(parent->child, lyd_first_sibling(parent->child));
+    assert_ptr_equal(parent->child, lyd_first_sibling(parent->child->prev));
+    lyd_free_all(tree);
+
+    *state = NULL;
+}
+
 int main(void)
 {
     const struct CMUnitTest tests[] = {
@@ -365,6 +391,7 @@
         cmocka_unit_test_setup_teardown(test_dup, setup, teardown),
         cmocka_unit_test_setup_teardown(test_target, setup, teardown),
         cmocka_unit_test_setup_teardown(test_list_pos, setup, teardown),
+        cmocka_unit_test_setup_teardown(test_first_sibling, setup, teardown),
     };
 
     return cmocka_run_group_tests(tests, NULL, NULL);