diff --git a/src/tree_data.c b/src/tree_data.c
index 9a42270..68ed9bf 100644
--- a/src/tree_data.c
+++ b/src/tree_data.c
@@ -2066,8 +2066,6 @@
 API LY_ERR
 lyd_insert_before(struct lyd_node *sibling, struct lyd_node *node)
 {
-    struct lyd_node *iter;
-
     LY_CHECK_ARG_RET(NULL, sibling, node, LY_EINVAL);
 
     LY_CHECK_RET(lyd_insert_check_schema(NULL, sibling->schema, node->schema));
@@ -2077,32 +2075,16 @@
         return LY_EINVAL;
     }
 
-    if (node->parent || node->prev->next) {
-        lyd_unlink_tree(node);
-    }
+    lyd_unlink_tree(node);
+    lyd_insert_before_node(sibling, node);
+    lyd_insert_hash(node);
 
-    /* insert in reverse order to get the original order */
-    node = node->prev;
-    while (node) {
-        iter = node->prev;
-        lyd_unlink_tree(node);
-
-        lyd_insert_before_node(sibling, node);
-        lyd_insert_hash(node);
-
-        /* move the anchor accordingly */
-        sibling = node;
-
-        node = (iter == node) ? NULL : iter;
-    }
     return LY_SUCCESS;
 }
 
 API LY_ERR
 lyd_insert_after(struct lyd_node *sibling, struct lyd_node *node)
 {
-    struct lyd_node *iter;
-
     LY_CHECK_ARG_RET(NULL, sibling, node, LY_EINVAL);
 
     LY_CHECK_RET(lyd_insert_check_schema(NULL, sibling->schema, node->schema));
@@ -2112,22 +2094,10 @@
         return LY_EINVAL;
     }
 
-    if (node->parent || node->prev->next) {
-        lyd_unlink_tree(node);
-    }
+    lyd_unlink_tree(node);
+    lyd_insert_after_node(sibling, node);
+    lyd_insert_hash(node);
 
-    while (node) {
-        iter = node->next;
-        lyd_unlink_tree(node);
-
-        lyd_insert_after_node(sibling, node);
-        lyd_insert_hash(node);
-
-        /* move the anchor accordingly */
-        sibling = node;
-
-        node = iter;
-    }
     return LY_SUCCESS;
 }
 
diff --git a/src/tree_data.h b/src/tree_data.h
index f93d42f..fd8a569 100644
--- a/src/tree_data.h
+++ b/src/tree_data.h
@@ -1153,9 +1153,9 @@
 
 /**
  * @brief Insert a node before another node, can be used only for user-ordered nodes.
+ * If inserting several siblings, each of them must be inserted individually.
  *
  * - if the node is part of some other tree, it is automatically unlinked.
- * - if the node is the first node of a node list (with no parent), all the subsequent nodes are also inserted.
  *
  * @param[in] sibling Sibling node to insert before.
  * @param[in] node Node to insert.
@@ -1166,9 +1166,9 @@
 
 /**
  * @brief Insert a node after another node, can be used only for user-ordered nodes.
+ * If inserting several siblings, each of them must be inserted individually.
  *
  * - if the node is part of some other tree, it is automatically unlinked.
- * - if the node is the first node of a node list (with no parent), all the subsequent nodes are also inserted.
  *
  * @param[in] sibling Sibling node to insert after.
  * @param[in] node Node to insert.