diff --git a/src/hash_table.c b/src/hash_table.c
index cdd2163..03154ed 100644
--- a/src/hash_table.c
+++ b/src/hash_table.c
@@ -73,8 +73,10 @@
 
     ht->hlists = malloc(sizeof(ht->hlists[0]) * ht->size);
     LY_CHECK_ERR_RET(!ht->hlists, free(ht->recs); LOGMEM(NULL), LY_EMEM);
-    for (i = 0; i < ht->size; i++)
-        ht->hlists[i] = LYHT_NO_RECORD;
+    for (i = 0; i < ht->size; i++) {
+        ht->hlists[i].first = LYHT_NO_RECORD;
+        ht->hlists[i].last = LYHT_NO_RECORD;
+    }
     ht->first_free_rec = 0;
 
     return LY_SUCCESS;
@@ -181,7 +183,7 @@
 lyht_resize(struct ly_ht *ht, int operation)
 {
     struct ly_ht_rec *rec;
-    uint32_t *old_hlists;
+    struct ly_ht_hlist *old_hlists;
     unsigned char *old_recs;
     uint32_t old_first_free_rec;
     uint32_t i, old_size;
@@ -213,7 +215,7 @@
 
     /* add all the old records into the new records array */
     for (i = 0; i < old_size; i++) {
-        for (rec_idx = old_hlists[i], rec = lyht_get_rec(old_recs, ht->rec_size, rec_idx);
+        for (rec_idx = old_hlists[i].first, rec = lyht_get_rec(old_recs, ht->rec_size, rec_idx);
              rec_idx != LYHT_NO_RECORD;
              rec_idx = rec->next, rec = lyht_get_rec(old_recs, ht->rec_size, rec_idx)) {
             LY_ERR ret;
@@ -346,7 +348,7 @@
 {
     uint32_t hlist_idx = hash & (ht->size - 1);
     LY_ERR r, ret = LY_SUCCESS;
-    struct ly_ht_rec *rec;
+    struct ly_ht_rec *rec, *prev_rec;
     lyht_value_equal_cb old_val_equal = NULL;
     uint32_t rec_idx;
 
@@ -361,8 +363,15 @@
     assert(rec_idx < ht->size);
     rec = lyht_get_rec(ht->recs, ht->rec_size, rec_idx);
     ht->first_free_rec = rec->next;
-    rec->next = ht->hlists[hlist_idx];
-    ht->hlists[hlist_idx] = rec_idx;
+
+    if (ht->hlists[hlist_idx].first == LYHT_NO_RECORD) {
+        ht->hlists[hlist_idx].first = rec_idx;
+    } else {
+        prev_rec = lyht_get_rec(ht->recs, ht->rec_size, ht->hlists[hlist_idx].last);
+        prev_rec->next = rec_idx;
+    }
+    rec->next = LYHT_NO_RECORD;
+    ht->hlists[hlist_idx].last = rec_idx;
 
     rec->hash = hash;
     memcpy(&rec->val, val_p, ht->rec_size - SIZEOF_LY_HT_REC);
@@ -432,10 +441,14 @@
     }
 
     if (prev_rec_idx == LYHT_NO_RECORD) {
-        ht->hlists[hlist_idx] = rec->next;
+        ht->hlists[hlist_idx].first = rec->next;
+        if (rec->next == LYHT_NO_RECORD)
+            ht->hlists[hlist_idx].last = LYHT_NO_RECORD;
     } else {
         prev_rec = lyht_get_rec(ht->recs, ht->rec_size, prev_rec_idx);
         prev_rec->next = rec->next;
+        if (rec->next == LYHT_NO_RECORD)
+            ht->hlists[hlist_idx].last = prev_rec_idx;
     }
 
     rec->next = ht->first_free_rec;
diff --git a/src/hash_table_internal.h b/src/hash_table_internal.h
index 1921fca..22b6cf4 100644
--- a/src/hash_table_internal.h
+++ b/src/hash_table_internal.h
@@ -50,6 +50,11 @@
 /* real size, without taking the val[1] in account */
 #define SIZEOF_LY_HT_REC (sizeof(struct ly_ht_rec) - 1)
 
+struct ly_ht_hlist {
+    uint32_t first;
+    uint32_t last;
+};
+
 /**
  * @brief (Very) generic hash table.
  *
@@ -81,7 +86,7 @@
                            * 2 - both shrinking and enlarging is enabled */
     uint16_t rec_size;    /* real size (in bytes) of one record for accessing recs array */
     uint32_t first_free_rec; /* index of the first free record */
-    uint32_t *hlists;     /* pointer to the hlists table */
+    struct ly_ht_hlist *hlists; /* pointer to the hlists table */
     unsigned char *recs;  /* pointer to the hash table itself (array of struct ht_rec) */
 };
 
@@ -97,7 +102,7 @@
 
 /* Iterate all records in a hlist */
 #define LYHT_ITER_HLIST_RECS(ht, hlist_idx, rec_idx, rec)               \
-    for (rec_idx = ht->hlists[hlist_idx],                               \
+    for (rec_idx = ht->hlists[hlist_idx].first,                         \
              rec = lyht_get_rec(ht->recs, ht->rec_size, rec_idx);       \
          rec_idx != LYHT_NO_RECORD;                                     \
          rec_idx = rec->next,                                           \
diff --git a/tests/utests/basic/test_hash_table.c b/tests/utests/basic/test_hash_table.c
index 041af26..f19ff36 100644
--- a/tests/utests/basic/test_hash_table.c
+++ b/tests/utests/basic/test_hash_table.c
@@ -117,11 +117,11 @@
     for (i = 0; i < 16; ++i) {
         if ((i >= 2) && (i < 8)) {
             /* inserted data on indexes 2-7 */
-            assert_int_not_equal(UINT32_MAX, ht->hlists[i]);
+            assert_int_not_equal(UINT32_MAX, ht->hlists[i].first);
             assert_int_equal(LY_SUCCESS, lyht_find(ht, &i, i, NULL));
         } else {
             /* nothing otherwise */
-            assert_int_equal(UINT32_MAX, ht->hlists[i]);
+            assert_int_equal(UINT32_MAX, ht->hlists[i].first);
             assert_int_equal(LY_ENOTFOUND, lyht_find(ht, &i, i, NULL));
         }
     }
@@ -172,9 +172,9 @@
     /* check all records */
     for (i = 0; i < 8; ++i) {
         if (i == 2)
-            assert_int_not_equal(UINT32_MAX, ht->hlists[i]);
+            assert_int_not_equal(UINT32_MAX, ht->hlists[i].first);
         else
-            assert_int_equal(UINT32_MAX, ht->hlists[i]);
+            assert_int_equal(UINT32_MAX, ht->hlists[i].first);
     }
     for (i = 0; i < 8; ++i) {
         if (i >= 2 && i < 6)
@@ -182,7 +182,7 @@
         else
             assert_int_equal(LY_ENOTFOUND, lyht_find(ht, &i, 2, NULL));
     }
-    rec_idx = ht->hlists[2];
+    rec_idx = ht->hlists[2].first;
     count = 0;
     while (rec_idx != UINT32_MAX) {
         rec = lyht_get_rec(ht->recs, ht->rec_size, rec_idx);
@@ -203,9 +203,9 @@
     /* check all records */
     for (i = 0; i < 8; ++i) {
         if (i == 2)
-            assert_int_not_equal(UINT32_MAX, ht->hlists[i]);
+            assert_int_not_equal(UINT32_MAX, ht->hlists[i].first);
         else
-            assert_int_equal(UINT32_MAX, ht->hlists[i]);
+            assert_int_equal(UINT32_MAX, ht->hlists[i].first);
     }
     for (i = 0; i < 8; ++i) {
         if (i == 3 || i == 5)
@@ -213,7 +213,7 @@
         else
             assert_int_equal(LY_ENOTFOUND, lyht_find(ht, &i, 2, NULL));
     }
-    rec_idx = ht->hlists[2];
+    rec_idx = ht->hlists[2].first;
     count = 0;
     while (rec_idx != UINT32_MAX) {
         rec = lyht_get_rec(ht->recs, ht->rec_size, rec_idx);
@@ -237,7 +237,7 @@
 
     /* check all records */
     for (i = 0; i < 8; ++i) {
-        assert_int_equal(UINT32_MAX, ht->hlists[i]);
+        assert_int_equal(UINT32_MAX, ht->hlists[i].first);
     }
 
     lyht_free(ht, NULL);