diff --git a/src/tree_data.c b/src/tree_data.c
index 142b15d..7f9c90c 100644
--- a/src/tree_data.c
+++ b/src/tree_data.c
@@ -102,7 +102,6 @@
     LY_ERR r = LY_SUCCESS, rc = LY_SUCCESS;
     struct lyd_ctx *lydctx = NULL;
     struct ly_set parsed = {0};
-    struct lyd_node *first;
     uint32_t i, int_opts = 0;
     ly_bool subtree_sibling = 0;
 
@@ -148,11 +147,9 @@
         }
     }
 
-    if (parent) {
-        /* get first top-level sibling */
-        for (first = parent; first->parent; first = lyd_parent(first)) {}
-        first = lyd_first_sibling(first);
-        first_p = &first;
+    if (parent && parsed.count) {
+        /* use the first parsed node */
+        first_p = &parsed.dnodes[0];
     }
 
     if (!(parse_opts & LYD_PARSE_ONLY)) {
diff --git a/src/validation.c b/src/validation.c
index 7e678a2..418f546 100644
--- a/src/validation.c
+++ b/src/validation.c
@@ -1834,7 +1834,7 @@
         }
 
         /* validate new top-level nodes of this module, autodelete */
-        r = lyd_validate_new(first2, NULL, mod, val_opts, diff);
+        r = lyd_validate_new(first2, *first2 ? lysc_data_parent((*first2)->schema) : NULL, mod, val_opts, diff);
         LY_VAL_ERR_GOTO(r, rc = r, val_opts, cleanup);
 
         /* add all top-level defaults for this module, if going to validate subtree, do not add into unres sets
@@ -1846,7 +1846,7 @@
         if (val_opts & LYD_VALIDATE_NO_DEFAULTS) {
             impl_opts |= LYD_IMPLICIT_NO_DEFAULTS;
         }
-        r = lyd_new_implicit_r(NULL, first2, NULL, mod, validate_subtree ? NULL : node_when_p,
+        r = lyd_new_implicit_r(lyd_parent(*first2), first2, NULL, mod, validate_subtree ? NULL : node_when_p,
                 validate_subtree ? NULL : node_types_p, validate_subtree ? NULL : ext_node_p, impl_opts, diff);
         LY_CHECK_ERR_GOTO(r, rc = r, cleanup);
 
diff --git a/tests/utests/data/test_parser_xml.c b/tests/utests/data/test_parser_xml.c
index d651253..4f33f00 100644
--- a/tests/utests/data/test_parser_xml.c
+++ b/tests/utests/data/test_parser_xml.c
@@ -977,6 +977,38 @@
     CHECK_LOG_CTX("Invalid enumeration value \"value\".", "Path \"/a:c/x/@a:attr\", line number 1.");
 }
 
+static void
+test_subtree(void **state)
+{
+    const char *data;
+    struct ly_in *in;
+    struct lyd_node *tree;
+
+    /* prepare data with the parent */
+    data = "<l1 xmlns=\"urn:tests:a\">\n"
+            "  <a>val_a</a>\n"
+            "  <b>val_b</b>\n"
+            "  <c>1</c>\n"
+            "</l1>\n";
+    assert_int_equal(LY_SUCCESS, lyd_parse_data_mem(UTEST_LYCTX, data, LYD_XML, 0, LYD_VALIDATE_PRESENT, &tree));
+
+    /* parse a subtree of it */
+    data = "<cont xmlns=\"urn:tests:a\">\n"
+            "  <e>true</e>\n"
+            "</cont>\n";
+    assert_int_equal(LY_SUCCESS, ly_in_new_memory(data, &in));
+    assert_int_equal(LY_SUCCESS, lyd_parse_data(UTEST_LYCTX, tree, in, LYD_XML, 0, LYD_VALIDATE_PRESENT, NULL));
+    ly_in_free(in, 0);
+
+    /* parse another container, fails */
+    assert_int_equal(LY_SUCCESS, ly_in_new_memory(data, &in));
+    assert_int_equal(LY_EVALID, lyd_parse_data(UTEST_LYCTX, tree, in, LYD_XML, 0, LYD_VALIDATE_PRESENT, NULL));
+    ly_in_free(in, 0);
+    CHECK_LOG_CTX("Duplicate instance of \"cont\".", "Data location \"/a:l1[a='val_a'][b='val_b'][c='1']/cont\".");
+
+    lyd_free_all(tree);
+}
+
 int
 main(void)
 {
@@ -999,6 +1031,7 @@
         UTEST(test_filter_attributes, setup),
         UTEST(test_data_skip, setup),
         UTEST(test_metadata, setup),
+        UTEST(test_subtree, setup),
     };
 
     return cmocka_run_group_tests(tests, NULL, NULL);
diff --git a/tests/utests/data/test_validation.c b/tests/utests/data/test_validation.c
index a953330..d02dcc4 100644
--- a/tests/utests/data/test_validation.c
+++ b/tests/utests/data/test_validation.c
@@ -1203,6 +1203,7 @@
     CHECK_LOG_CTX_APPTAG("l leaf is not left", "Data location \"/ii:cont/l3\".", "not-left");
     CHECK_LOG_CTX_APPTAG("Must condition \"../l = 'right'\" not satisfied.", "Data location \"/ii:cont/l2\".", "must-violation");
     CHECK_LOG_CTX_APPTAG("Duplicate instance of \"l\".", "Data location \"/ii:cont/l\", line number 7.", NULL);
+    CHECK_LOG_CTX_APPTAG("Duplicate instance of \"l\".", "Data location \"/ii:cont/l\", line number 7.", NULL);
     CHECK_LOG_CTX_APPTAG("Invalid type uint32 value \"ahoy\".", "Data location \"/ii:cont/ll\", line number 6.", NULL);
 
     /* json */
@@ -1220,6 +1221,7 @@
     CHECK_LOG_CTX_APPTAG("l leaf is not left", "Data location \"/ii:cont/l3\".", "not-left");
     CHECK_LOG_CTX_APPTAG("Must condition \"../l = 'right'\" not satisfied.", "Data location \"/ii:cont/l2\".", "must-violation");
     CHECK_LOG_CTX_APPTAG("Duplicate instance of \"l\".", "Data location \"/ii:cont/l\", line number 9.", NULL);
+    CHECK_LOG_CTX_APPTAG("Duplicate instance of \"l\".", "Data location \"/ii:cont/l\", line number 9.", NULL);
     CHECK_LOG_CTX_APPTAG("Invalid non-number-encoded uint32 value \"ahoy\".", "Data location \"/ii:cont/ll\", line number 7.", NULL);
 
     /* validation */
@@ -1239,6 +1241,7 @@
     CHECK_LOG_CTX_APPTAG("l leaf is not left", "Data location \"/ii:cont/l3\".", "not-left");
     CHECK_LOG_CTX_APPTAG("Must condition \"../l = 'right'\" not satisfied.", "Data location \"/ii:cont/l2\".", "must-violation");
     CHECK_LOG_CTX_APPTAG("Duplicate instance of \"l\".", "Data location \"/ii:cont/l\".", NULL);
+    CHECK_LOG_CTX_APPTAG("Duplicate instance of \"l\".", "Data location \"/ii:cont/l\".", NULL);
 }
 
 const char *schema_j =