diff --git a/lib/clixon/clixon_xml.h b/lib/clixon/clixon_xml.h
index 73d06f965..429fb1910 100644
--- a/lib/clixon/clixon_xml.h
+++ b/lib/clixon/clixon_xml.h
@@ -129,7 +129,7 @@ int       xml_flag_reset(cxobj *xn, uint16_t flag);
 
 char     *xml_value(cxobj *xn);
 int       xml_value_set(cxobj *xn, char *val);
-char     *xml_value_append(cxobj *xn, char *val);
+int       xml_value_append(cxobj *xn, char *val);
 enum cxobj_type xml_type(cxobj *xn);
 int       xml_type_set(cxobj *xn, enum cxobj_type type);
 
diff --git a/lib/src/clixon_json_parse.y b/lib/src/clixon_json_parse.y
index 8bbc6396e..5a5503da8 100644
--- a/lib/src/clixon_json_parse.y
+++ b/lib/src/clixon_json_parse.y
@@ -228,7 +228,7 @@ json_current_body(struct clicon_json_yacc_arg *jy,
     if ((xn = xml_new("body", jy->jy_current, NULL)) == NULL)
 	goto done; 
     xml_type_set(xn, CX_BODY);
-    if (value && xml_value_append(xn, value)==NULL)
+    if (value && xml_value_append(xn, value) < 0)
 	goto done; 
     retval = 0;
  done:
diff --git a/lib/src/clixon_xml.c b/lib/src/clixon_xml.c
index be8a36b81..e948abde2 100644
--- a/lib/src/clixon_xml.c
+++ b/lib/src/clixon_xml.c
@@ -126,9 +126,7 @@ struct xml{
     int               x_childvec_len;/* Number of children */
     int               x_childvec_max;/* Length of allocated vector */
     enum cxobj_type   x_type;       /* type of node: element, attribute, body */
-    char             *x_value;      /* attribute and body nodes have values */
-    uint32_t          x_value_len;  /* Length of x_value string (excluding null) */
-    uint32_t          x_value_max;  /* allocated size for x_value */
+    cbuf             *x_value_cb;   /* attribute and body nodes have values */
     int               x_flags;      /* Flags according to XML_FLAG_* */
     yang_stmt        *x_spec;       /* Pointer to specification, eg yang, by 
 				       reference, dont free */
@@ -624,43 +622,7 @@ xml_flag_reset(cxobj   *xn,
 char*
 xml_value(cxobj *xn)
 {
-    return xn->x_value;
-}
-
-/*! xml value string reallocator
- */
-static int
-xml_value_realloc(cxobj *xn, 
-		  int    len0,
-		  char  *val)
-{
-    int retval = -1;
-    int len;
-    int diff;
-    
-    if (val==NULL)
-	goto ok;
-    len = len0 + strlen(val);
-    diff = xn->x_value_max - (len + 1);
-    if (diff <= 0){
-	while (diff <= 0){
-	    if (xn->x_value_max == 0)
-		xn->x_value_max = XML_VALUE_MAX_DEFAULT;
-	    else
-		xn->x_value_max *= 2;
-	    diff = xn->x_value_max - (len + 1);
-	}
-	if ((xn->x_value = realloc(xn->x_value, xn->x_value_max)) == NULL){
-	    clicon_err(OE_XML, errno, "realloc");
-	    goto done;
-	}
-    }
-    strncpy(xn->x_value + len0, val, len-len0+1);
-    xn->x_value_len = len;
- ok:
-    retval = 0;
- done:
-    return retval;
+    return xn->x_value_cb?cbuf_get(xn->x_value_cb):NULL;
 }
 
 /*! Set value of xml node, value is copied
@@ -675,12 +637,15 @@ xml_value_set(cxobj *xn,
 {
     int retval = -1;
     
-    if (xn->x_value && strlen(xn->x_value)){
-    	xn->x_value[0] = '\0';
-	xn->x_value_len = 0;
+    if (xn->x_value_cb == NULL){
+	if ((xn->x_value_cb = cbuf_new()) == NULL){
+	    clicon_err(OE_XML, errno, "cbuf_new");
+	    goto done;
+	}
     }
-    if (xml_value_realloc(xn, 0, val) < 0)
-	goto done;
+    else
+	cbuf_reset(xn->x_value_cb);
+    cprintf(xn->x_value_cb, "%s", val);
     retval = 0;
  done:
     return retval;
@@ -692,13 +657,25 @@ xml_value_set(cxobj *xn,
  * @retval     NULL  on error with clicon-err set, or if value is set to NULL
  * @retval     new value
  */
-char *
+int
 xml_value_append(cxobj *xn, 
 		 char  *val)
 {
-    if (xml_value_realloc(xn, xn->x_value_len, val) < 0)
-	return NULL;
-    return xn->x_value;
+    int retval = -1;
+    
+    if (xn->x_value_cb == NULL){
+	if ((xn->x_value_cb = cbuf_new()) == NULL){
+	    clicon_err(OE_XML, errno, "cbuf_new");
+	    goto done;
+	}
+    }
+    if (cprintf(xn->x_value_cb, "%s", val) < 0){
+	clicon_err(OE_XML, errno, "cprintf");
+	goto done;
+    }
+    retval = 0;
+ done:
+    return retval;
 }
 
 /*! Get type of xnode
@@ -1623,8 +1600,8 @@ xml_free(cxobj *x)
 
     if (x->x_name)
 	free(x->x_name);
-    if (x->x_value)
-	free(x->x_value);
+    if (x->x_value_cb)
+	cbuf_free(x->x_value_cb);  
     if (x->x_prefix)
 	free(x->x_prefix);
     for (i=0; i<x->x_childvec_len; i++){
@@ -2648,8 +2625,10 @@ clicon_log_xml(int    level,
     int     retval = -1;
 
     /* Print xml as cbuf */
-    if ((cb = cbuf_new()) == NULL)
+    if ((cb = cbuf_new()) == NULL){
+	clicon_err(OE_XML, errno, "cbuf_new");
 	goto done;
+    }
     if (clicon_xml2cbuf(cb, x, 0, 0, -1) < 0)
 	goto done;
     
diff --git a/lib/src/clixon_xml_parse.y b/lib/src/clixon_xml_parse.y
index 6d735d621..3a1e94195 100644
--- a/lib/src/clixon_xml_parse.y
+++ b/lib/src/clixon_xml_parse.y
@@ -104,7 +104,7 @@ xml_parse_content(struct xml_parse_yacc_arg *ya,
 	    goto done; 
 	xml_type_set(xn, CX_BODY);
     }
-    if (xml_value_append(xn, str)==NULL)
+    if (xml_value_append(xn, str) < 0)
 	goto done; 
     ya->ya_xelement = xn;
     retval = 0;
@@ -140,7 +140,7 @@ xml_parse_whitespace(struct xml_parse_yacc_arg *ya,
 	    goto done; 
 	xml_type_set(xn, CX_BODY);
     }
-    if (xml_value_append(xn, str)==NULL)
+    if (xml_value_append(xn, str) < 0)
 	goto done; 
     ya->ya_xelement = xn;
  ok:
@@ -148,7 +148,6 @@ xml_parse_whitespace(struct xml_parse_yacc_arg *ya,
   done:
     return retval;
 }
-
  
 static int
 xml_parse_version(struct xml_parse_yacc_arg *ya,
diff --git a/test/test_perf_xml.sh b/test/test_perf_xml.sh
index 9c7ed164f..17d7d6ce4 100755
--- a/test/test_perf_xml.sh
+++ b/test/test_perf_xml.sh
@@ -18,8 +18,11 @@ for (( i=0; i<$perfnr; i++ )); do
 done
 echo "]]></stdout></rpc-reply>" >> $fxml
 
+# 32-bit i386:
+#0.37user 1.94system 0:02.47elapsed 93%CPU (0avgtext+0avgdata 9336maxresident)k
+#256inputs+0outputs (2major+2049minor)pagefaults 0swa
 new "xml parse long CDATA"
 expecteof_file "time $clixon_util_xml" 0 "$fxml"
-      
+
 rm -rf $dir