diff --git a/mgmtd/mgmt_fe_adapter.c b/mgmtd/mgmt_fe_adapter.c
index 9e0a5ef0607a..5f552708266a 100644
--- a/mgmtd/mgmt_fe_adapter.c
+++ b/mgmtd/mgmt_fe_adapter.c
@@ -1086,7 +1086,6 @@ static int fe_adapter_send_tree_data(struct mgmt_fe_session_ctx *session,
 
 {
 	struct mgmt_msg_tree_data *msg;
-	struct lyd_node *empty = NULL;
 	uint8_t *buf = NULL;
 	int ret = 0;
 
@@ -1098,11 +1097,6 @@ static int fe_adapter_send_tree_data(struct mgmt_fe_session_ctx *session,
 	msg->partial_error = partial_error;
 	msg->result_type = result_type;
 
-	if (!tree) {
-		empty = yang_dnode_new(ly_native_ctx, false);
-		tree = empty;
-	}
-
 	ret = yang_print_tree_append(&buf, tree, result_type,
 				     (wd_options | LYD_PRINT_WITHSIBLINGS));
 	/* buf may have been reallocated and moved */
@@ -1126,8 +1120,6 @@ static int fe_adapter_send_tree_data(struct mgmt_fe_session_ctx *session,
 	ret = fe_adapter_send_native_msg(session->adapter, buf, darr_len(buf),
 					 short_circuit_ok);
 done:
-	if (empty)
-		yang_dnode_free(empty);
 	darr_free(buf);
 
 	return ret;