diff --git a/mgmtd/mgmt_be_adapter.c b/mgmtd/mgmt_be_adapter.c
index 72dff4b062..0d678452f7 100644
--- a/mgmtd/mgmt_be_adapter.c
+++ b/mgmtd/mgmt_be_adapter.c
@@ -35,6 +35,7 @@
 /* ---------- */
 
 const char *mgmt_be_client_names[MGMTD_BE_CLIENT_ID_MAX + 1] = {
+	[MGMTD_BE_CLIENT_ID_ZEBRA] = "zebra",
 #ifdef HAVE_STATICD
 	[MGMTD_BE_CLIENT_ID_STATICD] = "staticd",
 #endif
@@ -73,7 +74,16 @@ static const char *const *be_client_xpaths[MGMTD_BE_CLIENT_ID_MAX] = {
 #endif
 };
 
-static const char *const *be_client_oper_xpaths[MGMTD_BE_CLIENT_ID_MAX] = {};
+static const char *const zebra_oper_xpaths[] = {
+	"/frr-interface:lib/interface",
+	"/frr-vrf:lib/vrf/frr-zebra:zebra",
+	"/frr-zebra:zebra",
+	NULL,
+};
+
+static const char *const *be_client_oper_xpaths[MGMTD_BE_CLIENT_ID_MAX] = {
+	[MGMTD_BE_CLIENT_ID_ZEBRA] = zebra_oper_xpaths,
+};
 
 /*
  * We would like to have a better ADT than one with O(n) comparisons
diff --git a/mgmtd/mgmt_be_adapter.h b/mgmtd/mgmt_be_adapter.h
index 2afac949f5..96e807f6c4 100644
--- a/mgmtd/mgmt_be_adapter.h
+++ b/mgmtd/mgmt_be_adapter.h
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@ enum mgmt_be_client_id {
 #ifdef HAVE_STATICD
 	MGMTD_BE_CLIENT_ID_STATICD,
 #endif
+	MGMTD_BE_CLIENT_ID_ZEBRA,
 	MGMTD_BE_CLIENT_ID_MAX
 };
 #define MGMTD_BE_CLIENT_ID_MIN	0
diff --git a/mgmtd/mgmt_main.c b/mgmtd/mgmt_main.c
index b58b93c71d..793161dc32 100644
--- a/mgmtd/mgmt_main.c
+++ b/mgmtd/mgmt_main.c
@@ -207,6 +207,16 @@ static const struct frr_yang_module_info *const mgmt_yang_modules[] = {
  * NOTE: Always set .ignore_cbs true for to avoid validating
  * backend configuration northbound callbacks during loading.
  */
+	&(struct frr_yang_module_info){ .name = "frr-zebra",
+					.ignore_cbs = true },
+	/*
+	 * TO support LYD_LYB parsing we have to include all the modules that
+	 * backend clients include.
+	 */
+	&(struct frr_yang_module_info){ .name = "frr-affinity-map",
+		.ignore_cbs = true },
+	&(struct frr_yang_module_info){ .name = "frr-zebra-route-map",
+		.ignore_cbs = true },
 #ifdef HAVE_STATICD
 	&frr_staticd_info,
 #endif
diff --git a/python/xref2vtysh.py b/python/xref2vtysh.py
index 0a7e28ec7a..75fff8ddd9 100644
--- a/python/xref2vtysh.py
+++ b/python/xref2vtysh.py
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@ daemon_flags = {
     "lib/filter_cli.c": "VTYSH_ACL",
     "lib/if.c": "VTYSH_INTERFACE",
     "lib/keychain.c": "VTYSH_KEYS",
-    "lib/mgmt_be_client.c": "VTYSH_STATICD",
+    "lib/mgmt_be_client.c": "VTYSH_STATICD|VTYSH_ZEBRA",
     "lib/mgmt_fe_client.c": "VTYSH_MGMTD",
     "lib/lib_vty.c": "VTYSH_ALL",
     "lib/log_vty.c": "VTYSH_ALL",
diff --git a/zebra/debug.c b/zebra/debug.c
index 68bedaf057..cf1701be19 100644
--- a/zebra/debug.c
+++ b/zebra/debug.c
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@
 #include <zebra.h>
 #include "command.h"
 #include "debug.h"
+#include "mgmt_be_client.h"
 
 #include "zebra/debug_clippy.c"
 
@@ -846,4 +847,7 @@ void zebra_debug_init(void)
 	install_element(CONFIG_NODE, &no_debug_zebra_pbr_cmd);
 	install_element(CONFIG_NODE, &debug_zebra_mlag_cmd);
 	install_element(CONFIG_NODE, &debug_zebra_evpn_mh_cmd);
+
+	/* Init mgmtd backend client debug commands. */
+	mgmt_be_client_lib_vty_init();
 }
diff --git a/zebra/main.c b/zebra/main.c
index 604d8974b3..be3b22590e 100644
--- a/zebra/main.c
+++ b/zebra/main.c
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@
 #include "affinitymap.h"
 #include "routemap.h"
 #include "routing_nb.h"
+#include "mgmt_be_client.h"
 
 #include "zebra/zebra_router.h"
 #include "zebra/zebra_errors.h"
@@ -58,6 +59,8 @@ pid_t pid;
 /* Pacify zclient.o in libfrr, which expects this variable. */
 struct event_loop *master;
 
+struct mgmt_be_client *mgmt_be_client;
+
 /* Route retain mode flag. */
 int retain_mode = 0;
 
@@ -142,6 +145,8 @@ static void sigint(void)
 
 	zlog_notice("Terminating on signal");
 
+	mgmt_be_client_destroy(mgmt_be_client);
+
 	atomic_store_explicit(&zrouter.in_shutdown, true,
 			      memory_order_relaxed);
 
@@ -430,6 +435,8 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv)
 	zebra_ns_init();
 	router_id_cmd_init();
 	zebra_vty_init();
+	mgmt_be_client = mgmt_be_client_create("zebra", NULL, 0,
+					       zrouter.master);
 	access_list_init();
 	prefix_list_init();
 
diff --git a/zebra/zebra_nb_state.c b/zebra/zebra_nb_state.c
index ba537475cb..4fa6587b0a 100644
--- a/zebra/zebra_nb_state.c
+++ b/zebra/zebra_nb_state.c
@@ -156,6 +156,8 @@ const void *lib_vrf_zebra_ribs_rib_get_next(struct nb_cb_get_next_args *args)
 	safi_t safi;
 
 	zvrf = zebra_vrf_lookup_by_id(vrf->vrf_id);
+	if (!zvrf)
+		return NULL;
 
 	if (args->list_entry == NULL) {
 		afi = AFI_IP;
@@ -198,6 +200,8 @@ lib_vrf_zebra_ribs_rib_lookup_entry(struct nb_cb_lookup_entry_args *args)
 	uint32_t table_id = 0;
 
 	zvrf = zebra_vrf_lookup_by_id(vrf->vrf_id);
+	if (!zvrf)
+		return NULL;
 
 	yang_afi_safi_identity2value(args->keys->key[0], &afi, &safi);
 	table_id = yang_str2uint32(args->keys->key[1]);