diff --git a/Nasal/io.nas b/Nasal/io.nas
index 81ae06dd3..7726237d0 100644
--- a/Nasal/io.nas
+++ b/Nasal/io.nas
@@ -331,7 +331,7 @@ _setlistener("/sim/signals/nasal-dir-initialized", func {
     var write_validator = func(n) setValue(n, [valid(getValue(n, []), write_rules) or ""]);
 
     # validation listeners for load[xml]/save[xml]/parsexml()  (see utils.cxx:fgValidatePath)
-    var n = props.globals.getNode("/sim/paths/validate", 1).remove();
+    var n = props.globals.getNode("/sim/paths/validate", 1).removeAllChildren();
     var rval = _setlistener(n.getNode("read", 1)._g, read_validator);
     var wval = _setlistener(n.getNode("write", 1)._g, write_validator);
 
diff --git a/Nasal/props.nas b/Nasal/props.nas
index da8531f75..4af9b363a 100644
--- a/Nasal/props.nas
+++ b/Nasal/props.nas
@@ -32,6 +32,7 @@ var Node = {
     setDoubleValue : func _setDoubleValue(me._g, arg),
     unalias        : func _unalias(me._g, arg),
     alias          : func(n) _alias(me._g, [isa(n, Node) ? n._g : n]),
+    equals         : func(n) _equals(me._g, [isa(n, Node) ? n._g : n]),
     clearValue     : func _alias(me._g, [_globals()]) and me.unalias(),
 
     getPath : func {
@@ -52,6 +53,12 @@ var Node = {
         if((var p = me.getParent()) == nil) return nil;
         p.removeChild(me.getName(), me.getIndex());
     },
+
+    removeAllChildren : func {
+      foreach(var c; me.getChildren())
+        me.removeChild(c.getName(), c.getIndex());
+      return me;
+    },
 };
 
 ##