diff --git a/dotnetYang/SemanticModel/Builtins/LeafReference.cs b/dotnetYang/SemanticModel/Builtins/LeafReference.cs
index c39c00a..ea4bdfe 100644
--- a/dotnetYang/SemanticModel/Builtins/LeafReference.cs
+++ b/dotnetYang/SemanticModel/Builtins/LeafReference.cs
@@ -16,39 +16,41 @@ public class LeafReference() : BuiltinType("leafref", (statement) =>
         assignation = string.Empty;
     }
 
-    var type = target!.GetChild<Type>();
     var bname = target switch
     {
         IXMLReadValue rw => rw.ClassName,
         IXMLParseable ps => ps.ClassName,
         _ => "string"
     };
-    if (bname.Contains(":") || bname.Contains("."))
+    if(target.TryGetChild<Type>(out var type))
     {
-        var p = bname.Prefix(out _);
-        if (bname.Contains(":") && !statement.GetModule()!.Usings.ContainsKey(p))
+        if (bname.Contains(":") || bname.Contains("."))
         {
-            statement.GetModule()!.Usings[p] = target.GetModule()!.Usings[p];
+            var p = bname.Prefix(out _);
+            if (bname.Contains(":") && !statement.GetModule()!.Usings.ContainsKey(p))
+            {
+                statement.GetModule()!.Usings[p] = target.GetModule()!.Usings[p];
+            }
+
+            return (bname, null);
         }
 
-        return (bname, null);
-    }
+        if (bname == "string") return (bname, null);
+        if (type.Definition is null && !BuiltinTypeReference.IsBuiltinKeyword(type.Argument))
+        {
+            return (target.ModuleQualifiedClassName(), null);
+        }
 
-    if (bname == "string") return (bname, null);
-    if (type.Definition is null && !BuiltinTypeReference.IsBuiltinKeyword(type.Argument))
-    {
-        return (target.ModuleQualifiedClassName(), null);
-    }
+        if (string.IsNullOrWhiteSpace(prefix) && !BuiltinTypeReference.IsBuiltinKeyword(type.Argument))
+        {
+            return (target.FullyQualifiedClassName(), null);
+        }
 
-    if (string.IsNullOrWhiteSpace(prefix) && !BuiltinTypeReference.IsBuiltinKeyword(type.Argument))
-    {
-        return (target.FullyQualifiedClassName(), null);
-    }
+        if (BuiltinTypeReference.IsBuiltin(type, out var name, out var def))
+        {
+            return def is null ? (name!, null) : (target.FullyQualifiedClassName(), null);
+        }
 
-    if (BuiltinTypeReference.IsBuiltin(type, out var name, out var def))
-    {
-        return def is null ? (name!, null) : (target.FullyQualifiedClassName(), null);
     }
-
     return (assignation + bname, null);
 });
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/dotnetYang/SemanticModel/StatementExtensions.cs b/dotnetYang/SemanticModel/StatementExtensions.cs
index a7d4229..1dd658b 100644
--- a/dotnetYang/SemanticModel/StatementExtensions.cs
+++ b/dotnetYang/SemanticModel/StatementExtensions.cs
@@ -176,10 +176,10 @@ public static T GetChild<T>(this IStatement statement) where T : class, IStateme
         return (T)statement.Children.First(c => c is T);
     }
 
-    public static bool TryGetChild<T>(this IStatement statement, out T? child) where T : class, IStatement
+    public static bool TryGetChild<T>(this IStatement? statement, out T? child) where T : class, IStatement
     {
         child = null;
-        if (statement.Children.FirstOrDefault(c => c is T) is T chosen)
+        if (statement?.Children.FirstOrDefault(c => c is T) is T chosen)
         {
             child = chosen;
             return true;
@@ -469,8 +469,11 @@ public static string GetBaseType(this Type type, out string prefix, out Type cho
                 {
                     var path = (Path)type.Children.First(c => c is Path);
                     var target = type.Parent.Navigate(path.Argument);
-                    type = target!.GetChild<Type>();
-                    continue;
+                    if (target.TryGetChild<Type>(out var targetType))
+                    {
+                        type = targetType!;
+                        continue;
+                    }
                 }
 
                 chosenType = type;