diff --git a/libpdbg/device.c b/libpdbg/device.c
index 4a0aa58c5..b8c12cf9a 100644
--- a/libpdbg/device.c
+++ b/libpdbg/device.c
@@ -701,6 +701,73 @@ static void pdbg_targets_init_virtual(struct pdbg_target *node, struct pdbg_targ
 	}
 }
 
+/**
+ * @brief It releases/deletes a target from its target_class list.
+ * 		  Each pdbg_target object (except the virtuals one) has an
+ *        associated target class linked via it's class_link. This
+ * 		  function deletes/removes a target form the list of associated
+ * 		  pdbg_target_class object. For internal use only.
+ * 
+ * @param target The pdbg_target object which will be removed from it's associated
+ * 				 pdbg_target_class list
+ * 
+ * @see pdbg_release_target for more details
+ */
+static void pdbg_del_target_from_target_class_list(struct pdbg_target* target)
+{
+	if (!target)
+		return;
+
+	struct pdbg_target_class* target_class = get_target_class(target);
+	if (target_class)
+		list_del_from(&target_class->targets, &target->class_link);
+}
+
+/**
+ * @brief A function to delete/release an existing pdbg_target object along
+ * 		  with its children from the node list/dev tree. Recursive in nature.
+ * 		  For internal use only.
+ * 
+ * @param target The target node for which the children and then the node itself
+ * 				 will be released/freed
+ * 
+ * @see pdbg_release_dt_root for more details
+ */
+static void pdbg_release_target(struct pdbg_target* target)
+{
+	if (!target)
+		return;
+
+	struct pdbg_target *childTarget, *next = NULL;
+	list_for_each_safe(&target->children, childTarget, next, list)
+		pdbg_release_target(childTarget);
+		
+	if (target->class)
+			pdbg_del_target_from_target_class_list(target);
+
+	struct pdbg_target* parentTarget = target->parent;
+	if (parentTarget)
+		list_del_from(&parentTarget->children, &target->list);
+
+	if (target)
+		free(target);
+	target = NULL;
+}
+
+void pdbg_release_dt_root()
+{
+	if (pdbg_dt_root)
+	{	
+		pdbg_release_target(pdbg_dt_root);
+		if (pdbg_dt_root)
+			pdbg_dt_root = NULL;
+		//Reset the phandle count to zero
+		last_phandle = 0;
+		//Clear the existing target classes
+		clear_target_classes();
+	}
+}
+
 bool pdbg_targets_init(void *fdt)
 {
 	struct pdbg_dtb *dtb;
diff --git a/libpdbg/dtb.c b/libpdbg/dtb.c
index 2b084f74a..20de9a10e 100644
--- a/libpdbg/dtb.c
+++ b/libpdbg/dtb.c
@@ -412,8 +412,16 @@ static void mmap_dtb(const char *file, bool readonly, struct pdbg_mfile *mfile)
 
 bool pdbg_set_backend(enum pdbg_backend backend, const char *backend_option)
 {
-	if (pdbg_target_root()) {
-		pdbg_log(PDBG_ERROR, "pdbg_set_backend() must be called before pdbg_targets_init()\n");
+	if (pdbg_target_root()) 
+	{
+		pdbg_log(PDBG_ERROR, "pdbg_set_backend() must be called before pdbg_targets_init() or 
+					after calling pdbg_release_dt_root() if a dev tree is already set\n");
+		return false;
+	}
+
+	if (pdbg_backend == backend)
+	{
+		pdbg_log(PDBG_ERROR, "New backend is same as the current backend. Not proceeding further\n");
 		return false;
 	}
 
diff --git a/libpdbg/libpdbg.h b/libpdbg/libpdbg.h
index 252b1b162..59d39ed58 100644
--- a/libpdbg/libpdbg.h
+++ b/libpdbg/libpdbg.h
@@ -1452,6 +1452,18 @@ void pdbg_log(int loglevel, const char *fmt, ...);
  */
 bool pdbg_context_short(void);
 
+/**
+ * @brief Clears/Releases the existing device tree and it's root node
+ * 
+ * This function needs to be called if for some very good reason we are
+ * switching the backend in the same process. It clears/releases the 
+ * existing dev tree (if any) children by children along with the root node.
+ * 
+ * Call this function before ##pdbg_set_backend() if there is a
+ * dev tree already is in place and we are switching the backend
+ */
+void pdbg_release_dt_root();
+
 #ifdef __cplusplus
 }
 #endif
diff --git a/libpdbg/target.c b/libpdbg/target.c
index a6935b1d5..1599392c7 100644
--- a/libpdbg/target.c
+++ b/libpdbg/target.c
@@ -638,3 +638,16 @@ struct pdbg_target *target_to_virtual(struct pdbg_target *target, bool strict)
 
 	return target;
 }
+
+void clear_target_classes()
+{
+	struct pdbg_target_class *child = NULL;
+	struct pdbg_target_class *next = NULL;
+	list_for_each_safe(&target_classes, child, next, class_head_link)
+	{
+		list_del_from(&target_classes, &child->class_head_link);
+		if (child)
+			free(child);
+		child = NULL;
+	}
+}
diff --git a/libpdbg/target.h b/libpdbg/target.h
index 5cc694c2a..ff274e3a3 100644
--- a/libpdbg/target.h
+++ b/libpdbg/target.h
@@ -83,6 +83,17 @@ struct pdbg_target_class *require_target_class(const char *name);
 struct pdbg_target_class *get_target_class(struct pdbg_target *target);
 bool pdbg_target_is_class(struct pdbg_target *target, const char *class);
 
+/**
+ * @brief Clears the list of target classes
+ * 		  It clears the list of target classes
+ * 		  from the global static list target_classes
+ * 		  once the device tree is cleared and associated
+ * 		  all pdbg_target objects are destroyed
+ * 
+ * @see   pdbg_release_dt_root() for more details
+ */
+void clear_target_classes();
+
 extern struct list_head empty_list;
 extern struct list_head target_classes;