diff --git a/internal/pkg/node/methods.go b/internal/pkg/node/methods.go
index ed9d6320..8f7ae7dc 100644
--- a/internal/pkg/node/methods.go
+++ b/internal/pkg/node/methods.go
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ package node
 
 import (
 	"fmt"
+	"reflect"
 	"regexp"
 	"strings"
 
@@ -347,3 +348,19 @@ func NewInfo() (nodeInfo NodeInfo) {
 	nodeInfo.NetDevs = make(map[string]*NetDevEntry)
 	return nodeInfo
 }
+
+/*
+Get a entry by its name
+*/
+func GetByName(node interface{}, name string) (string, error) {
+	valEntry := reflect.ValueOf(node)
+	entryField := valEntry.Elem().FieldByName(name)
+	if entryField == (reflect.Value{}) {
+		return "", fmt.Errorf("couldn't find field with name: %s", name)
+	}
+	if entryField.Type() != reflect.TypeOf(Entry{}) {
+		return "", fmt.Errorf("field %s is not of type node.Entry", name)
+	}
+	myEntry := entryField.Interface().(Entry)
+	return myEntry.Get(), nil
+}
diff --git a/internal/pkg/node/transformer_test.go b/internal/pkg/node/transformer_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..8742f2a3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/internal/pkg/node/transformer_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,37 @@
+package node
+
+import (
+	"reflect"
+	"testing"
+)
+
+func Test_nodeYaml_SetFrom(t *testing.T) {
+	c, _ := NewTestNode()
+	singleNodeConf := c.Nodes["test_node"]
+	singleNodeInfo := NewInfo()
+	singleNodeInfo.SetFrom(singleNodeConf)
+	tests := []struct {
+		name    string
+		arg     string
+		want    string
+		wantErr bool
+	}{
+		{"Right comment", "Comment", "Node Comment", false},
+		{"FieldName", "comment", "NodeComment", true},
+	}
+	for _, tt := range tests {
+		t.Run(tt.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			got, err := GetByName(&singleNodeInfo, tt.arg)
+			if (err != nil) != tt.wantErr {
+				t.Errorf("GetByName(%s,%s) error = %v, wantErr %v",
+					reflect.TypeOf(singleNodeConf), tt.arg, err, tt.wantErr)
+				return
+			}
+			if (got != tt.want) != tt.wantErr {
+				t.Errorf("GetByName(%s,%s) got = %v, want = %v",
+					reflect.TypeOf(singleNodeConf), tt.arg, got, tt.want)
+				return
+			}
+		})
+	}
+}
diff --git a/internal/pkg/node/transformers.go b/internal/pkg/node/transformers.go
index 18a1649a..177d7d49 100644
--- a/internal/pkg/node/transformers.go
+++ b/internal/pkg/node/transformers.go
@@ -72,7 +72,8 @@ func (nodeConf *NodeConf) getterFrom(nodeInfo NodeInfo,
 				for key, val := range entryMap {
 					confMap[key] = getter(val)
 				}
-			} else if nodeInfoVal.Field(i).Type().Kind() == reflect.Ptr {
+			} else if nodeInfoVal.Field(i).Type().Kind() == reflect.Ptr && !nodeInfoVal.Field(i).IsNil() {
+				// initialize the nested NodeConf structs, but only if these will be set
 				if confField.Addr().Elem().IsZero() {
 					switch confField.Addr().Elem().Type() {
 					case reflect.TypeOf((*KernelConf)(nil)):
@@ -341,6 +342,11 @@ func (node *NodeInfo) setterFrom(n *NodeConf, nameArg string,
 	if node.Ipmi == nil {
 		node.Ipmi = new(IpmiEntry)
 	}
+	// also n could be nil
+	if n == nil {
+		myn := NewConf()
+		n = &myn
+	}
 	nodeInfoVal := reflect.ValueOf(node)
 	nodeInfoType := reflect.TypeOf(node)
 	nodeConfVal := reflect.ValueOf(n)
@@ -509,6 +515,10 @@ Abstract function for setting a NetDevEntry from a NetDevs
 func (netDev *NetDevEntry) setterFrom(netYaml *NetDevs, nameArg string,
 	setter func(*Entry, string, string),
 	setterSlice func(*Entry, []string, string)) {
+	// check if netYaml is empty
+	if netYaml == nil {
+		netYaml = new(NetDevs)
+	}
 	netValues := reflect.ValueOf(netDev)
 	netInfoType := reflect.TypeOf(*netYaml)
 	netInfoVal := reflect.ValueOf(*netYaml)
diff --git a/internal/pkg/node/util_test.go b/internal/pkg/node/util_test.go
index fd8c8323..bdce3bf7 100644
--- a/internal/pkg/node/util_test.go
+++ b/internal/pkg/node/util_test.go
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ nodeprofiles:
     comment: This profile is automatically included for each node
 nodes:
   test_node:
+    comment: Node Comment
     profiles:
     - default
     network devices: