diff --git a/src/opnsense/mvc/app/models/OPNsense/Base/BaseModel.php b/src/opnsense/mvc/app/models/OPNsense/Base/BaseModel.php
index 7081fd509..52c573a62 100644
--- a/src/opnsense/mvc/app/models/OPNsense/Base/BaseModel.php
+++ b/src/opnsense/mvc/app/models/OPNsense/Base/BaseModel.php
@@ -259,6 +259,15 @@ abstract class BaseModel
         $this->internalData->$name = $value ;
     }
 
+    /**
+     * forward to root node's getFlatNodes
+     * @return array all children
+     */
+    public function getFlatNodes()
+    {
+        return $this->internalData->getFlatNodes();
+    }
+
     /**
      * get nodes as array structure
      * @return array
diff --git a/src/opnsense/mvc/app/models/OPNsense/Base/FieldTypes/BaseField.php b/src/opnsense/mvc/app/models/OPNsense/Base/FieldTypes/BaseField.php
index e53614595..4de090321 100644
--- a/src/opnsense/mvc/app/models/OPNsense/Base/FieldTypes/BaseField.php
+++ b/src/opnsense/mvc/app/models/OPNsense/Base/FieldTypes/BaseField.php
@@ -388,6 +388,27 @@ abstract class BaseField
         return $this->internalXMLTagName;
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Recursive method to flatten tree structure for easy validation, returns only leaf nodes.
+     * @return array named array with field type nodes, using the internal reference.
+     */
+    public function getFlatNodes()
+    {
+        $result = array ();
+        if (count($this->internalChildnodes) == 0) {
+            return array($this);
+        }
+
+        foreach ($this->__items as $node) {
+            foreach ($node->getFlatNodes() as $childNode) {
+                $result[$childNode->internalReference] = $childNode ;
+            }
+        }
+
+        return $result;
+    }
+
+
     /**
      * get nodes as array structure
      * @return array