diff --git a/slurmutils/models/model.py b/slurmutils/models/model.py
index 709075d..53684b4 100644
--- a/slurmutils/models/model.py
+++ b/slurmutils/models/model.py
@@ -90,7 +90,7 @@ def __init__(self, validator=None, /, **kwargs) -> None:
                 raise ModelError(
                     (
                         f"unrecognized argument {k}. "
-                        + f"valid arguments are {[opt.name for opt in validator]}"
+                        + f"valid arguments are {list(validator.keys())}"
                     )
                 )
 
@@ -114,3 +114,7 @@ def dict(self) -> Dict[str, Any]:
     def json(self) -> str:
         """Return model as json object."""
         return json.dumps(self.dict())
+
+    def update(self, other) -> None:
+        """Update current data model content with content of other data model."""
+        self.data.update(other.data)
diff --git a/slurmutils/models/slurm.py b/slurmutils/models/slurm.py
index 62fe312..52f6753 100644
--- a/slurmutils/models/slurm.py
+++ b/slurmutils/models/slurm.py
@@ -310,6 +310,20 @@ def partitions(self):
         """Delete entire partition mapping in the Slurm configuration."""
         self.data["Partitions"] = {}
 
+    def update(self, other: "SlurmConfig") -> None:
+        """Update the fields of this model with the fields of another model."""
+        for config, value in other.dict().items():
+            if config in ["Nodes", "FrontendNodes", "NodeSets", "Partitions"]:
+                for k, v in value.items():
+                    data = self.data[config].get(k, {})
+                    data.update(v)
+                    self.data[config][k] = data
+                continue
+            if config == "DownNodes":
+                self.data["DownNodes"] = self.data["DownNodes"] + value
+                continue
+            self.data.update({config: value})
+
 
 for opt in NodeOptionSet.keys():
     setattr(Node, format_key(opt), property(*generate_descriptors(opt)))
diff --git a/tests/unit/editors/test_slurmconfig.py b/tests/unit/editors/test_slurmconfig.py
index af89008..86abe5c 100644
--- a/tests/unit/editors/test_slurmconfig.py
+++ b/tests/unit/editors/test_slurmconfig.py
@@ -236,5 +236,148 @@ def test_edit(self) -> None:
             for partition in new_partitions:
                 config.partitions.update(partition.dict())
 
+    def test_update(self):
+        """Test `update` method of the slurmconfig module."""
+        config_updates = {
+            "KillWait": 10,
+            "PluginDir": "/var/snap/slurm/usr/local/lib:/var/snap/slurm/usr/local/slurm/lib",
+            "ReturnToService": 0,
+            "SchedulerType": "sched/builtin",
+            "SwitchType": "switch/hpe_slingshot",
+            "WaitTime": 30,
+            "Nodes": {
+                "juju-c9fc6f-2": {
+                    "NodeAddr": "10.152.28.98",
+                    "CPUs": "9",
+                    "RealMemory": "9000",
+                    "TmpDisk": "90000",
+                },
+                "juju-c9fc6f-6": {
+                    "NodeAddr": "10.152.28.52",
+                    "CPUs": "9",
+                    "RealMemory": "1000",
+                    "TmpDisk": "10000",
+                },
+                "juju-c9fc6f-7": {
+                    "NodeAddr": "10.152.28.53",
+                    "CPUs": "9",
+                    "RealMemory": "1000",
+                    "TmpDisk": "10000",
+                },
+            },
+            "DownNodes": [
+                {
+                    "DownNodes": ["juju-c9fc6f-6", "juju-c9fc6f-7"],
+                    "State": "DOWN",
+                    "Reason": "New nodes",
+                }
+            ],
+            "Partitions": {
+                "DEFAULT": {
+                    "MaxTime": "10",
+                    "MaxNodes": "5",
+                    "State": "UP",
+                },
+                "new_batch": {
+                    "Nodes": ["juju-c9fc6f-6", "juju-c9fc6f-7"],
+                    "MinNodes": "1",
+                    "MaxTime": "120",
+                    "AllowGroups": "admin",
+                },
+            },
+        }
+
+        config = slurmconfig.loads(example_slurm_conf)
+        updates = slurmconfig.SlurmConfig.from_dict(config_updates)
+        config.update(updates)
+
+        self.assertEqual(config.kill_wait, 10)
+        self.assertEqual(
+            config.plugin_dir,
+            "/var/snap/slurm/usr/local/lib:/var/snap/slurm/usr/local/slurm/lib",
+        )
+        self.assertEqual(config.scheduler_type, "sched/builtin")
+        self.assertEqual(config.switch_type, "switch/hpe_slingshot")
+        self.assertEqual(config.wait_time, 30)
+
+        self.assertDictEqual(
+            config.nodes,
+            {
+                "juju-c9fc6f-2": {
+                    "NodeAddr": "10.152.28.98",
+                    "CPUs": "9",
+                    "RealMemory": "9000",
+                    "TmpDisk": "90000",
+                },
+                "juju-c9fc6f-3": {
+                    "NodeAddr": "10.152.28.49",
+                    "CPUs": "1",
+                    "RealMemory": "1000",
+                    "TmpDisk": "10000",
+                },
+                "juju-c9fc6f-4": {
+                    "NodeAddr": "10.152.28.50",
+                    "CPUs": "1",
+                    "RealMemory": "1000",
+                    "TmpDisk": "10000",
+                },
+                "juju-c9fc6f-5": {
+                    "NodeAddr": "10.152.28.51",
+                    "CPUs": "1",
+                    "RealMemory": "1000",
+                    "TmpDisk": "10000",
+                },
+                "juju-c9fc6f-6": {
+                    "NodeAddr": "10.152.28.52",
+                    "CPUs": "9",
+                    "RealMemory": "1000",
+                    "TmpDisk": "10000",
+                },
+                "juju-c9fc6f-7": {
+                    "NodeAddr": "10.152.28.53",
+                    "CPUs": "9",
+                    "RealMemory": "1000",
+                    "TmpDisk": "10000",
+                },
+            },
+        )
+        self.assertListEqual(
+            config.down_nodes,
+            [
+                {
+                    "DownNodes": ["juju-c9fc6f-5"],
+                    "State": "DOWN",
+                    "Reason": "Maintenance Mode",
+                },
+                {
+                    "DownNodes": ["juju-c9fc6f-6", "juju-c9fc6f-7"],
+                    "State": "DOWN",
+                    "Reason": "New nodes",
+                },
+            ],
+        )
+        self.assertDictEqual(
+            config.partitions,
+            {
+                "DEFAULT": {
+                    "MaxTime": "10",
+                    "MaxNodes": "5",
+                    "State": "UP",
+                },
+                "batch": {
+                    "Nodes": ["juju-c9fc6f-2", "juju-c9fc6f-3", "juju-c9fc6f-4", "juju-c9fc6f-5"],
+                    "MinNodes": "4",
+                    "MaxTime": "120",
+                    "AllowGroups": ["admin"],
+                },
+                "new_batch": {
+                    "Nodes": ["juju-c9fc6f-6", "juju-c9fc6f-7"],
+                    "MinNodes": "1",
+                    "MaxTime": "120",
+                    "AllowGroups": "admin",
+                },
+            },
+        )
+
     def tearDown(self):
         Path("slurm.conf").unlink()