diff --git a/design_dump.cc b/design_dump.cc
index 9f06d5643..88cf88bea 100644
--- a/design_dump.cc
+++ b/design_dump.cc
@@ -1053,7 +1053,11 @@ void NetAlloc::dump(ostream&o, unsigned ind) const
 void NetAssign_::dump_lval(ostream&o) const
 {
       if (sig_) o << sig_->name();
-      else if (nest_) nest_->dump_lval(o);
+      else if (nest_) {
+	    o << "(";
+	    nest_->dump_lval(o);
+	    o << ")";
+      }
       else o << "<?>";
 
       if (! member_.nil()) {
diff --git a/pform_dump.cc b/pform_dump.cc
index c0f329f86..26a079786 100644
--- a/pform_dump.cc
+++ b/pform_dump.cc
@@ -99,6 +99,10 @@ ostream& operator<< (ostream&out, const name_component_t&that)
 ostream& operator<< (ostream&o, const pform_name_t&that)
 {
       pform_name_t::const_iterator cur;
+      if (that.size() == 0) {
+	    o << "<nil>";
+	    return o;
+      }
 
       cur = that.begin();
       o << *cur;