diff --git a/src/lay/lay/layMainWindow.cc b/src/lay/lay/layMainWindow.cc
index c97f0def7..b886acfc8 100644
--- a/src/lay/lay/layMainWindow.cc
+++ b/src/lay/lay/layMainWindow.cc
@@ -2025,44 +2025,47 @@ MainWindow::cm_load_layer_props ()
   if (current_view ()) {
     std::string fn;
     if (mp_lprops_fdia->get_open (fn, tl::to_string (QObject::tr ("Load Layer Properties File")))) {
-
-      int target_cv_index = -2;
-
-      if (current_view ()->cellviews () > 1 && is_single_cv_layer_properties_file (fn)) {
-
-        QStringList items;
-        items << QString (QObject::tr ("Take it as it is"));
-        items << QString (QObject::tr ("Apply to all layouts"));
-        for (unsigned int i = 0; i < current_view ()->cellviews (); ++i) {
-          items << QString (tl::to_qstring (tl::to_string (QObject::tr ("Apply to ")) + current_view ()->cellview (i)->name () + " (@" + tl::to_string (i + 1) + ")"));
-        }
-
-        bool ok;
-        QString item = QInputDialog::getItem(this, QObject::tr ("Apply Layer Properties File"),
-                                                   QObject::tr ("There are multiple layouts in that panel but the layer properties file contains properties for a single one.\nWhat should be done?"),
-                                                   items, 1, false, &ok);
-        if (!ok || item.isEmpty()) {
-          return;
-        }
-
-        target_cv_index = items.indexOf (item) - 2;
-
-      }
-
-      if (target_cv_index > -2) {
-        load_layer_properties (fn, target_cv_index, false /*current view only*/, false /*don't add default*/);
-      } else {
-        load_layer_properties (fn, false /*current view only*/, false /*don't add default*/);
-      }
-
+      load_layer_props_from_file (fn);
       add_to_other_mru (fn, cfg_mru_layer_properties);
-
     }
   } else {
     throw tl::Exception (tl::to_string (QObject::tr ("No view open to load the layer properties for")));
   }
 }
 
+void
+MainWindow::load_layer_props_from_file (const std::string &fn)
+{
+  int target_cv_index = -2;
+
+  if (current_view ()->cellviews () > 1 && is_single_cv_layer_properties_file (fn)) {
+
+    QStringList items;
+    items << QString (QObject::tr ("Take it as it is"));
+    items << QString (QObject::tr ("Apply to all layouts"));
+    for (unsigned int i = 0; i < current_view ()->cellviews (); ++i) {
+      items << QString (tl::to_qstring (tl::to_string (QObject::tr ("Apply to ")) + current_view ()->cellview (i)->name () + " (@" + tl::to_string (i + 1) + ")"));
+    }
+
+    bool ok;
+    QString item = QInputDialog::getItem(this, QObject::tr ("Apply Layer Properties File"),
+                                               QObject::tr ("There are multiple layouts in that panel but the layer properties file contains properties for a single one.\nWhat should be done?"),
+                                               items, 1, false, &ok);
+    if (!ok || item.isEmpty()) {
+      return;
+    }
+
+    target_cv_index = items.indexOf (item) - 2;
+
+  }
+
+  if (target_cv_index > -2) {
+    load_layer_properties (fn, target_cv_index, false /*current view only*/, false /*don't add default*/);
+  } else {
+    load_layer_properties (fn, false /*current view only*/, false /*don't add default*/);
+  }
+}
+
 void
 MainWindow::save_session (const std::string &fn)
 {
@@ -3238,7 +3241,7 @@ MainWindow::open_recent_layer_properties (size_t n)
 
   if (n < m_mru_layer_properties.size ()) {
     std::string fn = m_mru_layer_properties [n];
-    load_layer_properties (fn, false /*current view only*/, false /*don't add default*/);
+    load_layer_props_from_file (fn);
     add_to_other_mru (fn, cfg_mru_layer_properties);  //  make it the latest
   }
 
diff --git a/src/lay/lay/layMainWindow.h b/src/lay/lay/layMainWindow.h
index f9fe51611..cb2f2246d 100644
--- a/src/lay/lay/layMainWindow.h
+++ b/src/lay/lay/layMainWindow.h
@@ -805,6 +805,7 @@ private:
 
   int dirty_files (std::string &dirty_files);
 
+  void load_layer_props_from_file (const std::string &fn);
   void interactive_close_view (int index, bool all_cellviews);
   void call_on_current_view (void (lay::LayoutView::*func) (), const std::string &op_desc);
   void current_view_changed ();