diff --git a/src/laybasic/laybasic/layNetlistBrowserDialog.cc b/src/laybasic/laybasic/layNetlistBrowserDialog.cc
index 1bb06b7c0..111c16d63 100644
--- a/src/laybasic/laybasic/layNetlistBrowserDialog.cc
+++ b/src/laybasic/laybasic/layNetlistBrowserDialog.cc
@@ -772,10 +772,7 @@ NetlistBrowserDialog::update_content ()
   m_reload_action->setEnabled (l2ndb != 0);
 
   browser_page->enable_updates (false);  //  Avoid building the internal lists several times ...
-  if (browser_page->db () != l2ndb) {
-    db_changed = true;
-    browser_page->set_db (l2ndb);
-  }
+  db_changed = browser_page->set_db (l2ndb);
   browser_page->set_max_shape_count (m_max_shape_count);
   browser_page->set_highlight_style (m_marker_color, m_marker_line_width, m_marker_vertex_size, m_marker_halo, m_marker_dither_pattern, m_marker_intensity, m_use_original_colors, m_auto_color_enabled ? &m_auto_colors : 0);
   browser_page->set_window (m_window, m_window_dim);
diff --git a/src/laybasic/laybasic/layNetlistBrowserPage.cc b/src/laybasic/laybasic/layNetlistBrowserPage.cc
index ab7a020e8..c63bcade2 100644
--- a/src/laybasic/laybasic/layNetlistBrowserPage.cc
+++ b/src/laybasic/laybasic/layNetlistBrowserPage.cc
@@ -118,6 +118,7 @@ NetlistBrowserPage::NetlistBrowserPage (QWidget * /*parent*/)
     mp_view (0),
     m_cv_index (0),
     mp_plugin_root (0),
+    mp_last_db (0),
     m_history_ptr (0),
     m_signals_enabled (true),
     m_enable_updates (true),
@@ -606,7 +607,7 @@ NetlistBrowserPage::rerun_macro ()
 {
 BEGIN_PROTECTED
 
-  if (! mp_database->generator ().empty ()) {
+  if (mp_database.get () && ! mp_database->generator ().empty ()) {
 
     std::map<std::string, tl::Variant> add_pars;
 
@@ -764,12 +765,14 @@ NetlistBrowserPage::show_all (bool f)
   }
 }
 
-void
+bool
 NetlistBrowserPage::set_db (db::LayoutToNetlist *l2ndb)
 {
-  if (l2ndb == mp_database.get ()) {
+  //  NOTE: mp_last_db mirrors mp_database, but does not automatically fall back to 0 when the DB is deleted. This way we can call
+  //  set_db(0) with the correct behavior after the DB has been destroyed.
+  if (l2ndb == mp_last_db) {
     //  not change
-    return;
+    return false;
   }
 
   if (mp_info_dialog) {
@@ -779,6 +782,7 @@ NetlistBrowserPage::set_db (db::LayoutToNetlist *l2ndb)
 
   db::LayoutVsSchematic *lvsdb = dynamic_cast<db::LayoutVsSchematic *> (l2ndb);
   mp_database.reset (l2ndb);
+  mp_last_db = l2ndb;
 
   rerun_button->setEnabled (mp_database.get () && ! mp_database->generator ().empty ());
   if (rerun_button->isEnabled ()) {
@@ -807,6 +811,8 @@ NetlistBrowserPage::set_db (db::LayoutToNetlist *l2ndb)
   setup_trees ();
 
   selection_changed_event ();
+
+  return true;
 }
 
 void
diff --git a/src/laybasic/laybasic/layNetlistBrowserPage.h b/src/laybasic/laybasic/layNetlistBrowserPage.h
index c5194bc44..59475d788 100644
--- a/src/laybasic/laybasic/layNetlistBrowserPage.h
+++ b/src/laybasic/laybasic/layNetlistBrowserPage.h
@@ -91,7 +91,7 @@ public:
   /**
    *  @brief Attaches the page to a L2N DB
    */
-  void set_db (db::LayoutToNetlist *database);
+  bool set_db(db::LayoutToNetlist *database);
 
   /**
    *  @brief Gets the database the page is connected to
@@ -228,6 +228,7 @@ private:
   unsigned int m_cv_index;
   lay::Dispatcher *mp_plugin_root;
   tl::weak_ptr<db::LayoutToNetlist> mp_database;
+  db::LayoutToNetlist *mp_last_db;
   std::vector<QModelIndex> m_history;
   size_t m_history_ptr;
   bool m_signals_enabled;