diff --git a/src/db/db/dbHierarchyBuilder.cc b/src/db/db/dbHierarchyBuilder.cc
index 66fbc8a41..838e93243 100644
--- a/src/db/db/dbHierarchyBuilder.cc
+++ b/src/db/db/dbHierarchyBuilder.cc
@@ -534,9 +534,12 @@ ClippingHierarchyBuilderShapeReceiver::insert_clipped (const db::Box &box, const
 
   if (complex_region) {
     for (db::RecursiveShapeReceiver::box_tree_type::overlapping_iterator cr = complex_region->begin_overlapping (bb, db::box_convert<db::Box> ()); ! cr.at_end (); ++cr) {
-      mp_pipe->push (*cr & bb, trans, world, 0, target);
+      db::Box bc = *cr & bb;
+      if (! bc.empty ()) {
+        mp_pipe->push (bc, trans, world, 0, target);
+      }
     }
-  } else {
+  } else if (! bb.empty ()) {
     mp_pipe->push (bb, trans, world, 0, target);
   }
 }
diff --git a/src/drc/drc/built-in-macros/_drc_engine.rb b/src/drc/drc/built-in-macros/_drc_engine.rb
index 5b60a23e5..69bf9f69a 100644
--- a/src/drc/drc/built-in-macros/_drc_engine.rb
+++ b/src/drc/drc/built-in-macros/_drc_engine.rb
@@ -2536,8 +2536,12 @@ CODE
         end
         
         # clip if a box is specified
-        if box && clip && (cls == RBA::Region || cls == RBA::Edge)
-          r &= RBA::Region::new(box)
+        # TODO: the whole clip thing could be a part of the Region constructor
+        if cls == RBA::Region && clip && box
+          # HACK: deep regions will always clip in the constructor, so skip this
+          if ! @deep 
+            r &= RBA::Region::new(box)
+          end
         end
       
       end
diff --git a/testdata/drc/drcSimpleTests_au32d.gds b/testdata/drc/drcSimpleTests_au32d.gds
index 414bb2ff4..c899c06e9 100644
Binary files a/testdata/drc/drcSimpleTests_au32d.gds and b/testdata/drc/drcSimpleTests_au32d.gds differ