diff --git a/src/db/db/dbCell.cc b/src/db/db/dbCell.cc
index 346f3d8ab..906752112 100644
--- a/src/db/db/dbCell.cc
+++ b/src/db/db/dbCell.cc
@@ -487,6 +487,41 @@ Cell::hierarchy_levels () const
   return m_hier_levels;
 }
 
+static bool
+has_shapes_touching_impl (const db::Cell &cell, unsigned int layer, const db::Box &box)
+{
+  if (! cell.shapes (layer).begin_touching (box, db::ShapeIterator::All).at_end ()) {
+    return true;
+  }
+
+  for (db::Cell::touching_iterator i = cell.begin_touching (box); ! i.at_end (); ++i) {
+
+    for (db::CellInstArray::iterator ia = i->cell_inst ().begin_touching (box, db::box_convert<db::CellInst> (*cell.layout (), layer)); ! ia.at_end (); ++ia) {
+
+      db::Box cbox;
+      if (i->is_complex ()) {
+        cbox = i->complex_trans (*ia).inverted () * box;
+      } else {
+        cbox = (*ia).inverted () * box;
+      }
+
+      if (has_shapes_touching_impl (cell.layout ()->cell (i->cell_index ()), layer, cbox)) {
+        return true;
+      }
+
+    }
+
+  }
+
+  return false;
+}
+
+bool
+Cell::has_shapes_touching (unsigned int layer, const db::Box &box) const
+{
+  return has_shapes_touching_impl (*this, layer, box);
+}
+
 void 
 Cell::collect_caller_cells (std::set<cell_index_type> &callers) const
 {
diff --git a/src/db/db/dbCell.h b/src/db/db/dbCell.h
index b20803953..db7089b2a 100644
--- a/src/db/db/dbCell.h
+++ b/src/db/db/dbCell.h
@@ -721,6 +721,11 @@ public:
     return shapes (layer).begin_touching (box, flags, prop_sel, inv_prop_sel);
   }
 
+  /**
+   *  @brief A quick, recursive test whether the cell has shapes touching the given box on the given layer
+   */
+  bool has_shapes_touching (unsigned int layer, const db::Box &box) const;
+
   /**
    *  @brief Collect all calling cells (either calling this cell directly or indirectly)
    *
diff --git a/src/db/db/dbHierProcessor.cc b/src/db/db/dbHierProcessor.cc
index 3b589f420..1bb829fd8 100644
--- a/src/db/db/dbHierProcessor.cc
+++ b/src/db/db/dbHierProcessor.cc
@@ -1104,7 +1104,7 @@ printf("@@@  -> #%d\n", int(inst1->size()));
           db::Box ibox2 = tn2 * cell2.bbox (m_intruder_layer).enlarged (db::Vector (m_dist, m_dist));
 
           db::Box cbox = ibox1 & ibox2;
-          if (! cbox.empty () && ! db::RecursiveShapeIterator (*mp_subject_layout, cell1, m_subject_layer, safe_box_enlarged (tni1 * cbox, -1, -1), false).at_end ()) {
+          if (! cbox.empty () && cell1.has_shapes_touching (m_subject_layer, safe_box_enlarged (tni1 * cbox, -1, -1))) {
 
             db::ICplxTrans tn21 = tni1 * tn2;
 
@@ -1151,14 +1151,14 @@ printf("@@@  -> #%d\n", int(inst1->size()));
 
       const db::Cell &ic = mp_intruder_layout->cell (i->cell_index ());
 
-      for (db::CellInstArray::iterator ia = i->begin_touching (tbox2, mp_intruder_layout); ! ia.at_end (); ++ia) {
+      for (db::CellInstArray::iterator ia = i->cell_inst ().begin_touching (tbox2, db::box_convert<db::CellInst> (*mp_intruder_layout, m_intruder_layer)); ! ia.at_end (); ++ia) {
 
         db::ICplxTrans it = i->complex_trans (*ia);
 
         db::Box ibox2 = tni2.inverted () * it * ic.bbox (m_intruder_layer).enlarged (db::Vector (m_dist, m_dist));
         db::Box ccbox = cbox & ibox2;
 
-        if (! ccbox.empty () && ! db::RecursiveShapeIterator (*mp_subject_layout, subject_cell, m_subject_layer, safe_box_enlarged (tni1 * ccbox, -1, -1), false).at_end ()) {
+        if (! ccbox.empty ()) {
           collect_intruder_tree_interactions (subject_cell, ic, tni1, tn21 * it, ccbox, interactions);
         }
 
diff --git a/src/db/unit_tests/dbCellTests.cc b/src/db/unit_tests/dbCellTests.cc
index 448583d81..6578dea84 100644
--- a/src/db/unit_tests/dbCellTests.cc
+++ b/src/db/unit_tests/dbCellTests.cc
@@ -1014,3 +1014,49 @@ TEST(6)
 
 }
 
+TEST(10_HasShapesTouching)
+{
+  db::Layout ly;
+  unsigned int l1 = ly.insert_layer (db::LayerProperties (1, 0));
+
+  db::Cell &a = ly.cell (ly.add_cell ("A"));
+
+  EXPECT_EQ (a.has_shapes_touching (l1, db::Box ()), false);
+
+  a.shapes (l1).insert (db::Box (-100, -100, 0, 0));
+
+  EXPECT_EQ (a.has_shapes_touching (l1, db::Box ()), false);
+  EXPECT_EQ (a.has_shapes_touching (l1, db::Box (0, 0, 100, 100)), true);
+  EXPECT_EQ (a.has_shapes_touching (l1, db::Box (0, 1, 100, 100)), false);
+  EXPECT_EQ (a.has_shapes_touching (l1, db::Box (0, -1, 100, 100)), true);
+  EXPECT_EQ (a.has_shapes_touching (l1, db::Box (-1, -1, -1, -1)), true);
+  EXPECT_EQ (a.has_shapes_touching (l1, db::Box (1, 1, 1, 1)), false);
+}
+
+TEST(11_HasShapesTouchingWithHier)
+{
+  db::Layout ly;
+  unsigned int l1 = ly.insert_layer (db::LayerProperties (1, 0));
+  unsigned int l2 = ly.insert_layer (db::LayerProperties (2, 0));
+
+  db::Cell &a = ly.cell (ly.add_cell ("A"));
+  db::Cell &b = ly.cell (ly.add_cell ("B"));
+
+  a.insert (db::CellInstArray (b.cell_index (), db::Trans (db::Vector (100, 100)), db::Vector (0, 200), db::Vector (200, 0), 2, 2));
+
+  EXPECT_EQ (a.has_shapes_touching (l1, db::Box ()), false);
+  EXPECT_EQ (a.has_shapes_touching (l2, db::Box ()), false);
+
+  b.shapes (l1).insert (db::Box (0, 0, 10, 10));
+
+  EXPECT_EQ (a.has_shapes_touching (l1, db::Box ()), false);
+  EXPECT_EQ (a.has_shapes_touching (l1, db::Box (0, 0, 100, 100)), true);
+  EXPECT_EQ (a.has_shapes_touching (l2, db::Box (0, 0, 100, 100)), false);
+  EXPECT_EQ (a.has_shapes_touching (l1, db::Box (0, 0, 99, 100)), false);
+  EXPECT_EQ (a.has_shapes_touching (l1, db::Box (0, 0, 100, 99)), false);
+  EXPECT_EQ (a.has_shapes_touching (l1, db::Box (100, 100, 110, 110)), true);
+  EXPECT_EQ (a.has_shapes_touching (l1, db::Box (150, 150, 160, 160)), false);
+  EXPECT_EQ (a.has_shapes_touching (l1, db::Box (300, 300, 310, 310)), true);
+  EXPECT_EQ (a.has_shapes_touching (l1, db::Box (300, 100, 310, 110)), true);
+  EXPECT_EQ (a.has_shapes_touching (l1, db::Box (300, 400, 310, 410)), false);
+}