diff --git a/src/plugins/streamers/lefdef/db_plugin/dbLEFImporter.cc b/src/plugins/streamers/lefdef/db_plugin/dbLEFImporter.cc
index 7bf3c307a..694114034 100644
--- a/src/plugins/streamers/lefdef/db_plugin/dbLEFImporter.cc
+++ b/src/plugins/streamers/lefdef/db_plugin/dbLEFImporter.cc
@@ -361,6 +361,13 @@ LEFImporter::read_geometries (db::Layout &layout, db::Cell &cell, LayerPurpose p
 
       expect (";");
 
+    } else if (test ("PROPERTY")) {
+
+      //  skip properties
+      while (! at_end () && ! test (";")) {
+        take ();
+      }
+
     } else {
       //  stop at unknown token
       break;
@@ -405,7 +412,7 @@ LEFImporter::read_nondefaultrule (db::Layout & /*layout*/)
       }
 
     } else {
-      while (! test (";")) {
+      while (! at_end () && ! test (";")) {
         take ();
       }
     }
diff --git a/src/plugins/streamers/lefdef/unit_tests/dbLEFDEFImportTests.cc b/src/plugins/streamers/lefdef/unit_tests/dbLEFDEFImportTests.cc
index a2de90a2a..2d1f235f6 100644
--- a/src/plugins/streamers/lefdef/unit_tests/dbLEFDEFImportTests.cc
+++ b/src/plugins/streamers/lefdef/unit_tests/dbLEFDEFImportTests.cc
@@ -389,3 +389,9 @@ TEST(111_mapfile)
 
   run_test (_this, "mapfile", "read:in.def", "au.oas.gz", options, false);
 }
+
+TEST(112_via_properties)
+{
+  run_test (_this, "via_properties", "lef:in.lef", "au.oas.gz", default_options (), false);
+}
+
diff --git a/testdata/lefdef/via_properties/au.oas.gz b/testdata/lefdef/via_properties/au.oas.gz
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..d6551998c
Binary files /dev/null and b/testdata/lefdef/via_properties/au.oas.gz differ
diff --git a/testdata/lefdef/via_properties/in.lef b/testdata/lefdef/via_properties/in.lef
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..3bc3ed774
--- /dev/null
+++ b/testdata/lefdef/via_properties/in.lef
@@ -0,0 +1,33 @@
+VERSION 5.6 ;
+
+UNITS
+DATABASE MICRONS 2000 ;
+END UNITS
+
+PROPERTYDEFINITIONS
+VIA OR_DEFAULT STRING ;
+END PROPERTYDEFINITIONS
+
+LAYER metal1
+TYPE ROUTING ;
+END metal1
+
+LAYER via1
+TYPE CUT ;
+END via1
+
+LAYER metal2
+TYPE ROUTING ;
+END metal2
+
+VIA via1_4 DEFAULT
+LAYER via1 ;
+RECT -0.035 -0.035 0.035 0.035 ;
+LAYER metal1 ;
+RECT -0.035 -0.07 0.035 0.07 ;
+LAYER metal2 ;
+RECT -0.035 -0.07 0.035 0.07 ;
+PROPERTY OR_DEFAULT Y ;
+END via1_4
+
+END LIBRARY