diff --git a/src/db/db/dbAsIfFlatRegion.cc b/src/db/db/dbAsIfFlatRegion.cc
index f2fa65d1b..7129440a2 100644
--- a/src/db/db/dbAsIfFlatRegion.cc
+++ b/src/db/db/dbAsIfFlatRegion.cc
@@ -167,22 +167,6 @@ AsIfFlatRegion::in (const Region &other, bool invert) const
   return new_region.release ();
 }
 
-size_t
-AsIfFlatRegion::count () const
-{
-  size_t n = 0;
-  for (RegionIterator p (begin ()); ! p.at_end (); ++p) {
-    ++n;
-  }
-  return n;
-}
-
-size_t
-AsIfFlatRegion::hier_count () const
-{
-  return count ();
-}
-
 bool
 AsIfFlatRegion::is_box () const
 {
diff --git a/src/db/db/dbAsIfFlatRegion.h b/src/db/db/dbAsIfFlatRegion.h
index d2b8ff9e3..e7b54659b 100644
--- a/src/db/db/dbAsIfFlatRegion.h
+++ b/src/db/db/dbAsIfFlatRegion.h
@@ -47,8 +47,6 @@ public:
   virtual ~AsIfFlatRegion ();
 
   virtual bool is_box () const;
-  virtual size_t count () const;
-  virtual size_t hier_count () const;
 
   virtual area_type area (const db::Box &box) const;
   virtual perimeter_type perimeter (const db::Box &box) const;
diff --git a/src/db/db/dbOriginalLayerRegion.cc b/src/db/db/dbOriginalLayerRegion.cc
index 57b2a4380..24cac3333 100644
--- a/src/db/db/dbOriginalLayerRegion.cc
+++ b/src/db/db/dbOriginalLayerRegion.cc
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@
 #include "dbDeepEdges.h"
 #include "dbDeepRegion.h"
 #include "dbDeepShapeStore.h"
+#include "dbCellGraphUtils.h"
 #include "tlGlobPattern.h"
 
 namespace db
@@ -186,6 +187,78 @@ OriginalLayerRegion::min_coherence_changed ()
   m_merged_polygons_valid = false;
 }
 
+size_t
+OriginalLayerRegion::count () const
+{
+  if (m_iter.has_complex_region () || m_iter.region () != db::Box::world ()) {
+
+    //  complex case with a search region - use the iterator to determine the count (expensive)
+    size_t n = 0;
+    for (db::RecursiveShapeIterator i = m_iter; ! i.at_end (); ++i) {
+      ++n;
+    }
+
+    return n;
+
+  } else {
+
+    //  otherwise we can utilize the CellCounter
+
+    size_t n = 0;
+
+    const db::Layout &layout = *m_iter.layout ();
+
+    std::set<db::cell_index_type> cells;
+    m_iter.top_cell ()->collect_called_cells (cells);
+
+    db::CellCounter cc (&layout);
+    for (db::Layout::top_down_const_iterator c = layout.begin_top_down (); c != layout.end_top_down (); ++c) {
+      if (cells.find (*c) == cells.end ()) {
+        continue;
+      }
+      size_t nn = 0;
+      for (std::vector<unsigned int>::const_iterator l = m_iter.layers ().begin (); l != m_iter.layers ().end (); ++l) {
+        nn += layout.cell (*c).shapes (*l).size (m_iter.shape_flags ());
+      }
+      n += cc.weight (*c) * nn;
+    }
+
+    return n;
+
+  }
+}
+
+size_t
+OriginalLayerRegion::hier_count () const
+{
+  if (m_iter.has_complex_region () || m_iter.region () != db::Box::world ()) {
+
+    //  TODO: how to establish a "hierarchical" interpretation in this case?
+    return count ();
+
+  } else {
+
+    size_t n = 0;
+
+    const db::Layout &layout = *m_iter.layout ();
+
+    std::set<db::cell_index_type> cells;
+    m_iter.top_cell ()->collect_called_cells (cells);
+
+    for (db::Layout::top_down_const_iterator c = layout.begin_top_down (); c != layout.end_top_down (); ++c) {
+      if (cells.find (*c) == cells.end ()) {
+        continue;
+      }
+      for (std::vector<unsigned int>::const_iterator l = m_iter.layers ().begin (); l != m_iter.layers ().end (); ++l) {
+        n += layout.cell (*c).shapes (*l).size (m_iter.shape_flags ());
+      }
+    }
+
+    return n;
+
+  }
+}
+
 RegionIteratorDelegate *
 OriginalLayerRegion::begin () const
 {
diff --git a/src/db/db/dbOriginalLayerRegion.h b/src/db/db/dbOriginalLayerRegion.h
index 23af03bc9..1ea81d966 100644
--- a/src/db/db/dbOriginalLayerRegion.h
+++ b/src/db/db/dbOriginalLayerRegion.h
@@ -58,6 +58,8 @@ public:
   virtual bool empty () const;
 
   virtual bool is_merged () const;
+  virtual size_t count () const;
+  virtual size_t hier_count () const;
 
   virtual const db::Polygon *nth (size_t n) const;
   virtual bool has_valid_polygons () const;
diff --git a/src/db/db/dbShapes.h b/src/db/db/dbShapes.h
index 0fba8e9d8..41b05af42 100644
--- a/src/db/db/dbShapes.h
+++ b/src/db/db/dbShapes.h
@@ -1250,6 +1250,20 @@ public:
     return n;
   }
 
+  /**
+   *  @brief Report the number of shapes stored for a given type mask
+   */
+  size_t size (unsigned int flags) const
+  {
+    size_t n = 0;
+    for (tl::vector<LayerBase *>::const_iterator l = m_layers.begin (); l != m_layers.end (); ++l) {
+      if ((flags & (*l)->type_mask ()) != 0) {
+        n += (*l)->size ();
+      }
+    }
+    return n;
+  }
+
   /**
    *  @brief Report the shape count for a certain type
    */