diff --git a/src/rdb/rdb/rdbUtils.cc b/src/rdb/rdb/rdbUtils.cc
index 059de3d5f..bd905d100 100644
--- a/src/rdb/rdb/rdbUtils.cc
+++ b/src/rdb/rdb/rdbUtils.cc
@@ -103,10 +103,17 @@ public:
 
   virtual void begin (const db::RecursiveShapeIterator *iter)
   {
-    m_cell_stack.clear ();
-
     db::cell_index_type ci = iter->top_cell ()->cell_index ();
     const rdb::Cell *rdb_cell = cell_for_id (iter->layout (), ci);
+
+    if (! m_cell_stack.empty () && rdb_cell != m_cell_stack.front () && (rdb_cell->references ().begin () == rdb_cell->references ().end ())) {
+      //  If the actual top cell is not the one specified, add a dummy reference so we find the real top cell under
+      //  the given one.
+      //  TODO: get rid of the const_cast
+      (const_cast<rdb::Cell *> (rdb_cell))->references ().insert (rdb::Reference (db::DCplxTrans (), m_cell_stack.front ()->id ()));
+    }
+
+    m_cell_stack.clear ();
     m_cell_stack.push_back (rdb_cell);
     m_id_to_cell.insert (std::make_pair (ci, rdb_cell));
   }
diff --git a/testdata/ruby/rdbTest.rb b/testdata/ruby/rdbTest.rb
index 4ecc4de36..3f436162e 100644
--- a/testdata/ruby/rdbTest.rb
+++ b/testdata/ruby/rdbTest.rb
@@ -789,6 +789,30 @@ class RDB_TestClass < TestBase
     rdb.each_cell { |c| cn << c.to_s_items }
     assert_equal(cn.join(";"), "c1[polygon: (0,0.001;0,0.03;0.02,0.03;0.02,0.001),polygon: (0.01,0.021;0.01,0.051;0.031,0.051;0.031,0.021),polygon: (0.021,0.042;0.021,0.073;0.043,0.073;0.043,0.042)]")
 
+    rdb = RBA::ReportDatabase.new("neu")
+    cat = rdb.create_category("l1")
+    r = RBA::Region::new(c1.begin_shapes_rec(l1))
+    cat.scan_region(rdb.create_cell("TOP"), RBA::CplxTrans::new(0.001), r)  # hierarchical scan
+    assert_equal(cat.num_items, 3)
+    cn = []
+    rdb.each_cell { |c| cn << c.to_s_test }
+    assert_equal(cn.join(";"), "TOP[];c1[TOP->r0 *1 0,0];c2[c1->r0 *1 0.01,0.02];c3[c1->r0 *1 0.021,0.041]")
+    cn = []
+    rdb.each_cell { |c| cn << c.to_s_items }
+    assert_equal(cn.join(";"), "TOP[];c1[polygon: (0,0.001;0,0.03;0.02,0.03;0.02,0.001)];c2[polygon: (0,0.001;0,0.031;0.021,0.031;0.021,0.001)];c3[polygon: (0,0.001;0,0.032;0.022,0.032;0.022,0.001)]")
+
+    rdb = RBA::ReportDatabase.new("neu")
+    cat = rdb.create_category("l1")
+    r = RBA::Region::new(c1.begin_shapes_rec(l1))
+    cat.scan_region(rdb.create_cell("TOP"), RBA::CplxTrans::new(0.001), r, true)  # flat scan
+    assert_equal(cat.num_items, 3)
+    cn = []
+    rdb.each_cell { |c| cn << c.to_s_test }
+    assert_equal(cn.join(";"), "TOP[]")
+    cn = []
+    rdb.each_cell { |c| cn << c.to_s_items }
+    assert_equal(cn.join(";"), "TOP[polygon: (0,0.001;0,0.03;0.02,0.03;0.02,0.001),polygon: (0.01,0.021;0.01,0.051;0.031,0.051;0.031,0.021),polygon: (0.021,0.042;0.021,0.073;0.043,0.073;0.043,0.042)]")
+
   end
 
   # shape insertion from shape, shapes, recursive iterator