diff --git a/src/db/db/gsiDeclDbNetlist.cc b/src/db/db/gsiDeclDbNetlist.cc
index a44ae71d2..67954efcd 100644
--- a/src/db/db/gsiDeclDbNetlist.cc
+++ b/src/db/db/gsiDeclDbNetlist.cc
@@ -65,6 +65,10 @@ Class<db::Device> decl_dbDevice ("db", "Device",
   gsi::method ("device_class", &db::Device::device_class,
     "@brief Gets the device class the device belongs to.\n"
   ) +
+  gsi::method ("device_abstract", &db::Device::device_abstract,
+    "@brief Gets the device abstract for this device instance.\n"
+    "See \\DeviceAbstract for more details.\n"
+  ) +
   gsi::method ("circuit", (db::Circuit *(db::Device::*) ()) &db::Device::circuit,
     "@brief Gets the circuit the device lives in."
   ) +
@@ -134,12 +138,13 @@ Class<db::Device> decl_dbDevice ("db", "Device",
   "This class has been added in version 0.26."
 );
 
-#if 0
-//  TODO: activate once the geometry API is opened (clusters at al.)
 Class<db::DeviceAbstract> decl_dbDeviceAbstract ("db", "DeviceAbstract",
   gsi::method ("netlist", (db::Netlist *(db::DeviceAbstract::*) ()) &db::DeviceAbstract::netlist,
     "@brief Gets the netlist the device abstract lives in."
   ) +
+  gsi::method ("device_class", &db::DeviceAbstract::device_class,
+    "@brief Gets the device class of the device."
+  ) +
   gsi::method ("name=", &db::DeviceAbstract::set_name, gsi::arg ("name"),
     "@brief Sets the name of the device abstract.\n"
     "Device names are used to name a device abstract inside a netlist file. "
@@ -162,7 +167,6 @@ Class<db::DeviceAbstract> decl_dbDeviceAbstract ("db", "DeviceAbstract",
   "\n"
   "This class has been added in version 0.26."
 );
-#endif
 
 static void subcircuit_connect_pin1 (db::SubCircuit *subcircuit, const db::Pin *pin, db::Net *net)
 {
diff --git a/testdata/ruby/dbRegionTest.rb b/testdata/ruby/dbRegionTest.rb
index b073b857f..37519e7dd 100644
--- a/testdata/ruby/dbRegionTest.rb
+++ b/testdata/ruby/dbRegionTest.rb
@@ -778,6 +778,13 @@ class DBRegion_TestClass < TestBase
     dss = RBA::DeepShapeStore::new
     dss._create
     assert_equal(RBA::DeepShapeStore::instance_count, 1)
+    # do a little testing on the DSS:
+    dss.max_vertex_count = 8
+    assert_equal(dss.max_vertex_count, 8)
+    dss.max_area_ratio = 42.0
+    assert_equal(dss.max_area_ratio, 42.0)
+    dss.threads = 3
+    assert_equal(dss.threads, 3)
     dss = nil
     GC.start
     assert_equal(RBA::DeepShapeStore::instance_count, 0)