diff --git a/src/db/db/dbNetlistSpiceReader.cc b/src/db/db/dbNetlistSpiceReader.cc
index 73f7b41e2..978662e3e 100644
--- a/src/db/db/dbNetlistSpiceReader.cc
+++ b/src/db/db/dbNetlistSpiceReader.cc
@@ -480,8 +480,9 @@ SpiceCircuitDict::read (tl::InputStream &stream)
 
   } catch (tl::Exception &ex) {
 
-    //  Translate the exception and add a location
-    error (ex.msg ());
+    //  Add a location to the exception
+    std::string fmt_msg = ex.msg () + tl::sprintf (tl::to_string (tr (" in %s, line %d")), m_stream.source (), m_stream.line_number ());
+    throw tl::Exception (fmt_msg);
 
   }
 }
@@ -532,8 +533,7 @@ SpiceCircuitDict::at_end ()
 void
 SpiceCircuitDict::error (const std::string &msg)
 {
-  std::string fmt_msg = tl::sprintf ("%s in %s, line %d", msg, m_stream.source (), m_stream.line_number ());
-  throw tl::Exception (fmt_msg);
+  throw tl::Exception (msg);
 }
 
 void
@@ -785,12 +785,7 @@ SpiceNetlistBuilder::SpiceNetlistBuilder (SpiceCircuitDict *dict, Netlist *netli
 void
 SpiceNetlistBuilder::error (const std::string &msg)
 {
-  if (mp_current_card) {
-    std::string fmt_msg = tl::sprintf ("%s in %s, line %d", msg, mp_dict->file_path (mp_current_card->file_id), mp_current_card->line);
-    throw tl::Exception (fmt_msg);
-  } else {
-    throw tl::Exception (msg);
-  }
+  throw tl::Exception (msg);
 }
 
 void
@@ -853,8 +848,13 @@ SpiceNetlistBuilder::build ()
 
   } catch (tl::Exception &ex) {
 
-    //  translate the error and add a source location
-    error (ex.msg ());
+    //  add a source location to the exception
+    if (mp_current_card) {
+      std::string fmt_msg = ex.msg () + tl::sprintf (tl::to_string (tr (" in %s, line %d")), mp_dict->file_path (mp_current_card->file_id), mp_current_card->line);
+      throw tl::Exception (fmt_msg);
+    } else {
+      throw;
+    }
 
   }
 }
@@ -914,12 +914,6 @@ SpiceNetlistBuilder::build_circuit (const SpiceCachedCircuit *cc, const paramete
     return c;
   }
 
-  for (auto p = pv.begin (); p != pv.end (); ++p) {
-    if (cc->parameters ().find (p->first) == cc->parameters ().end ()) {
-      warn (tl::sprintf (tl::to_string (tr ("Not a known parameter for circuit '%s': '%s'")), cc->name (), p->first));
-    }
-  }
-
   c = new db::Circuit ();
   mp_netlist->add_circuit (c);
   if (pv.empty ()) {
@@ -1078,6 +1072,13 @@ SpiceNetlistBuilder::process_element (tl::Extractor &ex, const std::string &pref
         pins.resize (nn.size ());
         cc_nc->set_pins (pins);
       }
+    } else {
+      //  issue warnings on unknown parameters which are skipped otherwise
+      for (auto p = pv.begin (); p != pv.end (); ++p) {
+        if (cc->parameters ().find (p->first) == cc->parameters ().end ()) {
+          warn (tl::sprintf (tl::to_string (tr ("Not a known parameter for circuit '%s': '%s'")), cc->name (), p->first));
+        }
+      }
     }
 
     if (cc->pin_count () != nn.size ()) {
diff --git a/src/db/unit_tests/dbNetlistReaderTests.cc b/src/db/unit_tests/dbNetlistReaderTests.cc
index 6b8bfc4b2..c4934c252 100644
--- a/src/db/unit_tests/dbNetlistReaderTests.cc
+++ b/src/db/unit_tests/dbNetlistReaderTests.cc
@@ -656,20 +656,20 @@ TEST(17_RecursiveExpansion)
     "  subcircuit 'SUB2(L=0.15,M=2,W=1.5)' SUB2B (N1=N1,N2=N2,N3=N3);\n"
     "end;\n"
     "circuit 'SUB2(L=0.15,M=1,W=1.5)' (N1=N1,N2=N2,N3=N3);\n"
-    "  device NMOS NMOS (S=N1,G=N2,D=N3,B=N1) (L=150000,W=1500000,AS=0,AD=0,PS=0,PD=0);\n"
+    "  device NMOS NMOS (S=N3,G=N2,D=N1,B=N1) (L=150000,W=1500000,AS=0,AD=0,PS=0,PD=0);\n"
     "end;\n"
     "circuit 'SUB2(L=0.15,M=2,W=1.5)' (N1=N1,N2=N2,N3=N3);\n"
-    "  device NMOS NMOS (S=N1,G=N2,D=N3,B=N1) (L=150000,W=3000000,AS=0,AD=0,PS=0,PD=0);\n"
+    "  device NMOS NMOS (S=N3,G=N2,D=N1,B=N1) (L=150000,W=3000000,AS=0,AD=0,PS=0,PD=0);\n"
     "end;\n"
     "circuit 'SUB1(L=0.25,W=3)' (N1=N1,N2=N2,N3=N3);\n"
     "  subcircuit 'SUB2(L=0.25,M=1,W=3)' SUB2A (N1=N1,N2=N2,N3=N3);\n"
     "  subcircuit 'SUB2(L=0.25,M=2,W=3)' SUB2B (N1=N1,N2=N2,N3=N3);\n"
     "end;\n"
     "circuit 'SUB2(L=0.25,M=1,W=3)' (N1=N1,N2=N2,N3=N3);\n"
-    "  device NMOS NMOS (S=N1,G=N2,D=N3,B=N1) (L=250000,W=3000000,AS=0,AD=0,PS=0,PD=0);\n"
+    "  device NMOS NMOS (S=N3,G=N2,D=N1,B=N1) (L=250000,W=3000000,AS=0,AD=0,PS=0,PD=0);\n"
     "end;\n"
     "circuit 'SUB2(L=0.25,M=2,W=3)' (N1=N1,N2=N2,N3=N3);\n"
-    "  device NMOS NMOS (S=N1,G=N2,D=N3,B=N1) (L=250000,W=6000000,AS=0,AD=0,PS=0,PD=0);\n"
+    "  device NMOS NMOS (S=N3,G=N2,D=N1,B=N1) (L=250000,W=6000000,AS=0,AD=0,PS=0,PD=0);\n"
     "end;\n"
   );
 
@@ -704,16 +704,16 @@ TEST(18_XSchemOutput)
     "  subcircuit 'PMOS4_STANDARD(L=0.15U,NF=2,W=1.5U)' XDUMMY3 (D=VDD,G=VDD,S=VDD,B=VDD);\n"
     "end;\n"
     "circuit 'PMOS4_STANDARD(L=0.15U,NF=4,W=1.5U)' (D=D,G=G,S=S,B=B);\n"
-    "  device SKY130_FD_PR__PFET_01V8 M1 (S=D,G=G,D=S,B=B) (L=0.15,W=6,AS=0.32625,AD=0.2175,PS=2.685,PD=1.79);\n"
+    "  device SKY130_FD_PR__PFET_01V8 M1 (S=S,G=G,D=D,B=B) (L=0.15,W=6,AS=0.32625,AD=0.2175,PS=2.685,PD=1.79);\n"
     "end;\n"
     "circuit 'NMOS4_STANDARD(L=0.15U,NF=4,W=1.5U)' (D=D,G=G,S=S,B=B);\n"
-    "  device SKY130_FD_PR__NFET_01V8 M1 (S=D,G=G,D=S,B=B) (L=0.15,W=6,AS=0.32625,AD=0.2175,PS=2.685,PD=1.79);\n"
+    "  device SKY130_FD_PR__NFET_01V8 M1 (S=S,G=G,D=D,B=B) (L=0.15,W=6,AS=0.32625,AD=0.2175,PS=2.685,PD=1.79);\n"
     "end;\n"
     "circuit 'NMOS4_STANDARD(L=0.15U,NF=2,W=1.5U)' (D=D,G=G,S=S,B=B);\n"
-    "  device SKY130_FD_PR__NFET_01V8 M1 (S=D,G=G,D=S,B=B) (L=0.15,W=3,AS=0.435,AD=0.2175,PS=3.58,PD=1.79);\n"
+    "  device SKY130_FD_PR__NFET_01V8 M1 (S=S,G=G,D=D,B=B) (L=0.15,W=3,AS=0.435,AD=0.2175,PS=3.58,PD=1.79);\n"
     "end;\n"
     "circuit 'PMOS4_STANDARD(L=0.15U,NF=2,W=1.5U)' (D=D,G=G,S=S,B=B);\n"
-    "  device SKY130_FD_PR__PFET_01V8 M1 (S=D,G=G,D=S,B=B) (L=0.15,W=3,AS=0.435,AD=0.2175,PS=3.58,PD=1.79);\n"
+    "  device SKY130_FD_PR__PFET_01V8 M1 (S=S,G=G,D=D,B=B) (L=0.15,W=3,AS=0.435,AD=0.2175,PS=3.58,PD=1.79);\n"
     "end;\n"
   );
 }