diff --git a/src/db/db/dbOriginalLayerRegion.cc b/src/db/db/dbOriginalLayerRegion.cc
index cb5c02737..d87da0dca 100644
--- a/src/db/db/dbOriginalLayerRegion.cc
+++ b/src/db/db/dbOriginalLayerRegion.cc
@@ -153,7 +153,6 @@ OriginalLayerRegion::OriginalLayerRegion (const OriginalLayerRegion &other)
 OriginalLayerRegion::OriginalLayerRegion (const RecursiveShapeIterator &si, bool is_merged)
   : AsIfFlatRegion (), m_merged_polygons (false), m_iter (si)
 {
-  tl_assert (si.layout ());
   init ();
 
   m_is_merged = is_merged;
@@ -162,7 +161,6 @@ OriginalLayerRegion::OriginalLayerRegion (const RecursiveShapeIterator &si, bool
 OriginalLayerRegion::OriginalLayerRegion (const RecursiveShapeIterator &si, const db::ICplxTrans &trans, bool merged_semantics, bool is_merged)
   : AsIfFlatRegion (), m_merged_polygons (false), m_iter (si), m_iter_trans (trans)
 {
-  tl_assert (si.layout ());
   init ();
 
   m_is_merged = is_merged;
@@ -423,7 +421,10 @@ OriginalLayerRegion::insert_into (Layout *layout, db::cell_index_type into_cell,
 
   db::Shapes &sh = layout->cell (into_cell).shapes (into_layer);
 
-  db::PropertyMapper pm (*layout, *m_iter.layout ());
+  db::PropertyMapper pm;
+  if (m_iter.layout ()) {
+    pm = db::PropertyMapper (*layout, *m_iter.layout ());
+  }
 
   //  NOTE: if the source (r) is from the same layout than the shapes live in, we better
   //  lock the layout against updates while inserting
diff --git a/src/db/db/dbRegion.h b/src/db/db/dbRegion.h
index e891e4af5..d267b7707 100644
--- a/src/db/db/dbRegion.h
+++ b/src/db/db/dbRegion.h
@@ -1166,7 +1166,7 @@ public:
    *
    *  The first region delivered will be the AND result, the second one the NOT result.
    */
-  std::pair<Region, Region> andnot (const Region &other, PropertyConstraint prop_constraint = db::NoPropertyConstraint) const
+  std::pair<Region, Region> andnot (const Region &other, PropertyConstraint prop_constraint = db::IgnoreProperties) const
   {
     std::pair<RegionDelegate *, RegionDelegate *> res = mp_delegate->andnot_with (other, prop_constraint);
     return std::make_pair (Region (res.first), Region (res.second));
diff --git a/testdata/algo/deep_region_au40.gds b/testdata/algo/deep_region_au40.gds
index 2999bb979..c6764b0b6 100644
Binary files a/testdata/algo/deep_region_au40.gds and b/testdata/algo/deep_region_au40.gds differ
diff --git a/testdata/algo/flat_region_au40.gds b/testdata/algo/flat_region_au40.gds
index a99bba994..bb410687a 100644
Binary files a/testdata/algo/flat_region_au40.gds and b/testdata/algo/flat_region_au40.gds differ