diff --git a/src/db/db/dbDeepShapeStore.cc b/src/db/db/dbDeepShapeStore.cc
index 9a2cd9599..687008b9c 100644
--- a/src/db/db/dbDeepShapeStore.cc
+++ b/src/db/db/dbDeepShapeStore.cc
@@ -1244,7 +1244,7 @@ DeepShapeStore::cell_mapping_to_original (unsigned int layout_index, db::Layout
       std::map<db::cell_index_type, db::HierarchyBuilder::CellMapKey>::const_iterator icm = cm_skipped_variants.find (var_org);
       if (icm != cm_skipped_variants.end ()) {
 
-        //  create the variant clone in the original layout too and delete this cell
+        //  create the variant clone in the original layout too
         VariantsCollectorBase::copy_shapes (*into_layout, np->second, icm->second.original_cell);
         new_variants.push_back (std::make_pair (np->second, icm->second.original_cell));
 
@@ -1269,22 +1269,32 @@ DeepShapeStore::cell_mapping_to_original (unsigned int layout_index, db::Layout
 
       //  copy cell instances for the new variants
 
-      //  collect the cells that are handled during cell mapping -
-      //  we do not need to take care of them when creating variants,
-      //  but there may be others inside "into_layout" which are
-      //  not present in the DSS and for which we need to copy the
-      //  instances.
-      std::vector<db::cell_index_type> mapped = cm->second.target_cells ();
-      std::sort (mapped.begin (), mapped.end ());
+      std::map<db::cell_index_type, db::cell_index_type> variant_to_org;
+      for (auto vv = new_variants.begin (); vv != new_variants.end (); ++vv) {
+        variant_to_org.insert (std::make_pair (vv->first, vv->second));
+      }
 
       //  Copy the variant instances - but only those for cells which are not handled by the cell mapping object.
       for (auto vv = new_variants.begin (); vv != new_variants.end (); ++vv) {
 
-        const db::Cell &from = into_layout->cell (vv->second);
-        db::Cell &to = into_layout->cell (vv->first);
+        const db::Cell &from = into_layout->cell (vv->second);  //  original
+        db::Cell &to = into_layout->cell (vv->first);           //  variant
+
+        //  Collect and copy the cells which are not mapped already.
+        //  Skip variant original cells if their variants are included.
+        std::set<db::cell_index_type> dont_copy;
+
+        for (auto c = to.begin_child_cells (); ! c.at_end (); ++c) {
+          auto v2o = variant_to_org.find (*c);
+          if (v2o != variant_to_org.end ()) {
+            dont_copy.insert (v2o->second);
+          } else {
+            dont_copy.insert (*c);
+          }
+        }
+          
         for (db::Cell::const_iterator i = from.begin (); ! i.at_end (); ++i) {
-          auto m = std::lower_bound (mapped.begin (), mapped.end (), i->cell_index ());
-          if (m == mapped.end () || *m != i->cell_index ()) {
+          if (dont_copy.find (i->cell_index ()) == dont_copy.end ()) {
             to.insert (*i);
           }
         }
diff --git a/src/db/unit_tests/dbDeepShapeStoreTests.cc b/src/db/unit_tests/dbDeepShapeStoreTests.cc
index 4a01e194c..d14be57fe 100644
--- a/src/db/unit_tests/dbDeepShapeStoreTests.cc
+++ b/src/db/unit_tests/dbDeepShapeStoreTests.cc
@@ -341,3 +341,44 @@ TEST(7_RestoreWithCellSelection2)
   db::compare_layouts (_this, ly, tl::testdata () + "/algo/dss_bug2_au.gds");
 }
 
+TEST(8_RestoreWithCellSelection3)
+{
+  db::Layout ly;
+
+  {
+    std::string fn (tl::testdata ());
+    fn += "/algo/dss_bug3.gds";
+    tl::InputStream stream (fn);
+    db::Reader reader (stream);
+    reader.read (ly);
+  }
+
+  unsigned int l2 = ly.get_layer (db::LayerProperties (2, 0));
+
+  db::Cell &top_cell = ly.cell (*ly.begin_top_down ());
+
+  db::RecursiveShapeIterator in_it (ly, top_cell, l2);
+  db::RecursiveShapeIterator other_it (ly, top_cell, l2);
+
+  std::set<db::cell_index_type> us;
+  us.insert (ly.cell_by_name ("X").second);
+  us.insert (ly.cell_by_name ("C3").second);
+  in_it.unselect_cells (us);
+
+  std::set<db::cell_index_type> us2;
+  us2.insert (top_cell.cell_index ());
+  other_it.unselect_cells (us2);
+  other_it.select_cells (us);
+
+  db::DeepShapeStore dss;
+
+  db::Region in_region (in_it, dss);
+  db::Region other_region (other_it, dss);
+  in_region += other_region;
+
+  ly.clear_layer (l2);
+  in_region.insert_into (&ly, top_cell.cell_index (), l2);
+
+  db::compare_layouts (_this, ly, tl::testdata () + "/algo/dss_bug3_au.gds");
+}
+
diff --git a/testdata/algo/dss_bug3.gds b/testdata/algo/dss_bug3.gds
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..39c289ac5
Binary files /dev/null and b/testdata/algo/dss_bug3.gds differ
diff --git a/testdata/algo/dss_bug3_au.gds b/testdata/algo/dss_bug3_au.gds
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..45c745946
Binary files /dev/null and b/testdata/algo/dss_bug3_au.gds differ