diff --git a/src/db/db/dbAsIfFlatRegion.cc b/src/db/db/dbAsIfFlatRegion.cc
index 842e55eba..be42a4843 100644
--- a/src/db/db/dbAsIfFlatRegion.cc
+++ b/src/db/db/dbAsIfFlatRegion.cc
@@ -581,7 +581,8 @@ AsIfFlatRegion::selected_interacting_generic (const Region &other, int mode, boo
   proc.set_report_progress (report_progress ());
 
   std::vector<generic_shape_iterator<db::Polygon> > others;
-  others.push_back ((mode < 0 || counting) ? other.begin_merged () : other.begin ());
+  //  NOTE: with counting the other region needs to be merged
+  others.push_back (counting ? other.begin_merged () : other.begin ());
 
   proc.run_flat (polygons, others, std::vector<bool> (), &op, oph.results ());
 
diff --git a/src/db/db/dbDeepRegion.cc b/src/db/db/dbDeepRegion.cc
index 0f7ea7fd7..350e10fe2 100644
--- a/src/db/db/dbDeepRegion.cc
+++ b/src/db/db/dbDeepRegion.cc
@@ -1952,6 +1952,7 @@ DeepRegion::selected_interacting_generic (const Region &other, int mode, bool to
     }
   }
 
+  min_count = std::max (size_t (1), min_count);
   bool counting = !(min_count == 1 && max_count == std::numeric_limits<size_t>::max ());
 
   //  with these flag set to true, the resulting polygons are broken again.
@@ -1966,9 +1967,8 @@ DeepRegion::selected_interacting_generic (const Region &other, int mode, bool to
   }
 
   const db::DeepLayer &polygons = merged_deep_layer ();
-  //  NOTE: on "inside" or with counting, the other polygons must be merged
-  bool other_needs_merged = (mode < 0 || counting);
-  const db::DeepLayer &other_polygons = other_needs_merged ? other_deep->merged_deep_layer () : other_deep->deep_layer ();
+  //  NOTE: with counting, the other polygons must be merged
+  const db::DeepLayer &other_polygons = counting ? other_deep->merged_deep_layer () : other_deep->deep_layer ();
 
   db::InteractingLocalOperation op (mode, touching, output_mode, min_count, max_count, true);
 
@@ -2011,6 +2011,7 @@ DeepRegion::selected_interacting_generic (const Edges &other, InteractingOutputM
     }
   }
 
+  min_count = std::max (size_t (1), min_count);
   bool counting = !(min_count == 1 && max_count == std::numeric_limits<size_t>::max ());
 
   //  with these flag set to true, the resulting polygons are broken again.
@@ -2181,6 +2182,8 @@ DeepRegion::selected_interacting_generic (const Texts &other, InteractingOutputM
     }
   }
 
+  min_count = std::max (size_t (1), min_count);
+
   //  with these flag set to true, the resulting polygons are broken again.
   bool split_after = false;