diff --git a/src/db/db/dbNetlist.cc b/src/db/db/dbNetlist.cc
index 1e48924b3..e18052b1a 100644
--- a/src/db/db/dbNetlist.cc
+++ b/src/db/db/dbNetlist.cc
@@ -62,8 +62,8 @@ SubCircuit::SubCircuit ()
   //  .. nothing yet ..
 }
 
-SubCircuit::SubCircuit (Circuit *circuit)
-  : m_circuit (circuit)
+SubCircuit::SubCircuit (Circuit *circuit, const std::string &name)
+  : m_circuit (circuit), m_name (name)
 {
   //  .. nothing yet ..
 }
@@ -145,13 +145,13 @@ const Pin *NetPinRef::pin (const db::Circuit *c) const
 //  Net class implementation
 
 Net::Net ()
-  : m_cluster_id (0)
+  : m_cluster_id (0), mp_circuit (0)
 {
   //  .. nothing yet ..
 }
 
 Net::Net (const Net &other)
-  : m_cluster_id (0)
+  : m_cluster_id (0), mp_circuit (0)
 {
   operator= (other);
 }
@@ -215,15 +215,22 @@ void Net::translate_subcircuits (const std::map<const SubCircuit *, SubCircuit *
   }
 }
 
+void Net::set_circuit (Circuit *circuit)
+{
+  mp_circuit = circuit;
+}
+
 // --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 //  Circuit class implementation
 
 Circuit::Circuit ()
+  : mp_netlist (0)
 {
   //  .. nothing yet ..
 }
 
 Circuit::Circuit (const Circuit &other)
+  : mp_netlist (0)
 {
   operator= (other);
 }
@@ -263,6 +270,11 @@ Circuit &Circuit::operator= (const Circuit &other)
   return *this;
 }
 
+void Circuit::set_netlist (Netlist *netlist)
+{
+  mp_netlist = netlist;
+}
+
 const Pin *Circuit::pin_by_id (size_t id) const
 {
   if (id >= m_pins.size ()) {
@@ -300,6 +312,7 @@ void Circuit::add_pin (const Pin &pin)
 void Circuit::add_net (Net *net)
 {
   m_nets.push_back (net);
+  net->set_circuit (this);
 }
 
 void Circuit::remove_net (Net *net)
@@ -471,6 +484,7 @@ void Netlist::clear ()
 void Netlist::add_circuit (Circuit *circuit)
 {
   m_circuits.push_back (circuit);
+  circuit->set_netlist (this);
 }
 
 void Netlist::remove_circuit (Circuit *circuit)
diff --git a/src/db/db/dbNetlist.h b/src/db/db/dbNetlist.h
index 0e67f02d4..8935dca49 100644
--- a/src/db/db/dbNetlist.h
+++ b/src/db/db/dbNetlist.h
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@ class Circuit;
 class Device;
 class DeviceClass;
 class DevicePortDefinition;
-
+class Netlist;
 /**
  *  @brief The definition of a pin of a circuit
  *
@@ -115,14 +115,6 @@ public:
     return m_device_class.get ();
   }
 
-  /**
-   *  @brief Sets the device class
-   */
-  void set_device_class (DeviceClass *cls)
-  {
-    m_device_class.reset (cls);
-  }
-
   /**
    *  @brief Sets the name
    */
@@ -137,8 +129,18 @@ public:
   }
 
 private:
+  friend class Circuit;
+
   tl::weak_ptr<DeviceClass> m_device_class;
   std::string m_name;
+
+  /**
+   *  @brief Sets the device class
+   */
+  void set_device_class (DeviceClass *dc)
+  {
+    m_device_class.reset (dc);
+  }
 };
 
 /**
@@ -158,7 +160,7 @@ public:
   /**
    *  @brief Creates a subcircuit reference to the given circuit
    */
-  SubCircuit (Circuit *circuit);
+  SubCircuit (Circuit *circuit, const std::string &name = std::string ());
 
   /**
    *  @brief Gets the circuit the reference points to (const version)
@@ -176,14 +178,6 @@ public:
     return m_circuit.get ();
   }
 
-  /**
-   *  @brief Sets the circuit reference
-   */
-  void set_circuit (Circuit *c)
-  {
-    m_circuit.reset (c);
-  }
-
   /**
    *  @brief Sets the name of the subcircuit
    *
@@ -216,11 +210,20 @@ public:
     return m_trans;
   }
 
-
 private:
+  friend class Circuit;
+
   tl::weak_ptr<Circuit> m_circuit;
   std::string m_name;
   db::DCplxTrans m_trans;
+
+  /**
+   *  @brief Sets the circuit reference
+   */
+  void set_circuit (Circuit *c)
+  {
+    m_circuit.reset (c);
+  }
 };
 
 /**
@@ -391,6 +394,24 @@ public:
    */
   Net &operator= (const Net &other);
 
+  /**
+   *  @brief Gets the circuit the net lives in
+   *  This pointer is 0 if the net is not part of a circuit.
+   */
+  Circuit *circuit ()
+  {
+    return mp_circuit;
+  }
+
+  /**
+   *  @brief Gets the circuit the net lives in (const version)
+   *  This pointer is 0 if the net is not part of a circuit.
+   */
+  const Circuit *circuit () const
+  {
+    return mp_circuit;
+  }
+
   /**
    *  @brief Clears the circuit
    */
@@ -474,9 +495,11 @@ private:
   pin_list m_pins;
   std::string m_name;
   size_t m_cluster_id;
+  Circuit *mp_circuit;
 
   void translate_devices (const std::map<const Device *, Device *> &map);
   void translate_subcircuits (const std::map<const SubCircuit *, SubCircuit *> &map);
+  void set_circuit (Circuit *circuit);
 };
 
 /**
@@ -519,6 +542,24 @@ public:
    */
   Circuit &operator= (const Circuit &other);
 
+  /**
+   *  @brief Gets the netlist the circuit lives in
+   *  This pointer is 0 if the circuit is not part of a netlist.
+   */
+  Netlist *netlist ()
+  {
+    return mp_netlist;
+  }
+
+  /**
+   *  @brief Gets the netlist the circuit lives in (const version)
+   *  This pointer is 0 if the circuit is not part of a netlist.
+   */
+  const Netlist *netlist () const
+  {
+    return mp_netlist;
+  }
+
   /**
    *  @brief Clears the circuit
    */
@@ -742,9 +783,11 @@ private:
   pin_list m_pins;
   device_list m_devices;
   sub_circuit_list m_sub_circuits;
+  Netlist *mp_netlist;
 
   void translate_circuits (const std::map<const Circuit *, Circuit *> &map);
   void translate_device_classes (const std::map<const db::DeviceClass *, db::DeviceClass *> &map);
+  void set_netlist (Netlist *netlist);
 };
 
 /**
diff --git a/src/db/unit_tests/dbNetlistTests.cc b/src/db/unit_tests/dbNetlistTests.cc
index 86f870f55..c2c37ba3a 100644
--- a/src/db/unit_tests/dbNetlistTests.cc
+++ b/src/db/unit_tests/dbNetlistTests.cc
@@ -186,9 +186,11 @@ TEST(4_CircuitDevices)
   c->add_device (d2b);
 
   db::Net *n1 = new db::Net ();
+  EXPECT_EQ (n1->circuit (), 0);
   c->add_net (n1);
   n1->add_port (db::NetPortRef (d1, 0));
   n1->add_port (db::NetPortRef (d2a, 0));
+  EXPECT_EQ (n1->circuit (), c.get ());
 
   db::Net *n2 = new db::Net ();
   c->add_net (n2);
@@ -209,6 +211,7 @@ TEST(4_CircuitDevices)
 
   db::Circuit cc = *c;
   c.reset (0);
+  EXPECT_EQ (cc.begin_nets ()->circuit (), &cc);
 
   EXPECT_EQ (nets2string (cc),
     "d1:S,d2a:A\n"
@@ -238,10 +241,12 @@ TEST(4_NetlistSubcircuits)
   nl->add_device_class (dc);
 
   db::Circuit *c1 = new db::Circuit ();
+  EXPECT_EQ (c1->netlist (), 0);
   c1->set_name ("c1");
   c1->add_pin (db::Pin ("c1p1"));
   c1->add_pin (db::Pin ("c1p2"));
   nl->add_circuit (c1);
+  EXPECT_EQ (c1->netlist (), nl.get ());
 
   db::Circuit *c2 = new db::Circuit ();
   c2->set_name ("c2");
@@ -296,6 +301,8 @@ TEST(4_NetlistSubcircuits)
   db::Netlist nl2 = *nl;
   nl.reset (0);
 
+  EXPECT_EQ (nl2.begin_circuits ()->netlist (), &nl2);
+
   EXPECT_EQ (netlist2string (nl2),
     "[c1]\n"
     "+c1p1,c2:c2p1\n"