diff --git a/src/db/db/dbLibraryManager.cc b/src/db/db/dbLibraryManager.cc
index 7dde8a647..5ba169d65 100644
--- a/src/db/db/dbLibraryManager.cc
+++ b/src/db/db/dbLibraryManager.cc
@@ -248,6 +248,16 @@ LibraryManager::lib_internal (lib_id_type id) const
   }
 }
 
+void
+LibraryManager::refresh_all ()
+{
+  for (std::vector<Library *>::iterator l = m_libs.begin (); l != m_libs.end (); ++l) {
+    if (*l) {
+      (*l)->refresh ();
+    }
+  }
+}
+
 void
 LibraryManager::clear ()
 {
diff --git a/src/db/db/dbLibraryManager.h b/src/db/db/dbLibraryManager.h
index 749d69255..849daede4 100644
--- a/src/db/db/dbLibraryManager.h
+++ b/src/db/db/dbLibraryManager.h
@@ -212,6 +212,11 @@ public:
    */
   void clear ();
 
+  /**
+   *  @brief Refreshes all libraries
+   */
+  void refresh_all ();
+
 private:
   std::vector<Library *> m_libs;
   lib_name_map m_lib_by_name;
diff --git a/src/db/db/gsiDeclDbLibrary.cc b/src/db/db/gsiDeclDbLibrary.cc
index 1423d5ee4..bb938168b 100644
--- a/src/db/db/gsiDeclDbLibrary.cc
+++ b/src/db/db/gsiDeclDbLibrary.cc
@@ -65,6 +65,11 @@ static std::vector<db::lib_id_type> library_ids ()
   return r;
 }
 
+static void refresh_all ()
+{
+  db::LibraryManager::instance ().refresh_all ();
+}
+
 static void register_lib (db::Library *lib, const std::string &name)
 {
   lib->set_name (name);
@@ -184,6 +189,11 @@ LibraryClass<db::Library> decl_Library ("db", "LibraryBase",
     "\n"
     "This method has been introduced in version 0.27."
   ) +
+  gsi::method ("refresh_all", &refresh_all,
+    "@brief Calls \\refresh on all libraries.\n"
+    "\n"
+    "This convenience method has been introduced in version 0.30.4."
+  ) +
   gsi::method_ext ("register", &register_lib, gsi::arg ("name"),
     "@brief Registers the library with the given name\n"
     "\n"
diff --git a/src/lay/lay/gsiDeclLayMainWindow.cc b/src/lay/lay/gsiDeclLayMainWindow.cc
index 7c9f47a82..9bb58226d 100644
--- a/src/lay/lay/gsiDeclLayMainWindow.cc
+++ b/src/lay/lay/gsiDeclLayMainWindow.cc
@@ -73,6 +73,7 @@ static const char *cm_symbols[] = {
   "cm_save",
   "cm_save_all",
   "cm_reload",
+  "cm_refresh",
   "cm_close",
   "cm_close_all",
   "cm_clone",
diff --git a/src/lay/lay/layMainWindow.cc b/src/lay/lay/layMainWindow.cc
index 72430e410..c4d9d4a1b 100644
--- a/src/lay/lay/layMainWindow.cc
+++ b/src/lay/lay/layMainWindow.cc
@@ -2555,6 +2555,12 @@ MainWindow::cm_writer_options ()
   mp_layout_save_options->edit_global_options (dispatcher (), db::Technologies::instance ());
 }
 
+void
+MainWindow::cm_refresh ()
+{
+  db::LibraryManager::instance ().refresh_all ();
+}
+
 void
 MainWindow::cm_new_panel ()
 {
@@ -4036,6 +4042,8 @@ MainWindow::menu_activated (const std::string &symbol)
     cm_reader_options ();
   } else if (symbol == "cm_writer_options") {
     cm_writer_options ();
+  } else if (symbol == "cm_refresh") {
+    cm_refresh ();
   } else if (symbol == "cm_new_panel") {
     cm_new_panel ();
   } else if (symbol == "cm_new_layout") {
@@ -4449,6 +4457,7 @@ public:
     menu_entries.push_back (lay::menu_item ("cm_close_all", "close_all:edit", at, tl::to_string (QObject::tr ("Close All(Shift+Ctrl+W)"))));
     menu_entries.push_back (lay::menu_item ("cm_clone", "clone", at, tl::to_string (QObject::tr ("Clone Panel"))));
     menu_entries.push_back (lay::menu_item ("cm_reload", "reload:edit", at, tl::to_string (QObject::tr ("Reload(Ctrl+R)"))));
+    menu_entries.push_back (lay::menu_item ("cm_refresh", "refresh:edit", at, tl::to_string (QObject::tr ("Refresh Libraries"))));
     menu_entries.push_back (lay::menu_item ("cm_pull_in", "pull_in:edit", at, tl::to_string (QObject::tr ("Pull In Other Layout"))));
     menu_entries.push_back (lay::menu_item ("cm_reader_options", "reader_options", at, tl::to_string (QObject::tr ("Reader Options"))));
     menu_entries.push_back (lay::separator ("open_recent_group", at));
diff --git a/src/lay/lay/layMainWindow.h b/src/lay/lay/layMainWindow.h
index dee59857d..737e24efc 100644
--- a/src/lay/lay/layMainWindow.h
+++ b/src/lay/lay/layMainWindow.h
@@ -837,6 +837,7 @@ private:
   void cm_pull_in ();
   void cm_reader_options ();
   void cm_writer_options ();
+  void cm_refresh ();
   void cm_new_panel ();
   void cm_new_layout ();
   void cm_clone ();