diff --git a/src/drc/drc/built-in-macros/_drc_layer.rb b/src/drc/drc/built-in-macros/_drc_layer.rb
index 0592c6e35..c384d82c6 100644
--- a/src/drc/drc/built-in-macros/_drc_layer.rb
+++ b/src/drc/drc/built-in-macros/_drc_layer.rb
@@ -42,22 +42,38 @@ module DRC
 
       @engine._context("insert") do
 
-        requires_edges_or_region
         args.each do |a|
           if a.is_a?(RBA::DBox) 
+            requires_edges_or_region
             self.data.insert(RBA::Box::from_dbox(a * (1.0 / @engine.dbu)))
           elsif a.is_a?(RBA::DPolygon) 
+            requires_edges_or_region
             self.data.insert(RBA::Polygon::from_dpoly(a * (1.0 / @engine.dbu)))
           elsif a.is_a?(RBA::DSimplePolygon) 
+            requires_edges_or_region
             self.data.insert(RBA::SimplePolygon::from_dpoly(a * (1.0 / @engine.dbu)))
           elsif a.is_a?(RBA::DPath) 
+            requires_edges_or_region
             self.data.insert(RBA::Path::from_dpath(a * (1.0 / @engine.dbu)))
+          elsif a.is_a?(RBA::Box) || a.is_a?(RBA::Polygon) || a.is_a?(RBA::SimplePolygon) || a.is_a?(RBA::Path)
+            requires_edges_or_region
+            self.data.insert(a)
           elsif a.is_a?(RBA::DEdge) 
+            requires_edges
             self.data.insert(RBA::Edge::from_dedge(a * (1.0 / @engine.dbu)))
+          elsif a.is_a?(RBA::Edge) 
+            requires_edges
+            self.data.insert(a)
+          elsif a.is_a?(RBA::DText) 
+            requires_texts
+            self.data.insert(RBA::CplxTrans::new(@engine.dbu).inverted * a)
+          elsif a.is_a?(RBA::Text) 
+            requires_texts
+            self.data.insert(a)
           elsif a.is_a?(Array)
             insert(*a)
           else
-            raise("Invalid argument type for #{a.inspect}")
+            raise("Invalid argument type of #{a.inspect}")
           end
         end
 
diff --git a/src/drc/unit_tests/drcSimpleTests.cc b/src/drc/unit_tests/drcSimpleTests.cc
index a5403178c..79122f690 100644
--- a/src/drc/unit_tests/drcSimpleTests.cc
+++ b/src/drc/unit_tests/drcSimpleTests.cc
@@ -1954,6 +1954,11 @@ TEST(122_NamedLayers)
   compare_text_files (output, au_output);
 }
 
+TEST(123_DirectInsert)
+{
+  run_test (_this, "123", false);
+}
+
 TEST(130_size_inside_outside)
 {
   run_test (_this, "130", false);
diff --git a/testdata/drc/drcSimpleTests_123.drc b/testdata/drc/drcSimpleTests_123.drc
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..1c1079cf2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/testdata/drc/drcSimpleTests_123.drc
@@ -0,0 +1,132 @@
+
+source $drc_test_source
+target $drc_test_target
+
+lp = polygons
+le = edges
+ll = labels
+
+lp.insert(RBA::Box::new(0, 0, 100, 200))
+lp.insert(RBA::DBox::new(0.200, 0, 0.300, 0.200))
+lp.insert(RBA::Polygon::new(RBA::Box::new(400, 0, 500, 200)))
+lp.insert(RBA::DPolygon::new(RBA::DBox::new(0.600, 0, 0.700, 0.200)))
+lp.insert(RBA::SimplePolygon::new(RBA::Box::new(800, 0, 900, 200)))
+lp.insert(RBA::DSimplePolygon::new(RBA::DBox::new(1.000, 0, 1.100, 0.200)))
+lp.insert(RBA::Path::new([ RBA::Point::new(1200, 100), RBA::Point::new(1300, 100) ], 200))
+lp.insert(RBA::DPath::new([ RBA::DPoint::new(1.400, 0.1), RBA::DPoint::new(1.500, 0.1) ], 0.2))
+
+begin
+  lp.insert(RBA::Edge::new(RBA::Point::new(0, 0), RBA::Point::new(100, 100)))
+  raise Exception::new("Error expected")
+rescue => ex
+end
+
+begin
+  lp.insert(RBA::DEdge::new(RBA::DPoint::new(0, 0), RBA::DPoint::new(0.1, 0.1)))
+  raise Exception::new("Error expected")
+rescue => ex
+end
+
+begin
+  lp.insert(RBA::Text::new("ABC", RBA::Trans::new(RBA::Vector::new(0, 0))))
+  raise Exception::new("Error expected")
+rescue => ex
+end
+
+begin
+  lp.insert(RBA::DText::new("XYZ", RBA::DTrans::new(RBA::DVector::new(0, 0.1))))
+  raise Exception::new("Error expected")
+rescue => ex
+end
+
+le.insert(RBA::Box::new(0, 0, 100, 200))
+le.insert(RBA::DBox::new(0.200, 0, 0.300, 0.200))
+le.insert(RBA::Polygon::new(RBA::Box::new(400, 0, 500, 200)))
+le.insert(RBA::DPolygon::new(RBA::DBox::new(0.600, 0, 0.700, 0.200)))
+le.insert(RBA::SimplePolygon::new(RBA::Box::new(800, 0, 900, 200)))
+le.insert(RBA::DSimplePolygon::new(RBA::DBox::new(1.000, 0, 1.100, 0.200)))
+le.insert(RBA::Path::new([ RBA::Point::new(1200, 100), RBA::Point::new(1300, 100) ], 200))
+le.insert(RBA::DPath::new([ RBA::DPoint::new(1.400, 0.1), RBA::DPoint::new(1.500, 0.1) ], 0.2))
+
+le.insert(RBA::Edge::new(RBA::Point::new(0, 0), RBA::Point::new(100, 100)))
+le.insert(RBA::DEdge::new(RBA::DPoint::new(0, 0.1), RBA::DPoint::new(0.1, 0.2)))
+
+begin
+  le.insert(RBA::Text::new("ABC", RBA::Trans::new(RBA::Vector::new(0, 0))))
+  raise Exception::new("Error expected")
+rescue => ex
+end
+
+begin
+  le.insert(RBA::DText::new("XYZ", RBA::DTrans::new(RBA::DVector::new(0, 0.1))))
+  raise Exception::new("Error expected")
+rescue => ex
+end
+
+begin
+  ll.insert(RBA::Box::new(0, 0, 100, 200))
+  raise Exception::new("Error expected")
+rescue => ex
+end
+
+begin
+  ll.insert(RBA::DBox::new(0.200, 0, 0.300, 0.200))
+  raise Exception::new("Error expected")
+rescue => ex
+end
+
+begin
+  ll.insert(RBA::Polygon::new(RBA::Box::new(400, 0, 500, 200)))
+  raise Exception::new("Error expected")
+rescue => ex
+end
+
+begin
+  ll.insert(RBA::DPolygon::new(RBA::DBox::new(0.600, 0, 0.700, 0.200)))
+  raise Exception::new("Error expected")
+rescue => ex
+end
+
+begin
+  ll.insert(RBA::SimplePolygon::new(RBA::Box::new(800, 0, 900, 200)))
+  raise Exception::new("Error expected")
+rescue => ex
+end
+
+begin
+  ll.insert(RBA::DSimplePolygon::new(RBA::DBox::new(1.000, 0, 1.100, 0.200)))
+  raise Exception::new("Error expected")
+rescue => ex
+end
+
+begin
+  ll.insert(RBA::Path::new([ RBA::Point::new(1200, 100), RBA::Point::new(1300, 100) ], 200))
+  raise Exception::new("Error expected")
+rescue => ex
+end
+
+begin
+  ll.insert(RBA::DPath::new([ RBA::DPoint::new(1.400, 0.1), RBA::DPoint::new(1.500, 0.1) ], 0.2))
+  raise Exception::new("Error expected")
+rescue => ex
+end
+
+begin
+  ll.insert(RBA::Edge::new(RBA::Point::new(0, 0), RBA::Point::new(100, 100)))
+  raise Exception::new("Error expected")
+rescue => ex
+end
+
+begin
+  ll.insert(RBA::DEdge::new(RBA::DPoint::new(0, 0.1), RBA::DPoint::new(0.1, 0.2)))
+  raise Exception::new("Error expected")
+rescue => ex
+end
+
+ll.insert(RBA::Text::new("ABC", RBA::Trans::new(RBA::Vector::new(100, 0))))
+ll.insert(RBA::DText::new("XYZ", RBA::DTrans::new(RBA::DVector::new(0, 0.1))))
+
+lp.output(1, 0)
+le.output(2, 0)
+ll.output(3, 0)
+
diff --git a/testdata/drc/drcSimpleTests_123.gds b/testdata/drc/drcSimpleTests_123.gds
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..3546756f7
Binary files /dev/null and b/testdata/drc/drcSimpleTests_123.gds differ
diff --git a/testdata/drc/drcSimpleTests_au123.gds b/testdata/drc/drcSimpleTests_au123.gds
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..2fc76cdf6
Binary files /dev/null and b/testdata/drc/drcSimpleTests_au123.gds differ