diff --git a/src/db/db/dbLayoutToNetlist.cc b/src/db/db/dbLayoutToNetlist.cc
index 4ac11e41c..b8491b9ac 100644
--- a/src/db/db/dbLayoutToNetlist.cc
+++ b/src/db/db/dbLayoutToNetlist.cc
@@ -209,10 +209,10 @@ const db::hier_clusters<db::PolygonRef> &LayoutToNetlist::net_clusters () const
   return m_netex.clusters ();
 }
 
-db::Region LayoutToNetlist::shapes_of_net (const db::Net &net, const db::Region &of_layer, bool recursive) const
+db::Region *LayoutToNetlist::shapes_of_net (const db::Net &net, const db::Region &of_layer, bool recursive) const
 {
   unsigned int lid = layer_of (of_layer);
-  db::Region res;
+  std::auto_ptr<db::Region> res (new db::Region ());
 
   if (! recursive) {
 
@@ -224,7 +224,7 @@ db::Region LayoutToNetlist::shapes_of_net (const db::Net &net, const db::Region
     const db::local_cluster<db::PolygonRef> &lc = m_netex.clusters ().clusters_per_cell (ci).cluster_by_id (net.cluster_id ());
 
     for (db::local_cluster<db::PolygonRef>::shape_iterator s = lc.begin (lid); !s.at_end (); ++s) {
-      res.insert (s->obj ().transformed (s->trans ()));
+      res->insert (s->obj ().transformed (s->trans ()));
     }
 
   } else {
@@ -235,12 +235,12 @@ db::Region LayoutToNetlist::shapes_of_net (const db::Net &net, const db::Region
     db::cell_index_type ci = circuit->cell_index ();
 
     for (db::recursive_cluster_shape_iterator<db::PolygonRef> rci (m_netex.clusters (), lid, ci, net.cluster_id ()); !rci.at_end (); ++rci) {
-      res.insert (rci->obj ().transformed (rci.trans () * db::ICplxTrans (rci->trans ())));
+      res->insert (rci->obj ().transformed (rci.trans () * db::ICplxTrans (rci->trans ())));
     }
 
   }
 
-  return res;
+  return res.release ();
 }
 
 db::Net *LayoutToNetlist::probe_net (const db::Region &of_region, const db::DPoint &point)
diff --git a/src/db/db/dbLayoutToNetlist.h b/src/db/db/dbLayoutToNetlist.h
index 8a9a8efbd..09834dcf1 100644
--- a/src/db/db/dbLayoutToNetlist.h
+++ b/src/db/db/dbLayoutToNetlist.h
@@ -215,10 +215,14 @@ public:
 
   /**
    *  @brief Returns all shapes of a specific net and layer.
+   *
    *  If "recursive" is true, the returned region will contain the shapes of
    *  all subcircuits too.
+   *
+   *  This methods returns a new'd Region. It's the responsibility of the caller
+   *  to delete this object.
    */
-  db::Region shapes_of_net (const db::Net &net, const db::Region &of_layer, bool recursive) const;
+  db::Region *shapes_of_net (const db::Net &net, const db::Region &of_layer, bool recursive) const;
 
   /**
    *  @brief Finds the net by probing a specific location on the given layer
diff --git a/src/db/db/gsiDeclDbLayoutToNetlist.cc b/src/db/db/gsiDeclDbLayoutToNetlist.cc
index 900c906f5..6cee2d264 100644
--- a/src/db/db/gsiDeclDbLayoutToNetlist.cc
+++ b/src/db/db/gsiDeclDbLayoutToNetlist.cc
@@ -141,7 +141,7 @@ Class<db::LayoutToNetlist> decl_dbLayoutToNetlist ("db", "LayoutToNetlist",
   gsi::method ("netlist", &db::LayoutToNetlist::netlist,
     "@brief gets the netlist extracted (0 if no extraction happened yet)\n"
   ) +
-  gsi::method ("shapes_of_net", &db::LayoutToNetlist::shapes_of_net, gsi::arg ("net"), gsi::arg ("of_layer"), gsi::arg ("recursive"),
+  gsi::factory ("shapes_of_net", &db::LayoutToNetlist::shapes_of_net, gsi::arg ("net"), gsi::arg ("of_layer"), gsi::arg ("recursive"),
     "@brief Returns all shapes of a specific net and layer.\n"
     "If 'recursive'' is true, the returned region will contain the shapes of\n"
     "all subcircuits too.\n"
diff --git a/src/db/unit_tests/dbLayoutToNetlistTests.cc b/src/db/unit_tests/dbLayoutToNetlistTests.cc
index 2254c9b23..e70ab822c 100644
--- a/src/db/unit_tests/dbLayoutToNetlistTests.cc
+++ b/src/db/unit_tests/dbLayoutToNetlistTests.cc
@@ -114,8 +114,8 @@ static void dump_nets_to_layout (const db::LayoutToNetlist &l2n, db::Layout &ly,
 
       for (std::map<const db::Region *, unsigned int>::const_iterator m = lmap.begin (); m != lmap.end (); ++m) {
 
-        db::Region shapes = l2n.shapes_of_net (*n, *m->first, false);
-        if (shapes.empty ()) {
+        std::auto_ptr<db::Region> shapes (l2n.shapes_of_net (*n, *m->first, false));
+        if (shapes->empty ()) {
           continue;
         }
 
@@ -125,7 +125,7 @@ static void dump_nets_to_layout (const db::LayoutToNetlist &l2n, db::Layout &ly,
           cell.insert (db::CellInstArray (db::CellInst (nci), db::Trans ()));
         }
 
-        shapes.insert_into (&ly, nci, m->second);
+        shapes->insert_into (&ly, nci, m->second);
 
       }
 
@@ -152,8 +152,8 @@ static void dump_recursive_nets_to_layout (const db::LayoutToNetlist &l2n, db::L
 
       for (std::map<const db::Region *, unsigned int>::const_iterator m = lmap.begin (); m != lmap.end (); ++m) {
 
-        db::Region shapes = l2n.shapes_of_net (*n, *m->first, true);
-        if (shapes.empty ()) {
+        std::auto_ptr<db::Region> shapes (l2n.shapes_of_net (*n, *m->first, true));
+        if (shapes->empty ()) {
           continue;
         }
 
@@ -163,7 +163,7 @@ static void dump_recursive_nets_to_layout (const db::LayoutToNetlist &l2n, db::L
           cell.insert (db::CellInstArray (db::CellInst (nci), db::Trans ()));
         }
 
-        shapes.insert_into (&ly, nci, m->second);
+        shapes->insert_into (&ly, nci, m->second);
 
       }