diff --git a/src/db/db/dbCommonReader.cc b/src/db/db/dbCommonReader.cc
index 172a56213..e74b7a105 100644
--- a/src/db/db/dbCommonReader.cc
+++ b/src/db/db/dbCommonReader.cc
@@ -239,6 +239,7 @@ CommonReader::merge_cell (db::Layout &layout, db::cell_index_type target_cell_in
 {
   const db::Cell &src_cell = layout.cell (src_cell_index);
   db::Cell &target_cell = layout.cell (target_cell_index);
+  target_cell.set_ghost_cell (src_cell.is_ghost_cell () && target_cell.is_ghost_cell ());
 
   //  copy over the instances
   for (db::Cell::const_iterator i = src_cell.begin (); ! i.at_end (); ++i) {
@@ -347,7 +348,7 @@ CommonReader::finish (db::Layout &layout)
 
     //  no conflict - plain rename
 
-    for (std::map<std::string, std::pair<size_t, db::cell_index_type> >::const_iterator i = m_name_map.begin (); i != m_name_map.end () && ! has_conflict; ++i) {
+    for (std::map<std::string, std::pair<size_t, db::cell_index_type> >::const_iterator i = m_name_map.begin (); i != m_name_map.end (); ++i) {
       layout.rename_cell (i->second.second, i->first.c_str ());
     }
 
@@ -379,7 +380,8 @@ CommonReader::finish (db::Layout &layout)
       db::cell_index_type ci_org = c2n.second;
 
       //  NOTE: proxy cells are never resolved. "RenameCell" is a plain and simple case.
-      if (c2n.first && m_cc_resolution != RenameCell && ! layout.cell (ci_org).is_proxy ()) {
+      //  Ghost cells are merged rendering the new cell a non-ghost cell.
+      if (c2n.first && (m_cc_resolution != RenameCell || layout.cell (ci_org).is_ghost_cell () || layout.cell (ci_new).is_ghost_cell ()) && ! layout.cell (ci_org).is_proxy ()) {
         cells_with_conflict.push_back (std::make_pair (ci_new, ci_org));
       } else {
         layout.rename_cell (ci_new, layout.uniquify_cell_name (i->second.c_str ()).c_str ());
diff --git a/src/plugins/streamers/gds2/unit_tests/dbGDS2Reader.cc b/src/plugins/streamers/gds2/unit_tests/dbGDS2Reader.cc
index 757192281..6447871f6 100644
--- a/src/plugins/streamers/gds2/unit_tests/dbGDS2Reader.cc
+++ b/src/plugins/streamers/gds2/unit_tests/dbGDS2Reader.cc
@@ -541,6 +541,78 @@ TEST(4_CollectModeRename)
   db::compare_layouts (_this, layout, fn_au, db::WriteGDS2, 1);
 }
 
+TEST(4_CollectModeRenameWithGhost)
+{
+  db::Manager m (false);
+  db::Layout layout (&m);
+
+  db::LoadLayoutOptions options;
+  options.get_options<db::CommonReaderOptions> ().cell_conflict_resolution = db::RenameCell;
+
+  {
+    tl::InputStream file (tl::testsrc () + "/testdata/gds/collect_basic_ag.gds");
+    db::Reader reader (file);
+    reader.read (layout, options);
+  }
+
+  {
+    tl::InputStream file (tl::testsrc () + "/testdata/gds/collect_basic_b.gds");
+    db::Reader reader (file);
+    reader.read (layout, options);
+  }
+
+  std::string fn_au (tl::testsrc () + "/testdata/gds/collect_rename_au2.gds");
+  db::compare_layouts (_this, layout, fn_au, db::WriteGDS2, 1);
+}
+
+TEST(4_CollectModeRenameWithGhostReverse)
+{
+  db::Manager m (false);
+  db::Layout layout (&m);
+
+  db::LoadLayoutOptions options;
+  options.get_options<db::CommonReaderOptions> ().cell_conflict_resolution = db::RenameCell;
+
+  {
+    tl::InputStream file (tl::testsrc () + "/testdata/gds/collect_basic_a.gds");
+    db::Reader reader (file);
+    reader.read (layout, options);
+  }
+
+  {
+    tl::InputStream file (tl::testsrc () + "/testdata/gds/collect_basic_bg.gds");
+    db::Reader reader (file);
+    reader.read (layout, options);
+  }
+
+  std::string fn_au (tl::testsrc () + "/testdata/gds/collect_rename_au3.gds");
+  db::compare_layouts (_this, layout, fn_au, db::WriteGDS2, 1);
+}
+
+TEST(4_CollectModeRenameWithGhostBoth)
+{
+  db::Manager m (false);
+  db::Layout layout (&m);
+
+  db::LoadLayoutOptions options;
+  options.get_options<db::CommonReaderOptions> ().cell_conflict_resolution = db::RenameCell;
+
+  {
+    tl::InputStream file (tl::testsrc () + "/testdata/gds/collect_basic_ag.gds");
+    db::Reader reader (file);
+    reader.read (layout, options);
+  }
+
+  {
+    tl::InputStream file (tl::testsrc () + "/testdata/gds/collect_basic_bg.gds");
+    db::Reader reader (file);
+    reader.read (layout, options);
+  }
+
+  std::string fn_au (tl::testsrc () + "/testdata/gds/collect_rename_au4.gds");
+  db::compare_layouts (_this, layout, fn_au, db::WriteGDS2, 1);
+}
+
 TEST(4_CollectModeOverwrite)
 {
   db::Manager m (false);
diff --git a/testdata/gds/collect_basic_a.gds b/testdata/gds/collect_basic_a.gds
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..d8fe0f2d7
Binary files /dev/null and b/testdata/gds/collect_basic_a.gds differ
diff --git a/testdata/gds/collect_basic_ag.gds b/testdata/gds/collect_basic_ag.gds
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..5b0a6ba07
Binary files /dev/null and b/testdata/gds/collect_basic_ag.gds differ
diff --git a/testdata/gds/collect_basic_b.gds b/testdata/gds/collect_basic_b.gds
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..e9eb3e975
Binary files /dev/null and b/testdata/gds/collect_basic_b.gds differ
diff --git a/testdata/gds/collect_basic_bg.gds b/testdata/gds/collect_basic_bg.gds
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..792c63f91
Binary files /dev/null and b/testdata/gds/collect_basic_bg.gds differ
diff --git a/testdata/gds/collect_rename_au2.gds b/testdata/gds/collect_rename_au2.gds
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..6b48a1f4a
Binary files /dev/null and b/testdata/gds/collect_rename_au2.gds differ
diff --git a/testdata/gds/collect_rename_au3.gds b/testdata/gds/collect_rename_au3.gds
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..c4b6cda40
Binary files /dev/null and b/testdata/gds/collect_rename_au3.gds differ
diff --git a/testdata/gds/collect_rename_au4.gds b/testdata/gds/collect_rename_au4.gds
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..5e7dd2dc7
Binary files /dev/null and b/testdata/gds/collect_rename_au4.gds differ