diff --git a/src/db/db/dbLayoutToNetlist.cc b/src/db/db/dbLayoutToNetlist.cc
index 997fe993d..83395e612 100644
--- a/src/db/db/dbLayoutToNetlist.cc
+++ b/src/db/db/dbLayoutToNetlist.cc
@@ -1691,9 +1691,10 @@ NetBuilder::build_nets (const std::vector<const Net *> *nets, const std::map<uns
               double dbu = mp_target->dbu ();
               db::ICplxTrans tr = db::CplxTrans (dbu).inverted () * subcircuit.trans () * db::CplxTrans (dbu);
 
-              db::properties_id_type netname_propid = make_netname_propid (target ().properties_repository (), prop_mode, netname_prop, *n);
+              std::string net_name_prefix = subcircuit.expanded_name () + ":";
+              db::properties_id_type netname_propid = make_netname_propid (target ().properties_repository (), prop_mode, netname_prop, *n, net_name_prefix);
 
-              build_net_rec (*n, c->cell_index (), lmap, subcircuit.expanded_name () + ":", netname_propid, tr);
+              build_net_rec (*n, c->cell_index (), lmap, net_name_prefix, netname_propid, tr);
 
             }
 
@@ -1853,7 +1854,7 @@ NetBuilder::build_net_rec (const db::Net &net, db::cell_index_type circuit_cell,
 }
 
 db::properties_id_type
-NetBuilder::make_netname_propid (db::PropertiesRepository &pr, NetPropertyMode net_prop_mode, const tl::Variant &netname_prop, const db::Net &net)
+NetBuilder::make_netname_propid (db::PropertiesRepository &pr, NetPropertyMode net_prop_mode, const tl::Variant &netname_prop, const db::Net &net, const std::string &net_name_prefix)
 {
   if (net_prop_mode == NPM_NoProperties) {
 
@@ -1874,13 +1875,13 @@ NetBuilder::make_netname_propid (db::PropertiesRepository &pr, NetPropertyMode n
       if (net_prop_mode == NPM_NetQualifiedNameOnly) {
         std::vector<tl::Variant> l;
         l.reserve (2);
-        l.push_back (tl::Variant (net.expanded_name ()));
+        l.push_back (tl::Variant (net_name_prefix + net.expanded_name ()));
         l.push_back (tl::Variant (net.circuit ()->name ()));
         propset.insert (std::make_pair (name_propnameid, tl::Variant (l)));
       } else if (net_prop_mode == NPM_NetIDOnly) {
         propset.insert (std::make_pair (name_propnameid, tl::Variant (reinterpret_cast <size_t> (&net))));
       } else {
-        propset.insert (std::make_pair (name_propnameid, tl::Variant (net.expanded_name ())));
+        propset.insert (std::make_pair (name_propnameid, tl::Variant (net_name_prefix + net.expanded_name ())));
       }
     }
 
diff --git a/src/db/db/dbLayoutToNetlist.h b/src/db/db/dbLayoutToNetlist.h
index dd99a3763..e6bb022af 100644
--- a/src/db/db/dbLayoutToNetlist.h
+++ b/src/db/db/dbLayoutToNetlist.h
@@ -1071,7 +1071,7 @@ public:
   /**
    *  @brief A helper function to create a property ID for a given net, net property name and net property mode
    */
-  static db::properties_id_type make_netname_propid (db::PropertiesRepository &pr, NetPropertyMode net_prop_mode, const tl::Variant &netname_prop, const db::Net &net);
+  static db::properties_id_type make_netname_propid (db::PropertiesRepository &pr, NetPropertyMode net_prop_mode, const tl::Variant &netname_prop, const db::Net &net, const std::string &net_name_prefix = std::string ());
 
 private:
   struct CellReuseTableKey
diff --git a/src/db/db/dbNetlistExtractor.cc b/src/db/db/dbNetlistExtractor.cc
index 0eba50e93..2f02bc160 100644
--- a/src/db/db/dbNetlistExtractor.cc
+++ b/src/db/db/dbNetlistExtractor.cc
@@ -285,7 +285,8 @@ NetlistExtractor::extract_nets (const db::DeepShapeStore &dss, unsigned int layo
     for (connected_clusters_type::all_iterator c = clusters.begin_all (); ! c.at_end (); ++c) {
 
       const db::local_cluster<db::NetShape> &lc = clusters.cluster_by_id (*c);
-      if (clusters.connections_for_cluster (*c).empty () && lc.empty ()) {
+      const connected_clusters_type::connections_type &cc = clusters.connections_for_cluster (*c);
+      if (cc.empty () && lc.empty ()) {
         //  this is an entirely empty cluster so we skip it.
         //  Such clusters are left over when joining clusters.
         continue;
@@ -313,6 +314,23 @@ NetlistExtractor::extract_nets (const db::DeepShapeStore &dss, unsigned int layo
         }
       }
 
+#if 0
+      //  This code will pull net names from subcircuits into their parents if those nets are dummy connections
+      //  made to satisfy the subcircuit's pin, but not to make a physical connection.
+      //  Don't know whether this is a good idea, so this code is disabled for now.
+
+      if (net_names.empty () && clusters.is_dummy (*c) && net->subcircuit_pin_count () == 1) {
+        //  in the case of a dummy connection (partially connected subcircuits) create a
+        //  new name indicating the subcircuit and the subcircuit net name - this makes subcircuit
+        //  net names available (the net is pseudo-root inside in the subcircuit)
+        const db::NetSubcircuitPinRef &sc_pin = *net->begin_subcircuit_pins ();
+        const db::Net *sc_net = sc_pin.subcircuit ()->circuit_ref ()->net_for_pin (sc_pin.pin_id ());
+        if (sc_net && ! sc_net->name ().empty ()) {
+          net_names.insert (sc_pin.subcircuit ()->expanded_name () + ":" + sc_net->name ());
+        }
+      }
+#endif
+
       assign_net_names (net, net_names);
 
       if (! clusters.is_root (*c)) {