diff --git a/src/db/db/dbHierarchyBuilder.cc b/src/db/db/dbHierarchyBuilder.cc
index 838e93243..fe48fd086 100644
--- a/src/db/db/dbHierarchyBuilder.cc
+++ b/src/db/db/dbHierarchyBuilder.cc
@@ -381,14 +381,16 @@ HierarchyBuilder::new_inst_member (const RecursiveShapeIterator *iter, const db:
 
   } else {
 
-    db::Box cell_bbox = iter->layout ()->cell (inst.object ().cell_index ()).bbox ();
+    db::cell_index_type inst_cell = inst.object ().cell_index ();
+
+    db::Box cell_bbox = iter->cell_bbox (inst_cell);
     std::pair<bool, std::set<db::Box> > clip_variant = compute_clip_variant (cell_bbox, trans, region, complex_region);
     if (! clip_variant.first) {
       return false;
     }
 
-    CellMapKey key (inst.object ().cell_index (), iter->is_child_inactive (inst.object ().cell_index ()), clip_variant.second);
-    db::cell_index_type new_cell = make_cell_variant (key, iter->layout ()->cell_name (inst.object ().cell_index ()));
+    CellMapKey key (inst.object ().cell_index (), iter->is_child_inactive (inst_cell), clip_variant.second);
+    db::cell_index_type new_cell = make_cell_variant (key, iter->layout ()->cell_name (inst_cell));
 
     //  for a new cell, create this instance
     if (m_cell_stack.back ().first) {
diff --git a/src/db/db/dbRecursiveShapeIterator.cc b/src/db/db/dbRecursiveShapeIterator.cc
index 6c89c76f3..df95d9201 100644
--- a/src/db/db/dbRecursiveShapeIterator.cc
+++ b/src/db/db/dbRecursiveShapeIterator.cc
@@ -775,7 +775,7 @@ RecursiveShapeIterator::down (RecursiveShapeReceiver *receiver) const
   //  compute the region inside the new cell
   if (new_region != m_region) {
     new_region = m_trans.inverted () * m_region;
-    new_region &= m_box_convert (db::CellInst (cell ()->cell_index ()));
+    new_region &= cell_bbox (cell_index ());
   }
   m_local_region_stack.push_back (new_region);
 
@@ -969,7 +969,7 @@ RecursiveShapeIterator::new_inst_member (RecursiveShapeReceiver *receiver) const
 
     //  skip instance array members not part of the complex region
     while (! m_inst_array.at_end ()) {
-      db::Box ia_box = m_inst->complex_trans (*m_inst_array) * m_box_convert (m_inst->cell_inst ().object ());
+      db::Box ia_box = m_inst->complex_trans (*m_inst_array) * cell_bbox (m_inst->cell_index ());
       if (! is_outside_complex_region (ia_box)) {
         break;
       } else {
diff --git a/src/db/db/dbRecursiveShapeIterator.h b/src/db/db/dbRecursiveShapeIterator.h
index 5537619c6..ee70e8538 100644
--- a/src/db/db/dbRecursiveShapeIterator.h
+++ b/src/db/db/dbRecursiveShapeIterator.h
@@ -665,6 +665,16 @@ public:
     return reinterpret_cast<const cell_type *> (c - (c & size_t (3)));
   }
 
+  /**
+   *  @brief Gets the current cell's bounding box
+   *
+   *  The returned box is limited to the selected layer if applicable.
+   */
+  box_type cell_bbox (db::cell_index_type cell_index) const
+  {
+    return m_box_convert (db::CellInst (cell_index));
+  }
+
   /**
    *  @brief Increments the iterator (operator version)
    */
diff --git a/testdata/algo/hierarchy_builder_au2a.gds b/testdata/algo/hierarchy_builder_au2a.gds
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diff --git a/testdata/algo/hierarchy_builder_au2b.gds b/testdata/algo/hierarchy_builder_au2b.gds
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diff --git a/testdata/algo/hierarchy_builder_au2c.gds b/testdata/algo/hierarchy_builder_au2c.gds
index 85f5d6082..d822f9a7a 100644
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diff --git a/testdata/algo/hierarchy_builder_au2d.gds b/testdata/algo/hierarchy_builder_au2d.gds
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diff --git a/testdata/algo/hierarchy_builder_au2f.gds b/testdata/algo/hierarchy_builder_au2f.gds
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diff --git a/testdata/algo/hierarchy_builder_au4a.gds b/testdata/algo/hierarchy_builder_au4a.gds
index 504df9920..8c9f4d9ce 100644
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