diff --git a/src/db/db/dbLibrary.cc b/src/db/db/dbLibrary.cc
index 0af31331c..e0f93dd7b 100644
--- a/src/db/db/dbLibrary.cc
+++ b/src/db/db/dbLibrary.cc
@@ -55,7 +55,7 @@ Library::~Library ()
 bool
 Library::is_for_technology (const std::string &name) const
 {
-  return m_technologies.find (name) != m_technologies.end ();
+  return (! m_technologies.empty () && name == "*") || m_technologies.find (name) != m_technologies.end ();
 }
 
 bool
diff --git a/src/db/db/gsiDeclDbLibrary.cc b/src/db/db/gsiDeclDbLibrary.cc
index 4da1335f2..4f2425eb9 100644
--- a/src/db/db/gsiDeclDbLibrary.cc
+++ b/src/db/db/gsiDeclDbLibrary.cc
@@ -165,10 +165,13 @@ LibraryClass<db::Library> decl_Library ("db", "LibraryBase",
     "@brief Gets a library by name\n"
     "Returns the library object for the given name. If the name is not a valid library name, nil is returned.\n"
     "\n"
-    "Different libraries can be registered under the same names for different technologies. When a technology name is given in 'for_technologies', "
-    "the first library matching this technology is returned. If no technology is given, the first library is returned.\n"
+    "Different libraries can be registered under the same names for different technologies. By specifying a technology, this method\n"
+    "will return the first library matching both name and the given technology. It will also return libraries not bound to a specific\n"
+    "technology in that case. Without a technology name given ('unspecific'), only libraries not bound to a technology are returned.\n"
+    "You can also specify '*' for the technology - in that case, the first library with the given name is returned, regardless whether\n"
+    "it is bound to a technology or not.\n"
     "\n"
-    "The technology selector has been introduced in version 0.27."
+    "The technology selector has been introduced in version 0.27. The '*' option for the technology has been added in version 0.30.8."
   ) +
   gsi::method ("library_by_id", &library_by_id, gsi::arg ("id"),
     "@brief Gets the library object for the given ID\n"
@@ -274,8 +277,10 @@ LibraryClass<db::Library> decl_Library ("db", "LibraryBase",
   gsi::method ("is_for_technology", &db::Library::is_for_technology, gsi::arg ("tech"),
     "@brief Returns a value indicating whether the library is associated with the given technology.\n"
     "The method is equivalent to checking whether the \\technologies list is empty.\n"
+    "As a special case, you can pass '*' for the 'tech' argument. In that case, this method\n"
+    "will return true, if the library is bound to any technology.\n"
     "\n"
-    "This method has been introduced in version 0.27"
+    "This method has been introduced in version 0.27. The '*' option for the technology has been added in version 0.30.8."
   ) +
   gsi::method ("for_technologies", &db::Library::for_technologies,
     "@brief Returns a value indicating whether the library is associated with any technology.\n"
diff --git a/src/db/unit_tests/dbLibrariesTests.cc b/src/db/unit_tests/dbLibrariesTests.cc
index 1d48e852e..ed10661e4 100644
--- a/src/db/unit_tests/dbLibrariesTests.cc
+++ b/src/db/unit_tests/dbLibrariesTests.cc
@@ -506,6 +506,16 @@ TEST(3)
   std::unique_ptr<LIBT_B> lib_b (new LIBT_B ());
   db::LibraryManager::instance ().register_lib (lib_b.get ());
 
+  EXPECT_EQ (lib_a->is_for_technology ("X"), false);
+  EXPECT_EQ (lib_a->is_for_technology ("*"), false);
+  EXPECT_EQ (db::LibraryManager::instance ().lib_by_name ("A").first, true);
+  EXPECT_EQ (db::LibraryManager::instance ().lib_by_name ("A", "*").first, true);
+  EXPECT_EQ (db::LibraryManager::instance ().lib_by_name ("A", "X").first, true);
+  EXPECT_EQ (db::LibraryManager::instance ().lib_by_name ("A", "").first, true);
+  EXPECT_EQ (db::LibraryManager::instance ().lib_by_name ("A").second, lib_a->get_id ());
+  EXPECT_EQ (db::LibraryManager::instance ().lib_by_name ("A", "X").second, lib_a->get_id ());
+  EXPECT_EQ (db::LibraryManager::instance ().lib_by_name ("A", "*").second, lib_a->get_id ());
+
   //  This test tests the ability to reference libraries out of other libraries ("B" references "A"),
   //  the ability to persist that and whether this survives a write/read cycle.
 
@@ -545,6 +555,15 @@ TEST(4)
   std::unique_ptr<LIBT_A> lib_a1_inst (new LIBT_A ());
   tl::weak_ptr<LIBT_A> lib_a1 (lib_a1_inst.get ());
   lib_a1->add_technology ("X");
+  EXPECT_EQ (lib_a1->is_for_technology ("Z"), false);
+  EXPECT_EQ (lib_a1->is_for_technology ("X"), true);
+  EXPECT_EQ (lib_a1->is_for_technology ("XX"), false);
+  EXPECT_EQ (lib_a1->is_for_technology ("*"), true);
+  lib_a1->add_technology ("XX");
+  EXPECT_EQ (lib_a1->is_for_technology ("Z"), false);
+  EXPECT_EQ (lib_a1->is_for_technology ("X"), true);
+  EXPECT_EQ (lib_a1->is_for_technology ("XX"), true);
+  EXPECT_EQ (lib_a1->is_for_technology ("*"), true);
 
   std::unique_ptr<LIBT_A> lib_a2_inst (new LIBT_A ());
   tl::weak_ptr<LIBT_A> lib_a2 (lib_a2_inst.get ());
@@ -552,12 +571,15 @@ TEST(4)
 
   std::unique_ptr<LIBT_A> lib_a3_inst (new LIBT_A ());
   tl::weak_ptr<LIBT_A> lib_a3 (lib_a3_inst.get ());
+  //  same technologies as a1, so it can entirely replace it:
   lib_a3->add_technology ("X");
+  lib_a3->add_technology ("XX");
 
   std::unique_ptr<LIBT_A> lib_a4_inst (new LIBT_A ());
   tl::weak_ptr<LIBT_A> lib_a4 (lib_a4_inst.get ());
 
   EXPECT_EQ (db::LibraryManager::instance ().lib_by_name ("A").first, false);
+  EXPECT_EQ (db::LibraryManager::instance ().lib_by_name ("A", "*").first, false);
   EXPECT_EQ (db::LibraryManager::instance ().lib_by_name ("A", "Z").first, false);
   EXPECT_EQ (db::LibraryManager::instance ().lib_by_name ("A", "").first, false);
   EXPECT_EQ (db::LibraryManager::instance ().lib_by_name ("A", "X").first, false);
@@ -565,20 +587,25 @@ TEST(4)
   db::LibraryManager::instance ().register_lib (lib_a1.get ());
 
   EXPECT_EQ (db::LibraryManager::instance ().lib_by_name ("A").first, false);
+  EXPECT_EQ (db::LibraryManager::instance ().lib_by_name ("A", "*").first, true);
   EXPECT_EQ (db::LibraryManager::instance ().lib_by_name ("A", "Z").first, false);
   EXPECT_EQ (db::LibraryManager::instance ().lib_by_name ("A", "").first, false);
   EXPECT_EQ (db::LibraryManager::instance ().lib_by_name ("A", "X").first, true);
   EXPECT_EQ (db::LibraryManager::instance ().lib_by_name ("A", "X").second, lib_a1->get_id ());
+  EXPECT_EQ (db::LibraryManager::instance ().lib_by_name ("A", "XX").second, lib_a1->get_id ());
+  EXPECT_EQ (db::LibraryManager::instance ().lib_by_name ("A", "*").second, lib_a1->get_id ());
 
   db::LibraryManager::instance ().register_lib (lib_a2.get ());
 
   EXPECT_EQ (db::LibraryManager::instance ().lib_by_name ("A").first, false);
+  EXPECT_EQ (db::LibraryManager::instance ().lib_by_name ("A", "*").first, true);
   EXPECT_EQ (db::LibraryManager::instance ().lib_by_name ("A", "Z").first, false);
   EXPECT_EQ (db::LibraryManager::instance ().lib_by_name ("A", "").first, false);
   EXPECT_EQ (db::LibraryManager::instance ().lib_by_name ("A", "X").first, true);
   EXPECT_EQ (db::LibraryManager::instance ().lib_by_name ("A", "X").second, lib_a1->get_id ());
   EXPECT_EQ (db::LibraryManager::instance ().lib_by_name ("A", "Y").first, true);
   EXPECT_EQ (db::LibraryManager::instance ().lib_by_name ("A", "Y").second, lib_a2->get_id ());
+  EXPECT_EQ (db::LibraryManager::instance ().lib_by_name ("A", "*").second, lib_a2->get_id ());
 
   db::LibraryManager::instance ().register_lib (lib_a3.get ());
   //  lib_a3 replaces lib_a1