diff --git a/src/lym/lym/gsiDeclLymMacro.cc b/src/lym/lym/gsiDeclLymMacro.cc
index a08d2c7f5..617a337a7 100644
--- a/src/lym/lym/gsiDeclLymMacro.cc
+++ b/src/lym/lym/gsiDeclLymMacro.cc
@@ -455,6 +455,24 @@ static lym::Macro *macro_by_path (const std::string &path)
   return lym::MacroCollection::root ().find_macro (path);
 }
 
+static std::string real_path (const std::string &path, int line)
+{
+  if (! path.empty () && path[0] == '@') {
+    return tl::IncludeExpander::from_string (path).translate_to_original (line).first;
+  } else {
+    return path;
+  }
+}
+
+static int real_line (const std::string &path, int line)
+{
+  if (! path.empty () && path[0] == '@') {
+    return tl::IncludeExpander::from_string (path).translate_to_original (line).second;
+  } else {
+    return line;
+  }
+}
+
 Class<lym::Macro> decl_Macro ("lay", "Macro",
   gsi::method ("path", &lym::Macro::path,
     "@brief Gets the path of the macro\n"
@@ -551,6 +569,46 @@ Class<lym::Macro> decl_Macro ("lay", "Macro",
   gsi::method ("menu_path=", &lym::Macro::set_menu_path, gsi::arg ("string"),
     "@brief Sets the menu path\n"
     "See \\menu_path for details.\n"
+  ) +
+  gsi::method ("real_path", &real_path,
+    "@brief Gets the real path for an include-encoded path and line number\n"
+    "\n"
+    "When using KLayout's include scheme based on '# %include ...', __FILE__ and __LINE__ (Ruby) or __file__ and __line__ (Python) will "
+    "not have the proper values but encoded file names. This method allows retrieving the real file by using\n"
+    "\n"
+    "@code\n"
+    "# Ruby\n"
+    "real_file = RBA::Macro::real_path(__FILE__, __LINE__)\n"
+    "\n"
+    "# Python\n"
+    "real_file = pya::Macro::real_path(__file__, __line__)\n"
+    "@/code\n"
+    "\n"
+    "This substitution is not required for top-level macros as KLayout's interpreter will automatically use this "
+    "function instead of __FILE__ or __file__. Call this function when you need __FILE__ or __file__ from files "
+    "included through the languages mechanisms such as 'import', 'require' or 'load' where this substitution does not happen.\n"
+    "\n"
+    "This feature has been introduced in version 0.27."
+  ) +
+  gsi::method ("real_line", &real_line,
+    "@brief Gets the real line number for an include-encoded path and line number\n"
+    "\n"
+    "When using KLayout's include scheme based on '# %include ...', __FILE__ and __LINE__ (Ruby) or __file__ and __line__ (Python) will "
+    "not have the proper values but encoded file names. This method allows retrieving the real line number by using\n"
+    "\n"
+    "@code\n"
+    "# Ruby\n"
+    "real_line = RBA::Macro::real_line(__FILE__, __LINE__)\n"
+    "\n"
+    "# Python\n"
+    "real_line = pya::Macro::real_line(__file__, __line__)\n"
+    "@/code\n"
+    "\n"
+    "This substitution is not required for top-level macros as KLayout's interpreter will automatically use this "
+    "function instead of __LINE__ or __line__. Call this function when you need __LINE__ or __line__ from files "
+    "included through the languages mechanisms such as 'import', 'require' or 'load' where this substitution does not happen.\n"
+    "\n"
+    "This feature has been introduced in version 0.27."
   ),
   "@brief A macro class\n"
   "\n"
diff --git a/src/lym/lym/lymMacro.cc b/src/lym/lym/lymMacro.cc
index 888bc7445..b7a30f726 100644
--- a/src/lym/lym/lymMacro.cc
+++ b/src/lym/lym/lymMacro.cc
@@ -1025,13 +1025,14 @@ int Macro::run () const
     gsi::Interpreter *ip = script_interpreter (interpreter ());
     if (ip) {
 
+      static lym::MacroInterpreter def_interpreter;
+
       if (! prolog ().empty ()) {
         ip->eval_string (prolog ().c_str ());
       }
 
-      std::string expanded_text;
-      tl::IncludeExpander ie = tl::IncludeExpander::expand (path (), text (), expanded_text);
-      ip->eval_string (expanded_text.c_str (), ie.to_string ().c_str (), 1);
+      std::pair<std::string, std::string> ep = def_interpreter.include_expansion (this);
+      ip->eval_string (ep.second.c_str (), ep.first.c_str (), 1);
 
       if (! epilog ().empty ()) {
         ip->eval_string (epilog ().c_str ());
diff --git a/src/lym/lym/lymMacroInterpreter.cc b/src/lym/lym/lymMacroInterpreter.cc
index 3e778bf0c..995eaa0a1 100644
--- a/src/lym/lym/lymMacroInterpreter.cc
+++ b/src/lym/lym/lymMacroInterpreter.cc
@@ -54,6 +54,32 @@ MacroInterpreter::include_expansion (const lym::Macro *macro)
 {
   std::pair<std::string, std::string> res;
   res.first = tl::IncludeExpander::expand (macro->path (), macro->text (), res.second).to_string ();
+
+  if (res.first != macro->path ()) {
+
+    //  Fix the macro's text such that include expansion does not spoil __FILE__ or __LINE__ variables
+    //  NOTE: this will modify the column for syntax errors. Let's hope this tiny error is acceptable.
+    //  TODO: this substitution may be somewhat naive ...
+
+    Macro::Interpreter ip = macro->interpreter ();
+    if (macro->interpreter () == Macro::DSLInterpreter) {
+      if (syntax_scheme () == "ruby") {
+        ip = Macro::Ruby;
+      } else if (syntax_scheme () == "python") {
+        ip = Macro::Python;
+      }
+    }
+
+    if (ip == Macro::Ruby) {
+      res.second = tl::replaced (res.second, "__FILE__", "RBA::Macro::real_path(__FILE__, __LINE__)");
+      res.second = tl::replaced (res.second, "__LINE__", "RBA::Macro::real_line(__FILE__, __LINE__)");
+    } else if (ip == Macro::Python) {
+      res.second = tl::replaced (res.second, "__file__", "pya.Macro.real_path(__file__, __line__)");
+      res.second = tl::replaced (res.second, "__line__", "pya.Macro.real_line(__file__, __line__)");
+    }
+
+  }
+
   return res;
 }
 
diff --git a/src/rba/rba/rbaUtils.cc b/src/rba/rba/rbaUtils.cc
index 5bdc35432..29f63d63e 100644
--- a/src/rba/rba/rbaUtils.cc
+++ b/src/rba/rba/rbaUtils.cc
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@
 #include "rba.h"
 #include "rbaUtils.h"
 #include "rbaInternal.h"
+#include "tlInclude.h"
 
 #if HAVE_RUBY_VERSION_CODE >= 20200
 #  include <ruby/debug.h>