diff --git a/src/db/db/dbLayout.h b/src/db/db/dbLayout.h
index 27724cf78..efce2c173 100644
--- a/src/db/db/dbLayout.h
+++ b/src/db/db/dbLayout.h
@@ -1236,9 +1236,7 @@ public:
   bool is_valid_cell_index (cell_index_type ci) const;
 
   /**
-   *  @brief Tell, if a layer index is a valid index
-   *
-   *  @return true, if this is so
+   *  @brief Returns true, if a layer index is a valid index for a normal layout layer
    */
   bool is_valid_layer (unsigned int n) const
   {
@@ -1246,9 +1244,15 @@ public:
   }
 
   /**
-   *  @brief Tell, if a layer index is a special layer index
-   *
-   *  @return true, if this is so
+   *  @brief Returns true, if a layer index is a free (unused) layer
+   */
+  bool is_free_layer (unsigned int n) const
+  {
+    return (n >= layers () || m_layer_states [n] == Free);
+  }
+
+  /**
+   *  @brief Returns true, if a layer index is a special layer index
    */
   bool is_special_layer (unsigned int n) const
   {
diff --git a/src/db/db/dbNamedLayerReader.cc b/src/db/db/dbNamedLayerReader.cc
index a59f68ab9..43975c685 100644
--- a/src/db/db/dbNamedLayerReader.cc
+++ b/src/db/db/dbNamedLayerReader.cc
@@ -168,7 +168,10 @@ NamedLayerReader::open_layer (db::Layout &layout, const std::string &n)
     std::map <std::string, unsigned int>::const_iterator nl = m_new_layers.find (n);
     if (nl == m_new_layers.end ()) {
 
-      unsigned int ll = m_next_layer_index++;
+      unsigned int ll;
+      do {
+        ll = m_next_layer_index++;
+      } while (! layout.is_free_layer (ll));
 
       layout.insert_layer (ll, db::LayerProperties ());
       m_new_layers.insert (std::make_pair (n, ll));
diff --git a/src/db/db/gsiDeclDbLayout.cc b/src/db/db/gsiDeclDbLayout.cc
index 37d9faf8b..4bbd4a941 100644
--- a/src/db/db/gsiDeclDbLayout.cc
+++ b/src/db/db/gsiDeclDbLayout.cc
@@ -1576,11 +1576,19 @@ Class<db::Layout> decl_Layout ("db", "Layout",
     "This method has been added in version 0.20.\n"
   ) +
   gsi::method ("is_valid_layer?", &db::Layout::is_valid_layer,
-    "@brief Returns true, if a layer index is a valid index\n"
+    "@brief Returns true, if a layer index is a valid normal layout layer index\n"
     "@args layer_index\n"
     "\n"
     "@return true, if this is the case\n"
   ) +
+  gsi::method ("is_free_layer?", &db::Layout::is_free_layer,
+    "@brief Returns true, if a layer index is a free (unused) layer index\n"
+    "@args layer_index\n"
+    "\n"
+    "@return true, if this is the case\n"
+    "\n"
+    "This method has been introduced in version 0.26."
+  ) +
   gsi::method ("is_special_layer?", &db::Layout::is_special_layer,
     "@brief Returns true, if a layer index is a special layer index\n"
     "@args layer_index\n"