diff --git a/src/db/db/dbLayout.cc b/src/db/db/dbLayout.cc
index 458f2eda9..b181bd2e0 100644
--- a/src/db/db/dbLayout.cc
+++ b/src/db/db/dbLayout.cc
@@ -255,6 +255,65 @@ private:
   bool m_insert;
 };
 
+// -----------------------------------------------------------------
+//  Implementation of the ProxyContextInfo class
+
+ProxyContextInfo
+ProxyContextInfo::deserialize (std::vector<std::string>::const_iterator from, std::vector<std::string>::const_iterator to)
+{
+  ProxyContextInfo info;
+
+  for (std::vector<std::string>::const_iterator i = from; i != to; ++i) {
+
+    tl::Extractor ex (i->c_str ());
+
+    if (ex.test ("LIB=")) {
+
+      info.lib_name = ex.skip ();
+
+    } else if (ex.test ("P(")) {
+
+      std::pair<std::string, tl::Variant> vv;
+
+      ex.read_word_or_quoted (vv.first);
+      ex.test (")");
+      ex.test ("=");
+      ex.read (vv.second);
+
+      info.pcell_parameters.insert (vv);
+
+    } else if (ex.test ("PCELL=")) {
+
+      info.pcell_name = ex.skip ();
+
+    } else if (ex.test ("CELL=")) {
+
+      info.cell_name = ex.skip ();
+
+    }
+
+  }
+
+  return info;
+}
+
+void
+ProxyContextInfo::serialize (std::vector<std::string> &strings)
+{
+  if (! lib_name.empty ()) {
+    strings.push_back ("LIB=" + lib_name);
+  }
+  for (std::map<std::string, tl::Variant> ::const_iterator p = pcell_parameters.begin (); p != pcell_parameters.end (); ++p) {
+    strings.push_back ("P(" + tl::to_word_or_quoted_string (p->first) + ")=" + p->second.to_parsable_string ());
+  }
+  if (! pcell_name.empty ()) {
+    strings.push_back ("PCELL=" + pcell_name);
+  }
+  if (! cell_name.empty ()) {
+    strings.push_back ("CELL=" + cell_name);
+  }
+}
+
 // -----------------------------------------------------------------
 //  Implementation of the Layout class
 
@@ -1823,12 +1882,6 @@ Layout::insert_layer (unsigned int index, const LayerProperties &props)
   layer_properties_changed ();
 }
 
-unsigned int
-Layout::get_layer (const db::LayerProperties &lp)
-{
-  return m_layers.get_layer (lp);
-}
-
 unsigned int 
 Layout::insert_special_layer (const LayerProperties &props)
 {
diff --git a/src/db/db/dbLayout.h b/src/db/db/dbLayout.h
index 99ab11d5e..7b7cc1278 100644
--- a/src/db/db/dbLayout.h
+++ b/src/db/db/dbLayout.h
@@ -1644,7 +1644,18 @@ public:
    *  If there already is a layer matching the given properties, it's index will be
    *  returned. Otherwise a new layer with these properties is created.
    */
-  unsigned int get_layer (const db::LayerProperties &props);
+  unsigned int get_layer (const db::LayerProperties &props)
+  {
+    return m_layers.get_layer (props);
+  }
+
+  /**
+   *  @brief Gets the layer with the given properties or -1 if such a layer does not exist
+   */
+  int get_layer_maybe (const db::LayerProperties &props)
+  {
+    return m_layers.get_layer_maybe (props);
+  }
 
   /**
    *  @brief Insert a new special layer with the given properties
diff --git a/src/db/db/dbLayoutLayers.h b/src/db/db/dbLayoutLayers.h
index fb0046144..fbe0988bf 100644
--- a/src/db/db/dbLayoutLayers.h
+++ b/src/db/db/dbLayoutLayers.h
@@ -185,7 +185,7 @@ public:
   unsigned int get_layer (const db::LayerProperties &props);
 
   /**
-   *  @brief Gets or creates a layer with the given properties or -1 if such a layer does not exist.
+   *  @brief Gets the layer with the given properties or -1 if such a layer does not exist.
    */
   int get_layer_maybe (const db::LayerProperties &props);