diff --git a/src/db/db/dbLayerProperties.cc b/src/db/db/dbLayerProperties.cc
index d5a50e497..ccdb42153 100644
--- a/src/db/db/dbLayerProperties.cc
+++ b/src/db/db/dbLayerProperties.cc
@@ -190,7 +190,7 @@ static bool read_ld (tl::Extractor &ex, ld_type &l, bool with_relative)
   }
 }
 
-void
+bool
 LayerProperties::read (tl::Extractor &ex, bool as_target)
 {
   layer = db::any_ld ();
@@ -207,6 +207,8 @@ LayerProperties::read (tl::Extractor &ex, bool as_target)
     layer = l;
     datatype = d;
 
+    return true;
+
   } else if (ex.try_read_word_or_quoted (name)) {
 
     if (ex.test ("(")) {
@@ -223,6 +225,10 @@ LayerProperties::read (tl::Extractor &ex, bool as_target)
 
     }
 
+    return true;
+
+  } else {
+    return false;
   }
 }
 
diff --git a/src/db/db/dbLayerProperties.h b/src/db/db/dbLayerProperties.h
index b9738b339..7ed4494ff 100644
--- a/src/db/db/dbLayerProperties.h
+++ b/src/db/db/dbLayerProperties.h
@@ -91,8 +91,10 @@ struct DB_PUBLIC LayerProperties
    *  relative layer/datatype specifications in the format "*+1" or "*-100".
    *  "*" for layer or datatype is for "don't care" (on input) or "leave as is"
    *  (for output).
+   *
+   *  Returns true, if a layer was read successfully.
    */
-  void read (tl::Extractor &ex, bool as_target = false);
+  bool read (tl::Extractor &ex, bool as_target = false);
 
   /**
    *  @brief "Logical" equality
diff --git a/src/layui/layui/layDialogs.cc b/src/layui/layui/layDialogs.cc
index a303c6dd0..61d16c46c 100644
--- a/src/layui/layui/layDialogs.cc
+++ b/src/layui/layui/layDialogs.cc
@@ -196,7 +196,9 @@ NewLayoutPropertiesDialog::exec_dialog (std::string &technology, std::string &ce
     while (! ex.at_end ()) {
       db::LayerProperties lp;
       try {
-        lp.read (ex);
+        if (! lp.read (ex)) {
+          break;
+        }
       } catch (...) {
         break;
       }