diff --git a/src/db/db/dbNetlistSpiceReader.cc b/src/db/db/dbNetlistSpiceReader.cc
index ce4477c7d..928aba2aa 100644
--- a/src/db/db/dbNetlistSpiceReader.cc
+++ b/src/db/db/dbNetlistSpiceReader.cc
@@ -417,8 +417,10 @@ bool NetlistSpiceReader::read_card ()
 
     } else if (ex.test_without_case ("global")) {
 
-      std::string n = read_name (ex);
-      m_global_nets.push_back (n);
+      while (! ex.at_end ()) {
+        std::string n = read_name (ex);
+        m_global_nets.push_back (n);
+      }
 
     } else if (ex.test_without_case ("subckt")) {
 
@@ -812,10 +814,6 @@ bool NetlistSpiceReader::read_element (tl::Extractor &ex, const std::string &ele
 
 void NetlistSpiceReader::read_subcircuit (const std::string &sc_name, const std::string &nc_name, const std::vector<db::Net *> &nets)
 {
-  if (nets.empty ()) {
-    error (tl::to_string (tr ("A circuit call needs at least one net")));
-  }
-
   db::Circuit *cc = mp_netlist->circuit_by_name (nc_name);
   if (! cc) {
 
diff --git a/src/db/unit_tests/dbNetlistReaderTests.cc b/src/db/unit_tests/dbNetlistReaderTests.cc
index 664373d22..149bc22f6 100644
--- a/src/db/unit_tests/dbNetlistReaderTests.cc
+++ b/src/db/unit_tests/dbNetlistReaderTests.cc
@@ -359,3 +359,24 @@ TEST(9_DeviceMultipliers)
   );
 }
 
+TEST(10_SubcircuitsNoPins)
+{
+  db::Netlist nl;
+
+  std::string path = tl::combine_path (tl::combine_path (tl::combine_path (tl::testsrc (), "testdata"), "algo"), "nreader10.cir");
+
+  db::NetlistSpiceReader reader;
+  tl::InputStream is (path);
+  reader.read (is, nl);
+
+  EXPECT_EQ (nl.to_string (),
+    "circuit .TOP ();\n"
+    "  device RES $1 (A=VDD,B=GND) (R=1000,L=0,W=0,A=0,P=0);\n"
+    "  subcircuit FILLER_CAP '0' (VDD=VDD,GND=GND);\n"
+    "end;\n"
+    "circuit FILLER_CAP (VDD=VDD,GND=GND);\n"
+    "  device NMOS '0' (S=GND,G=VDD,D=GND,B=GND) (L=10,W=10,AS=0,AD=0,PS=0,PD=0);\n"
+    "end;\n"
+  );
+}
+
diff --git a/testdata/algo/nreader10.cir b/testdata/algo/nreader10.cir
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..f7e8a574e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/testdata/algo/nreader10.cir
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+
+.global vdd gnd
+
+X0 FILLER_CAP
+R$1 vdd gnd 1k
+
+.subckt FILLER_CAP
+M0 gnd vdd gnd gnd NMOS W=10u L=10u
+.ends FILLER_CAP
+