diff --git a/src/plugins/streamers/lefdef/db_plugin/dbDEFImporter.cc b/src/plugins/streamers/lefdef/db_plugin/dbDEFImporter.cc
index 842b3287a..81dc153dd 100644
--- a/src/plugins/streamers/lefdef/db_plugin/dbDEFImporter.cc
+++ b/src/plugins/streamers/lefdef/db_plugin/dbDEFImporter.cc
@@ -967,6 +967,25 @@ DEFImporter::do_read (db::Layout &layout)
 
         }
 
+        if (vd.m1.empty () && vd.m2.empty ()) {
+
+          //  analyze the layers to find the metals
+          std::vector<std::string> routing_layers;
+          for (std::map<std::string, std::vector<db::Polygon> >::const_iterator b = geometry.begin (); b != geometry.end (); ++b) {
+            if (m_lef_importer.is_routing_layer (b->first)) {
+              routing_layers.push_back (b->first);
+            }
+          }
+
+          if (routing_layers.size () == 2) {
+            vd.m1 = routing_layers[0];
+            vd.m2 = routing_layers[1];
+          } else {
+            warn ("Can't determine routing layers for via: " + n);
+          }
+
+        }
+
         test (";");
 
         if (has_via_rule && top && cut && bottom) {
diff --git a/src/plugins/streamers/lefdef/db_plugin/dbLEFImporter.h b/src/plugins/streamers/lefdef/db_plugin/dbLEFImporter.h
index b07af42e7..59ee3e5d2 100644
--- a/src/plugins/streamers/lefdef/db_plugin/dbLEFImporter.h
+++ b/src/plugins/streamers/lefdef/db_plugin/dbLEFImporter.h
@@ -86,6 +86,22 @@ public:
    */
   double layer_ext (const std::string &layer, double def_ext = 0.0) const;
 
+  /**
+   *  @brief Returns true if the given layer is a routing layer
+   */
+  bool is_routing_layer (const std::string &layer) const
+  {
+    return m_routing_layers.find (layer) != m_routing_layers.end ();
+  }
+
+  /**
+   *  @brief Returns true if the given layer is a cut layer
+   */
+  bool is_cut_layer (const std::string &layer) const
+  {
+    return m_cut_layers.find (layer) != m_cut_layers.end ();
+  }
+
   /**
    *  @brief Gets a map of the vias defined in this LEF file
    *
diff --git a/src/plugins/streamers/lefdef/unit_tests/dbLEFDEFImportTests.cc b/src/plugins/streamers/lefdef/unit_tests/dbLEFDEFImportTests.cc
index 14cc6fcac..472a29f0b 100644
--- a/src/plugins/streamers/lefdef/unit_tests/dbLEFDEFImportTests.cc
+++ b/src/plugins/streamers/lefdef/unit_tests/dbLEFDEFImportTests.cc
@@ -274,3 +274,8 @@ TEST(104)
 {
   run_test (_this, "doxy_vias", "def:test.def", "au.oas.gz", default_options (), false);
 }
+
+TEST(105)
+{
+  run_test (_this, "specialnets_geo", "lef:test.lef+def:test.def", "au.oas.gz", default_options (), false);
+}
diff --git a/testdata/lefdef/doxy_vias/.test.def.swp b/testdata/lefdef/doxy_vias/.test.def.swp
deleted file mode 100644
index fcf20729c..000000000
Binary files a/testdata/lefdef/doxy_vias/.test.def.swp and /dev/null differ
diff --git a/testdata/lefdef/doxy_vias/test.def b/testdata/lefdef/doxy_vias/test.def
index 58efeb9c0..6381b8523 100644
--- a/testdata/lefdef/doxy_vias/test.def
+++ b/testdata/lefdef/doxy_vias/test.def
@@ -16,4 +16,13 @@ SPECIALNETS 1 ;
    + ROUTED M1 150 + SHAPE IOWIRE ( 40000 3600 ) VIA1_dummy DO 16000 BY 1 STEP 700 0
 ;
 END SPECIALNETS
+SCANCHAINS 77 ;
+- chain1_clock1
++ PARTITION clock1
++ START block1/bsr_reg_0 Q
++ FLOATING
+block1/pgm_cgm_en_reg_reg ( IN SD ) ( OUT QZ )
+block1/start_reset_dd_reg ( IN SD ) ( OUT QZ )
++ STOP block1/start_reset_d_reg SD ;
+END SCANCHAINS
 END DESIGN
diff --git a/testdata/lefdef/specialnets_geo/au.oas.gz b/testdata/lefdef/specialnets_geo/au.oas.gz
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..994644702
Binary files /dev/null and b/testdata/lefdef/specialnets_geo/au.oas.gz differ
diff --git a/testdata/lefdef/specialnets_geo/test.def b/testdata/lefdef/specialnets_geo/test.def
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..2874f0491
--- /dev/null
+++ b/testdata/lefdef/specialnets_geo/test.def
@@ -0,0 +1,26 @@
+
+VERSION 5.8 ;
+DIVIDERCHAR "/" ;
+BUSBITCHARS "[]" ;
+DESIGN chip_top ;
+UNITS DISTANCE MICRONS 1000 ;
+DIEAREA ( 0 0 ) ( 300 300 ) ;
+STYLES 2 ;
+- STYLE 1 ( 30 10 ) ( 10 30 ) ( -10 30 ) ( -30 10 ) ( -30 -10 ) ( -10 -30 ) ( 10 -30 ) ( 30 -10 ) ;
+END STYLES
+VIAS 1 ;
+ - VIA1_dummy
+   + RECT M1 ( -20 -15 ) ( 20 15 )
+   + RECT VIA1 ( -10 -10 ) ( 10 10 )
+   + RECT M2 ( -25 -25 ) ( 25 25 ) ;
+END VIAS
+SPECIALNETS 1 ;
+- dummy
+  + POLYGON M1 ( 300 0 ) ( 300 50 ) ( 350 50 ) ( 400 100 ) ( 400 0 )
+  + POLYGON M2 ( 300 150 ) ( 300 200 ) ( 350 200 ) ( 400 250 ) ( 400 150 )
+  + RECT M1 ( 0 0 ) ( 100 200 )
+  + ROUTED M1 30 ( 0 0 15 ) ( 100 0 0 ) VIA1_dummy ( 100 100 10 )
+  + ROUTED M2 50 + SHAPE RING + STYLE 1 ( 0 100 ) ( 100 200 ) ( 200 200 )
+;
+END SPECIALNETS
+END DESIGN
diff --git a/testdata/lefdef/specialnets_geo/test.lef b/testdata/lefdef/specialnets_geo/test.lef
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..da907c86d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/testdata/lefdef/specialnets_geo/test.lef
@@ -0,0 +1,24 @@
+VERSION 5.8 ;
+BUSBITCHARS "[]" ;
+DIVIDERCHAR "/" ;
+
+UNITS
+  DATABASE MICRONS 1000 ;
+END UNITS
+
+MANUFACTURINGGRID 0.001 ;
+
+LAYER M1
+  TYPE ROUTING ;
+END M1
+
+LAYER VIA1
+  TYPE CUT ;
+END VIA1
+
+LAYER M2
+  TYPE ROUTING ;
+  WIDTH 0.05 ;
+END M2
+
+END LIBRARY