diff --git a/src/db/db/dbHierNetworkProcessor.cc b/src/db/db/dbHierNetworkProcessor.cc
index 247c9cf4c..d44349231 100644
--- a/src/db/db/dbHierNetworkProcessor.cc
+++ b/src/db/db/dbHierNetworkProcessor.cc
@@ -1001,6 +1001,8 @@ local_clusters<T>::mem_stat (MemStatistics *stat, MemStatistics::purpose_t purpo
   db::mem_stat (stat, purpose, cat, m_bbox, true, (void *) this);
   db::mem_stat (stat, purpose, cat, m_clusters, true, (void *) this);
   db::mem_stat (stat, purpose, cat, m_next_dummy_id, true, (void *) this);
+  db::mem_stat (stat, purpose, cat, m_soft_connections, true, (void *) this);
+  db::mem_stat (stat, purpose, cat, m_soft_connections_rev, true, (void *) this);
 }
 
 namespace
@@ -1268,6 +1270,10 @@ private:
 
   void join (typename std::list<cluster_value>::iterator ic1, typename std::list<cluster_value>::iterator ic2)
   {
+    if (ic1 == ic2) {
+      return;
+    }
+
     ic1->first.insert (ic1->first.end (), ic2->first.begin (), ic2->first.end ());
     ic1->second.insert (ic2->second.begin (), ic2->second.end ());
 
@@ -1280,21 +1286,35 @@ private:
 
     m_clusters.erase (ic2);
 
-    auto i1 = m_soft_connections.find (std::make_pair (ic1.operator-> (), ic2.operator-> ()));
-    if (i1 != m_soft_connections.end ()) {
-      i1->second = 0;
+    //  remap soft connections: remove soft connections between ic1 and ic2 and
+    //  remap ic2 connections to ic1 as first
+
+    auto i2 = m_soft_connections.lower_bound (std::make_pair (ic2.operator-> (), (const cluster_value *) 0));
+    for (auto i = i2; i != m_soft_connections.end () && i->first.first == ic2.operator-> (); ++i) {
+      m_soft_connections.erase (std::make_pair (i->first.second, i->first.first));
     }
 
-    auto i2 = m_soft_connections.find (std::make_pair (ic2.operator-> (), ic1.operator-> ()));
-    if (i2 != m_soft_connections.end ()) {
-      i2->second = 0;
+    for (auto i = i2; i != m_soft_connections.end () && i->first.first == ic2.operator-> (); ++i) {
+      if (i->first.second != ic1.operator-> ()) {
+        register_soft_connection (ic1.operator-> (), i->first.second, i->second);
+      }
     }
+
+    auto i2_from = i2;
+    for ( ; i2 != m_soft_connections.end () && i2->first.first == ic2.operator-> (); ++i2)
+      ;
+    m_soft_connections.erase (i2_from, i2);
   }
 
   void register_soft_connection (typename std::list<cluster_value>::iterator ic1, typename std::list<cluster_value>::iterator ic2, int soft)
   {
-    auto i1 = m_soft_connections.find (std::make_pair (ic1.operator-> (), ic2.operator-> ()));
-    auto i2 = m_soft_connections.find (std::make_pair (ic2.operator-> (), ic1.operator-> ()));
+    register_soft_connection (ic1.operator-> (), ic2.operator-> (), soft);
+  }
+
+  void register_soft_connection (const cluster_value *c1, const cluster_value *c2, int soft)
+  {
+    auto i1 = m_soft_connections.find (std::make_pair (c1, c2));
+    auto i2 = m_soft_connections.find (std::make_pair (c2, c1));
 
     if (i1 != m_soft_connections.end () && i1->second != 0 && i1->second != soft) {
       i1->second = 0;
@@ -1305,8 +1325,8 @@ private:
 
     if (i1 == m_soft_connections.end ()) {
       tl_assert (i2 == m_soft_connections.end ());
-      m_soft_connections.insert (std::make_pair (std::make_pair (ic1.operator-> (), ic2.operator-> ()), soft));
-      m_soft_connections.insert (std::make_pair (std::make_pair (ic2.operator-> (), ic1.operator-> ()), -soft));
+      m_soft_connections.insert (std::make_pair (std::make_pair (c1, c2), soft));
+      m_soft_connections.insert (std::make_pair (std::make_pair (c2, c1), -soft));
     }
   }
 };
diff --git a/src/db/db/dbHierNetworkProcessor.h b/src/db/db/dbHierNetworkProcessor.h
index 4b5cb5679..efec69dd5 100644
--- a/src/db/db/dbHierNetworkProcessor.h
+++ b/src/db/db/dbHierNetworkProcessor.h
@@ -338,7 +338,7 @@ public:
   bool interacts (const db::Cell &cell, const db::ICplxTrans &trans, const Connectivity &conn) const;
 
   /**
-   *  @brief Gets the bounding box of this cluster
+   *  @brief Gets the bounding box ofF this cluster
    */
   const box_type &bbox () const
   {
diff --git a/src/db/db/dbLayoutToNetlist.cc b/src/db/db/dbLayoutToNetlist.cc
index 4bf49e1d3..1795c4cdb 100644
--- a/src/db/db/dbLayoutToNetlist.cc
+++ b/src/db/db/dbLayoutToNetlist.cc
@@ -33,6 +33,7 @@
 #include "dbLayoutToNetlistFormatDefs.h"
 #include "dbLayoutVsSchematicFormatDefs.h"
 #include "dbShapeProcessor.h"
+#include "dbNetlistDeviceClasses.h"
 #include "dbLog.h"
 #include "tlGlobPattern.h"
 
@@ -425,7 +426,9 @@ void LayoutToNetlist::extract_netlist ()
   netex.extract_nets (dss (), m_layout_index, m_conn, *mp_netlist, m_net_clusters);
 
   // @@@ NOTE: can we have multiple pins on a net? Will this happen later maybe?
-  // @@@ do_soft_connections ()
+  tl_assert (check_many_pins (mp_netlist.get ())); // @@@
+  do_soft_connections ();
+  tl_assert (check_many_pins (mp_netlist.get ())); // @@@
   do_join_nets ();
   tl_assert (check_many_pins (mp_netlist.get ())); // @@@
 
@@ -640,6 +643,42 @@ void LayoutToNetlist::check_must_connect_impl (const db::Circuit &c, const db::N
   }
 }
 
+void LayoutToNetlist::do_soft_connections ()
+{
+
+// @@@ NetlistLocker locked_netlist (mp_netlist.get ());
+
+  db::DeviceClassDiode *soft_diode = new db::DeviceClassDiode ();
+  soft_diode->set_name ("SOFT");
+  mp_netlist->add_device_class (soft_diode);
+
+  for (auto c = mp_netlist->begin_bottom_up (); c != mp_netlist->end_bottom_up (); ++c) {
+
+    // @@@ create diodes as of now
+
+    auto clusters = net_clusters ().clusters_per_cell (c->cell_index ());
+
+    for (auto n = c->begin_nets (); n != c->end_nets (); ++n) {
+
+      auto soft_connections = clusters.upward_soft_connections (n->cluster_id ());
+      for (auto sc = soft_connections.begin (); sc != soft_connections.end (); ++sc) {
+
+        db::Device *sc_device = new db::Device (soft_diode);
+        c->add_device (sc_device);
+
+        auto nn = c->net_by_cluster_id (*sc);
+        if (nn) {
+          sc_device->connect_terminal (db::DeviceClassDiode::terminal_id_C, n.operator-> ());
+          sc_device->connect_terminal (db::DeviceClassDiode::terminal_id_A, nn);
+        }
+
+      }
+
+    }
+
+  }
+}
+
 void LayoutToNetlist::do_join_nets ()
 {
   if (! mp_netlist) {
diff --git a/src/db/db/dbLayoutToNetlist.h b/src/db/db/dbLayoutToNetlist.h
index e18a11e5d..01f945e97 100644
--- a/src/db/db/dbLayoutToNetlist.h
+++ b/src/db/db/dbLayoutToNetlist.h
@@ -1093,6 +1093,7 @@ private:
   bool is_persisted_impl (const db::ShapeCollection &coll) const;
   void do_join_nets (db::Circuit &c, const std::vector<Net *> &nets);
   void do_join_nets ();
+  void do_soft_connections ();
   void join_nets_from_pattern (db::Circuit &c, const tl::GlobPattern &p);
   void join_nets_from_pattern (db::Circuit &c, const std::set<std::string> &p);
   void check_must_connect (const db::Circuit &c, const db::Net &a, const db::Net &b);
diff --git a/src/db/db/dbNetlistExtractor.cc b/src/db/db/dbNetlistExtractor.cc
index ddcef72c2..dd4ac0c23 100644
--- a/src/db/db/dbNetlistExtractor.cc
+++ b/src/db/db/dbNetlistExtractor.cc
@@ -288,7 +288,9 @@ NetlistExtractor::extract_nets (const db::DeepShapeStore &dss, unsigned int layo
 
       const db::local_cluster<db::NetShape> &lc = clusters.cluster_by_id (*c);
       const connected_clusters_type::connections_type &cc = clusters.connections_for_cluster (*c);
-      if (cc.empty () && lc.empty ()) {
+      const std::set<size_t> &sc_up = clusters.upward_soft_connections (*c);
+      const std::set<size_t> &sc_down = clusters.downward_soft_connections (*c);
+      if (cc.empty () && sc_up.empty () && sc_down.empty () && lc.empty ()) {
         //  this is an entirely empty cluster so we skip it.
         //  Such clusters are left over when joining clusters.
         continue;