diff --git a/src/db/db/dbRecursiveShapeIterator.cc b/src/db/db/dbRecursiveShapeIterator.cc
index 6b91ff9b2..ee23140ac 100644
--- a/src/db/db/dbRecursiveShapeIterator.cc
+++ b/src/db/db/dbRecursiveShapeIterator.cc
@@ -93,7 +93,6 @@ RecursiveShapeIterator::RecursiveShapeIterator ()
   //  anything. Not necessary reasonable.
   m_layer = 0;
   m_has_layers = false;
-  mp_layout = 0;
   mp_shapes = 0;
   mp_top_cell = 0;
   mp_cell = 0;
@@ -113,7 +112,6 @@ RecursiveShapeIterator::RecursiveShapeIterator (const shapes_type &shapes)
 {
   m_layer = 0;
   m_has_layers = false;
-  mp_layout = 0;
   mp_shapes = &shapes;
   mp_top_cell = 0;
   m_overlapping = false;
@@ -125,7 +123,6 @@ RecursiveShapeIterator::RecursiveShapeIterator (const shapes_type &shapes, const
 {
   m_layer = 0;
   m_has_layers = false;
-  mp_layout = 0;
   mp_shapes = &shapes;
   mp_top_cell = 0;
   m_overlapping = overlapping;
@@ -137,7 +134,6 @@ RecursiveShapeIterator::RecursiveShapeIterator (const shapes_type &shapes, const
 {
   m_layer = 0;
   m_has_layers = false;
-  mp_layout = 0;
   mp_shapes = &shapes;
   mp_top_cell = 0;
   m_overlapping = overlapping;
@@ -150,7 +146,7 @@ RecursiveShapeIterator::RecursiveShapeIterator (const layout_type &layout, const
 {
   m_layer = layer;
   m_has_layers = false;
-  mp_layout = &layout;
+  mp_layout.reset (const_cast<db::Layout *> (&layout));
   mp_shapes = 0;
   mp_top_cell = &cell;
   m_overlapping = overlapping;
@@ -163,7 +159,7 @@ RecursiveShapeIterator::RecursiveShapeIterator (const layout_type &layout, const
 {
   m_layer = layer;
   m_has_layers = false;
-  mp_layout = &layout;
+  mp_layout.reset (const_cast<db::Layout *> (&layout));
   mp_shapes = 0;
   mp_top_cell = &cell;
   m_overlapping = overlapping;
@@ -176,7 +172,7 @@ RecursiveShapeIterator::RecursiveShapeIterator (const layout_type &layout, const
 {
   m_layer = layer;
   m_has_layers = false;
-  mp_layout = &layout;
+  mp_layout.reset (const_cast<db::Layout *> (&layout));
   mp_shapes = 0;
   mp_top_cell = &cell;
   m_overlapping = false;
@@ -190,7 +186,7 @@ RecursiveShapeIterator::RecursiveShapeIterator (const layout_type &layout, const
   m_layer = 0;
   m_layers = layers;
   m_has_layers = true;
-  mp_layout = &layout;
+  mp_layout.reset (const_cast<db::Layout *> (&layout));
   mp_shapes = 0;
   mp_top_cell = &cell;
   m_overlapping = overlapping;
@@ -204,7 +200,7 @@ RecursiveShapeIterator::RecursiveShapeIterator (const layout_type &layout, const
   m_layer = 0;
   m_layers = layers;
   m_has_layers = true;
-  mp_layout = &layout;
+  mp_layout.reset (const_cast<db::Layout *> (&layout));
   mp_shapes = 0;
   mp_top_cell = &cell;
   m_overlapping = overlapping;
@@ -218,7 +214,7 @@ RecursiveShapeIterator::RecursiveShapeIterator (const layout_type &layout, const
   m_layer = 0;
   m_layers = layers;
   m_has_layers = true;
-  mp_layout = &layout;
+  mp_layout.reset (const_cast<db::Layout *> (&layout));
   mp_shapes = 0;
   mp_top_cell = &cell;
   m_overlapping = false;
@@ -232,7 +228,7 @@ RecursiveShapeIterator::RecursiveShapeIterator (const layout_type &layout, const
   m_layer = 0;
   m_layers.insert (m_layers.end (), layers.begin (), layers.end ());
   m_has_layers = true;
-  mp_layout = &layout;
+  mp_layout.reset (const_cast<db::Layout *> (&layout));
   mp_shapes = 0;
   mp_top_cell = &cell;
   m_overlapping = overlapping;
@@ -246,7 +242,7 @@ RecursiveShapeIterator::RecursiveShapeIterator (const layout_type &layout, const
   m_layer = 0;
   m_layers.insert (m_layers.end (), layers.begin (), layers.end ());
   m_has_layers = true;
-  mp_layout = &layout;
+  mp_layout.reset (const_cast<db::Layout *> (&layout));
   mp_shapes = 0;
   mp_top_cell = &cell;
   m_overlapping = overlapping;
@@ -260,7 +256,7 @@ RecursiveShapeIterator::RecursiveShapeIterator (const layout_type &layout, const
   m_layer = 0;
   m_layers.insert (m_layers.end (), layers.begin (), layers.end ());
   m_has_layers = true;
-  mp_layout = &layout;
+  mp_layout.reset (const_cast<db::Layout *> (&layout));
   mp_shapes = 0;
   mp_top_cell = &cell;
   m_overlapping = false;
@@ -691,6 +687,8 @@ RecursiveShapeIterator::next_shape (RecursiveShapeReceiver *receiver) const
       
       if (! m_inst.at_end () && int (m_inst_iterators.size ()) < m_max_depth) {
 
+        tl_assert (mp_layout);
+
         //  determine whether the cell is empty with respect to the layers specified
         bool is_empty = false;
         if (! m_has_layers) {
@@ -754,6 +752,8 @@ RecursiveShapeIterator::next_shape (RecursiveShapeReceiver *receiver) const
 void
 RecursiveShapeIterator::down (RecursiveShapeReceiver *receiver) const
 {
+  tl_assert (mp_layout);
+
   m_trans_stack.push_back (m_trans);
   m_cells.push_back (mp_cell);
 
diff --git a/src/db/db/dbRecursiveShapeIterator.h b/src/db/db/dbRecursiveShapeIterator.h
index 2370f65a7..330563c20 100644
--- a/src/db/db/dbRecursiveShapeIterator.h
+++ b/src/db/db/dbRecursiveShapeIterator.h
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@
 #include "dbLayout.h"
 #include "dbInstElement.h"
 #include "tlAssert.h"
+#include "tlObject.h"
 
 #include <map>
 #include <set>
@@ -306,7 +307,7 @@ public:
    */
   const layout_type *layout () const
   {
-    return mp_layout;
+    return mp_layout.get ();
   }
 
   /**
@@ -765,7 +766,7 @@ private:
   std::set<db::cell_index_type> m_start, m_stop;
   cplx_trans_type m_global_trans;
 
-  const layout_type *mp_layout;
+  tl::weak_ptr<layout_type> mp_layout;
   const cell_type *mp_top_cell;
   const shapes_type *mp_shapes;
 
diff --git a/src/db/unit_tests/dbRecursiveShapeIteratorTests.cc b/src/db/unit_tests/dbRecursiveShapeIteratorTests.cc
index 077f47793..c4dc63ae2 100644
--- a/src/db/unit_tests/dbRecursiveShapeIteratorTests.cc
+++ b/src/db/unit_tests/dbRecursiveShapeIteratorTests.cc
@@ -1515,3 +1515,42 @@ TEST(10)
     "end\n"
   );
 }
+
+TEST(11_LayoutIsWeakPointer)
+{
+  std::unique_ptr<db::Layout> g (new db::Layout ());
+  g->insert_layer (0);
+  g->insert_layer (1);
+  db::Cell &c0 (g->cell (g->add_cell ()));
+  db::Cell &c1 (g->cell (g->add_cell ()));
+  db::Cell &c2 (g->cell (g->add_cell ()));
+  db::Cell &c3 (g->cell (g->add_cell ()));
+
+  db::Box b (0, 100, 1000, 1200);
+  c1.shapes (0).insert (b);
+  c2.shapes (0).insert (b);
+  c3.shapes (0).insert (b);
+
+  db::Box bb (1, 101, 1001, 1201);
+  c2.shapes (1).insert (bb);
+
+  db::Trans tt;
+  c0.insert (db::CellInstArray (db::CellInst (c1.cell_index ()), tt));
+  c0.insert (db::CellInstArray (db::CellInst (c2.cell_index ()), db::Trans (db::Vector (100, -100))));
+  c0.insert (db::CellInstArray (db::CellInst (c3.cell_index ()), db::Trans (1)));
+  c2.insert (db::CellInstArray (db::CellInst (c3.cell_index ()), db::Trans (db::Vector (1100, 0))));
+
+  std::string x;
+
+  db::RecursiveShapeIterator i1 (*g, c0, 0, db::Box (0, 0, 100, 100));
+  x = collect(i1, *g);
+  EXPECT_EQ (x, "[$2](0,100;1000,1200)/[$3](100,0;1100,1100)");
+
+  g.reset (new db::Layout ());
+
+  //  now the layout is gone and the iterator stays silent (weak pointer to layout)
+  //  NOTE: this only works on reset or re-initialization. Not during iteration.
+  i1.reset ();
+  x = collect(i1, *g);
+  EXPECT_EQ (x, "");
+}