diff --git a/src/plugins/streamers/lefdef/unit_tests/dbLEFDEFImport.cc b/src/plugins/streamers/lefdef/unit_tests/dbLEFDEFImport.cc
index 79f06c647..92e3eb883 100644
--- a/src/plugins/streamers/lefdef/unit_tests/dbLEFDEFImport.cc
+++ b/src/plugins/streamers/lefdef/unit_tests/dbLEFDEFImport.cc
@@ -260,3 +260,8 @@ TEST(22)
   run_test (_this, "issue-489b", "lef:in_tech.lef+lef:in.lef", "au.oas.gz", opt, false);
 }
 
+TEST(23)
+{
+  run_test (_this, "issue-517", "def:in.def", "au.oas.gz", default_options (), false);
+}
+
diff --git a/testdata/lefdef/issue-517/au.oas.gz b/testdata/lefdef/issue-517/au.oas.gz
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..429872948
Binary files /dev/null and b/testdata/lefdef/issue-517/au.oas.gz differ
diff --git a/testdata/lefdef/issue-517/in.def b/testdata/lefdef/issue-517/in.def
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..fcb5a4789
--- /dev/null
+++ b/testdata/lefdef/issue-517/in.def
@@ -0,0 +1,29 @@
+
+VERSION 5.6 ;
+NAMESCASESENSITIVE ON ;
+DIVIDERCHAR "/" ;
+BUSBITCHARS "<>" ;
+DESIGN SMALL ;
+UNITS DISTANCE MICRONS 100 ;
+
+DIEAREA ( -30 -30 ) ( 1030 1030 ) ;
+
+VIAS 1 ;
+- via1_960x340
++ VIARULE Via1Array-0
+  + CUTSIZE 140 140
+  + LAYERS metal1 via1 metal2 
+  + CUTSPACING 160 160
+  + ENCLOSURE 110 100 110 100
+  + ROWCOL 1 3
+;
+END VIAS
+
+SPECIALNETS 1 ;
+- VDD ( * VDD )
++ ROUTED metal1 0 + SHAPE STRIPE ( 500 500 ) via1_960x340
++ USE POWER ;
+END SPECIALNETS
+
+END DESIGN
+