diff --git a/src/edt/edt/edtInstPropertiesPage.cc b/src/edt/edt/edtInstPropertiesPage.cc
index 08cab1159..da06cb814 100644
--- a/src/edt/edt/edtInstPropertiesPage.cc
+++ b/src/edt/edt/edtInstPropertiesPage.cc
@@ -35,6 +35,7 @@
 #include "layLayoutViewBase.h"
 #include "layCellSelectionForm.h"
 #include "layQtTools.h"
+#include "layBusy.h"
 #include "tlExceptions.h"
 #include "tlString.h"
 
@@ -870,19 +871,21 @@ InstPropertiesPage::do_apply (bool current_only, bool relative)
       db::Instance new_inst = pos->back ().inst_ptr;
 
       //  Don't apply the same change twice
-      std::map<db::Instance, db::Instance>::const_iterator i = insts_seen.find (pos->back ().inst_ptr);
+      std::map<db::Instance, db::Instance>::const_iterator i = insts_seen.find (new_inst);
       if (i == insts_seen.end ()) {
 
+        db::Instance org_inst = new_inst;
+
         const lay::CellView &cv = mp_service->view ()->cellview (pos->cv_index ());
 
         db::Cell &cell = cv->layout ().cell (pos->cell_index ());
         double dbu = cv->layout ().dbu ();
 
-        if (!current_only || pos->back ().inst_ptr == current) {
-          new_inst = applicator->do_apply_inst (cell, pos->back ().inst_ptr, dbu, relative_mode);
+        if (!current_only || org_inst == current) {
+          new_inst = applicator->do_apply_inst (cell, org_inst, dbu, relative_mode);
         }
 
-        insts_seen.insert (std::make_pair (pos->back ().inst_ptr, new_inst));
+        insts_seen.insert (std::make_pair (org_inst, new_inst));
 
       } else {
         new_inst = i->second;
diff --git a/src/edt/edt/edtPropertiesPageUtils.cc b/src/edt/edt/edtPropertiesPageUtils.cc
index 46ef34d5f..2bb359eae 100644
--- a/src/edt/edt/edtPropertiesPageUtils.cc
+++ b/src/edt/edt/edtPropertiesPageUtils.cc
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@
 #include "dbLayout.h"
 #include "dbLibrary.h"
 #include "dbPCellDeclaration.h"
+#include "layBusy.h"
 
 #include <QLineEdit>
 
@@ -630,6 +631,10 @@ ChangeTargetPCellApplicator::ChangeTargetPCellApplicator (db::pcell_id_type pcel
 db::Instance
 ChangeTargetPCellApplicator::do_apply_inst (db::Cell &cell, const db::Instance &instance, double /*dbu*/, bool /*relative*/) const
 {
+  //  Prevent recursion due to processEvents produced by macro code when
+  //  executing inside the IDE
+  lay::BusySection busy;
+
   tl_assert (cell.layout ());
 
   db::Layout *layout = cell.layout ();
diff --git a/src/edt/edt/edtServiceImpl.cc b/src/edt/edt/edtServiceImpl.cc
index 53a0456f8..ba5f77723 100644
--- a/src/edt/edt/edtServiceImpl.cc
+++ b/src/edt/edt/edtServiceImpl.cc
@@ -38,6 +38,7 @@
 #include "layMarker.h"
 #include "layLayerProperties.h"
 #include "layLayoutViewBase.h"
+#include "layBusy.h"
 
 #if defined(HAVE_QT)
 #  include "layLayoutView.h"
@@ -1722,6 +1723,9 @@ InstService::make_cell (const lay::CellView &cv)
     return std::make_pair (true, m_current_cell);
   }
 
+  //  prevents recursion
+  lay::BusySection busy;
+
   //  NOTE: do this at the beginning: creating a transaction might delete transactions behind the
   //  head transaction, hence releasing (thus: deleting) cells. To prevert interference, create
   //  the transaction at the beginning.