diff --git a/src/db/db/dbBoxScanner.h b/src/db/db/dbBoxScanner.h
index 0f8f206f1..c350469ba 100644
--- a/src/db/db/dbBoxScanner.h
+++ b/src/db/db/dbBoxScanner.h
@@ -273,6 +273,25 @@ public:
     typedef bs_side_compare_vs_const_func<BoxConvert, Obj, Prop, box_top<Box> > below_func;
     typedef bs_side_compare_vs_const_func<BoxConvert, Obj, Prop, box_right<Box> > left_func;
 
+    //  sort out the entries with an empty bbox (we must not put that into sort)
+
+    typename container_type::iterator wi = m_pp.begin ();
+    for (typename container_type::iterator ri = m_pp.begin (); ri != m_pp.end (); ++ri) {
+      if (! bc (*ri->first).empty ()) {
+        if (wi != ri) {
+          *wi = *ri;
+        }
+        ++wi;
+      } else {
+        //  we call finish on empty elements though
+        rec.finish (ri->first, ri->second);
+      }
+    }
+
+    if (wi != m_pp.end ()) {
+      m_pp.erase (wi, m_pp.end ());
+    }
+
     if (m_pp.size () <= m_scanner_thr) {
 
       //  below m_scanner_thr elements use the brute force approach which is faster in that case
@@ -606,6 +625,42 @@ public:
     typedef bs_side_compare_vs_const_func<BoxConvert2, Obj2, Prop2, box_top<Box> > below_func2;
     typedef bs_side_compare_vs_const_func<BoxConvert2, Obj2, Prop2, box_right<Box> > left_func2;
 
+    //  sort out the entries with an empty bbox (we must not put that into sort)
+
+    typename container_type1::iterator wi1 = m_pp1.begin ();
+    for (typename container_type1::iterator ri1 = m_pp1.begin (); ri1 != m_pp1.end (); ++ri1) {
+      if (! bc1 (*ri1->first).empty ()) {
+        if (wi1 != ri1) {
+          *wi1 = *ri1;
+        }
+        ++wi1;
+      } else {
+        //  we call finish on empty elements though
+        rec.finish1 (ri1->first, ri1->second);
+      }
+    }
+
+    if (wi1 != m_pp1.end ()) {
+      m_pp1.erase (wi1, m_pp1.end ());
+    }
+
+    typename container_type2::iterator wi2 = m_pp2.begin ();
+    for (typename container_type2::iterator ri2 = m_pp2.begin (); ri2 != m_pp2.end (); ++ri2) {
+      if (! bc2 (*ri2->first).empty ()) {
+        if (wi2 != ri2) {
+          *wi2 = *ri2;
+        }
+        ++wi2;
+      } else {
+        //  we call finish on empty elements though
+        rec.finish2 (ri2->first, ri2->second);
+      }
+    }
+
+    if (wi2 != m_pp2.end ()) {
+      m_pp2.erase (wi2, m_pp2.end ());
+    }
+
     if (m_pp1.empty () || m_pp2.empty ()) {
 
       //  trivial case
diff --git a/src/db/db/dbDeviceModel.cc b/src/db/db/dbDeviceAbstract.cc
similarity index 100%
rename from src/db/db/dbDeviceModel.cc
rename to src/db/db/dbDeviceAbstract.cc
diff --git a/src/db/db/dbDeviceModel.h b/src/db/db/dbDeviceAbstract.h
similarity index 100%
rename from src/db/db/dbDeviceModel.h
rename to src/db/db/dbDeviceAbstract.h
diff --git a/src/db/unit_tests/dbBoxScanner.cc b/src/db/unit_tests/dbBoxScanner.cc
index db4b660d2..8d396e3b7 100644
--- a/src/db/unit_tests/dbBoxScanner.cc
+++ b/src/db/unit_tests/dbBoxScanner.cc
@@ -283,6 +283,28 @@ TEST(1f)
   EXPECT_EQ (tr.str, "");
 }
 
+TEST(1g)
+{
+  //  empty elements
+  db::box_scanner<db::Box, size_t> bs;
+
+  std::vector<db::Box> bb;
+  bb.push_back (db::Box (0, 0, 101, 100));
+  bb.push_back (db::Box (200, 0, 300, 100));
+  bb.push_back (db::Box ());
+  bb.push_back (db::Box (100, 0, 200, 100));
+  bb.push_back (db::Box ());
+  for (std::vector<db::Box>::const_iterator b = bb.begin (); b != bb.end (); ++b) {
+    bs.insert (&*b, b - bb.begin ());
+  }
+
+  BoxScannerTestRecorder tr;
+  bs.set_fill_factor (0.0);
+  db::box_convert<db::Box> bc;
+  bs.process (tr, 0, bc);
+  EXPECT_EQ (tr.str, "<2><4>(0-3)<0><1><3>");
+}
+
 void run_test2 (tl::TestBase *_this, size_t n, double ff, db::Coord spread, bool touch = true)
 {
   std::vector<db::Box> bb;
@@ -985,6 +1007,37 @@ TEST(two_1b)
   EXPECT_EQ (trstop.str, "(1-12)");
 }
 
+TEST(two_1c)
+{
+  //  some empty elements
+  db::box_scanner2<db::Box, size_t, db::SimplePolygon, int> bs;
+
+  std::vector<db::Box> bb;
+  bb.push_back (db::Box ());
+  bb.push_back (db::Box (0, 0, 100, 100));
+  bb.push_back (db::Box (100, 10, 200, 110));
+
+  std::vector<db::SimplePolygon> bb2;
+  bb2.push_back (db::SimplePolygon (db::Box ()));
+  bb2.push_back (db::SimplePolygon (db::Box (50, 50, 150, 150)));
+  bb2.push_back (db::SimplePolygon (db::Box (10, 10, 110, 110)));
+
+  for (std::vector<db::Box>::const_iterator b = bb.begin (); b != bb.end (); ++b) {
+    bs.insert1 (&*b, b - bb.begin ());
+  }
+  for (std::vector<db::SimplePolygon>::const_iterator b = bb2.begin (); b != bb2.end (); ++b) {
+    bs.insert2 (&*b, int (b - bb2.begin ()) + 10);
+  }
+
+  BoxScannerTestRecorderTwo tr;
+  bs.set_fill_factor (0.0);
+  db::box_convert<db::Box> bc1;
+  db::box_convert<db::SimplePolygon> bc2;
+  bs.set_scanner_threshold (0);
+  EXPECT_EQ (bs.process (tr, 1, bc1, bc2), true);
+  EXPECT_EQ (tr.str, "<0><10>(1-12)(2-12)(1-11)(2-11)<1><2><12><11>");
+}
+
 void run_test2_two (tl::TestBase *_this, size_t n, double ff, db::Coord spread, bool touch = true)
 {
   std::vector<db::Box> bb;