diff --git a/src/db/db/dbNetlist.cc b/src/db/db/dbNetlist.cc
index d983c5391..e89aab1db 100644
--- a/src/db/db/dbNetlist.cc
+++ b/src/db/db/dbNetlist.cc
@@ -652,11 +652,13 @@ void Circuit::connect_pin (size_t pin_id, Net *net)
 //  DeviceClass class implementation
 
 DeviceClass::DeviceClass ()
+  : mp_netlist (0)
 {
   // .. nothing yet ..
 }
 
 DeviceClass::DeviceClass (const DeviceClass &other)
+  : mp_netlist (0)
 {
   operator= (other);
 }
@@ -801,16 +803,19 @@ void Netlist::add_circuit (Circuit *circuit)
 
 void Netlist::remove_circuit (Circuit *circuit)
 {
+  circuit->set_netlist (0);
   m_circuits.erase (circuit);
 }
 
 void Netlist::add_device_class (DeviceClass *device_class)
 {
   m_device_classes.push_back (device_class);
+  device_class->set_netlist (this);
 }
 
 void Netlist::remove_device_class (DeviceClass *device_class)
 {
+  device_class->set_netlist (0);
   m_device_classes.erase (device_class);
 }
 
diff --git a/src/db/db/dbNetlist.h b/src/db/db/dbNetlist.h
index 656ff3d9a..83ebc36e9 100644
--- a/src/db/db/dbNetlist.h
+++ b/src/db/db/dbNetlist.h
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@
 #include "dbTrans.h"
 #include "tlObjectCollection.h"
 #include "tlVector.h"
+#include "tlUniqueId.h"
 #include "gsiObject.h"
 
 #include <list>
@@ -1253,7 +1254,7 @@ private:
  *  A device class describes a type of device.
  */
 class DB_PUBLIC DeviceClass
-  : public gsi::ObjectBase, public tl::Object
+  : public gsi::ObjectBase, public tl::Object, public tl::UniqueId
 {
 public:
   typedef size_t port_id_type;
@@ -1287,6 +1288,22 @@ public:
     return new DeviceClass (*this);
   }
 
+  /**
+   *  @brief Gets the netlist the device class lives in
+   */
+  db::Netlist *netlist ()
+  {
+    return mp_netlist;
+  }
+
+  /**
+   *  @brief Gets the netlist the device class lives in (const version)
+   */
+  const db::Netlist *netlist () const
+  {
+    return mp_netlist;
+  }
+
   /**
    *  @brief Gets the name of the device class
    *
@@ -1353,8 +1370,16 @@ public:
   const DeviceParameterDefinition *parameter_definition (size_t id) const;
 
 private:
+  friend class Netlist;
+
   std::vector<DevicePortDefinition> m_port_definitions;
   std::vector<DeviceParameterDefinition> m_parameter_definitions;
+  db::Netlist *mp_netlist;
+
+  void set_netlist (db::Netlist *nl)
+  {
+    mp_netlist = nl;
+  }
 };
 
 /**
diff --git a/src/db/db/gsiDeclDbNetlist.cc b/src/db/db/gsiDeclDbNetlist.cc
index 09026e21d..d388f1805 100644
--- a/src/db/db/gsiDeclDbNetlist.cc
+++ b/src/db/db/gsiDeclDbNetlist.cc
@@ -364,6 +364,11 @@ Class<db::DeviceParameterDefinition> decl_dbDeviceParameterDefinition ("db", "De
   "This class has been added in version 0.26."
 );
 
+static tl::id_type id_of_device_class (const db::DeviceClass *cls)
+{
+  return tl::id_of (cls);
+}
+
 Class<db::DeviceClass> decl_dbDeviceClass ("db", "DeviceClass",
   gsi::method ("name", &db::DeviceClass::name,
     "@brief Gets the name of the device class."
@@ -371,6 +376,15 @@ Class<db::DeviceClass> decl_dbDeviceClass ("db", "DeviceClass",
   gsi::method ("description", &db::DeviceClass::description,
     "@brief Gets the description text of the device class."
   ) +
+  gsi::method ("netlist", (db::Netlist *(db::DeviceClass::*) ()) &db::DeviceClass::netlist,
+    "@brief Gets the netlist the device class lives in."
+  ) +
+  gsi::method_ext ("id", &gsi::id_of_device_class,
+    "@brief Gets the unique ID of the device class\n"
+    "The ID is a unique integer that identifies the device class. Use the ID "
+    "to check for object identity - i.e. to determine whether two devices share the "
+    "same device class."
+  ) +
   gsi::method ("port_definitions", &db::DeviceClass::port_definitions,
     "@brief Gets the list of port definitions of the device.\n"
     "See the \\DevicePortDefinition class description for details."
diff --git a/testdata/ruby/dbNetlist.rb b/testdata/ruby/dbNetlist.rb
index e38207b35..a5fdecad4 100644
--- a/testdata/ruby/dbNetlist.rb
+++ b/testdata/ruby/dbNetlist.rb
@@ -137,6 +137,7 @@ class DBNetlist_TestClass < TestBase
 
     dc = RBA::GenericDeviceClass::new
     nl.add(dc)
+    assert_equal(dc.netlist.object_id, nl.object_id)
     dc.name = "DC"
     dc.description = "A device class"
 
@@ -158,6 +159,8 @@ class DBNetlist_TestClass < TestBase
     assert_equal(d1.name, "D1")
 
     d2 = c.create_device(dc)
+    assert_equal(d2.device_class.id, dc.id)
+    assert_equal(d2.device_class.object_id, dc.object_id)   # by virtue of Ruby-to-C++ object mapping
     d2.name = "D2"
 
     names = []