diff --git a/src/db/db/dbPCellVariant.cc b/src/db/db/dbPCellVariant.cc
index c2581a748..7b8cea8be 100644
--- a/src/db/db/dbPCellVariant.cc
+++ b/src/db/db/dbPCellVariant.cc
@@ -159,9 +159,8 @@ PCellVariant::update (ImportLayerMapping *layer_mapping)
       header->declaration ()->produce (*layout (), layer_ids, m_parameters, *this);
       m_display_name = header->declaration ()->get_display_name (m_parameters);
     } catch (tl::Exception &ex) {
-      if (layer_ids.empty ()) {
-        tl::error << ex.msg ();
-      } else {
+      tl::error << ex.msg ();
+      if (! layer_ids.empty ()) {
         //  put error messages into layout as text objects
         shapes (layer_ids [0]).insert (db::Text (ex.msg (), db::Trans ()));
       }
diff --git a/src/edt/edt/edtEditorOptionsPages.cc b/src/edt/edt/edtEditorOptionsPages.cc
index 4114ff04d..22893aafe 100644
--- a/src/edt/edt/edtEditorOptionsPages.cc
+++ b/src/edt/edt/edtEditorOptionsPages.cc
@@ -849,8 +849,11 @@ EditorOptionsInst::update_pcell_parameters (const std::vector <tl::Variant> &par
   }
   mp_ui->cell_le->setPalette (pl);
 
+  PCellParametersPage::State pcp_state;
+
   //  Hint: we shall not delete the page immediately. This gives a segmentation fault in some cases.
   if (mp_pcell_parameters) {
+    pcp_state = mp_pcell_parameters->get_state ();
     mp_pcell_parameters->hide ();
     mp_pcell_parameters->deleteLater ();
   }
@@ -864,6 +867,8 @@ EditorOptionsInst::update_pcell_parameters (const std::vector <tl::Variant> &par
     mp_pcell_parameters = new PCellParametersPage (mp_ui->pcell_tab, &view->cellview (m_cv_index)->layout (), view, m_cv_index, layout->pcell_declaration (pc.second), parameters);
     mp_ui->pcell_tab->layout ()->addWidget (mp_pcell_parameters);
 
+    mp_pcell_parameters->set_state (pcp_state);
+
   } else {
     mp_ui->param_tab_widget->setTabEnabled (1, false);
   }
diff --git a/src/edt/edt/edtPCellParametersPage.cc b/src/edt/edt/edtPCellParametersPage.cc
index b39a35d88..a851e3508 100644
--- a/src/edt/edt/edtPCellParametersPage.cc
+++ b/src/edt/edt/edtPCellParametersPage.cc
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@
 
 #include "edtPCellParametersPage.h"
 #include "layWidgets.h"
+#include "tlScriptError.h"
 
 #include <QFrame>
 #include <QCheckBox>
@@ -32,6 +33,7 @@
 #include <QGridLayout>
 #include <QHBoxLayout>
 #include <QGroupBox>
+#include <QScrollBar>
 
 namespace edt
 {
@@ -127,11 +129,34 @@ static void set_value (const db::PCellParameterDeclaration &p, const db::Layout
 }
 
 PCellParametersPage::PCellParametersPage (QWidget *parent, const db::Layout *layout, lay::LayoutView *view, int cv_index, const db::PCellDeclaration *pcell_decl, const db::pcell_parameters_type &parameters)
-  : QScrollArea (parent), mp_pcell_decl (pcell_decl), mp_layout (layout), mp_view (view), m_cv_index (cv_index)
+  : QFrame (parent), mp_pcell_decl (pcell_decl), mp_layout (layout), mp_view (view), m_cv_index (cv_index)
 {
+  QGridLayout *frame_layout = new QGridLayout (this);
+  setLayout (frame_layout);
+
+  mp_parameters_area = new QScrollArea (this);
+  frame_layout->addWidget (mp_parameters_area, 0, 0, 1, 2);
+  frame_layout->setRowStretch (0, 1);
+
+  mp_error_icon = new QLabel (this);
+  mp_error_icon->setPixmap (QPixmap (":/warn.png"));
+  mp_error_icon->hide ();
+  frame_layout->addWidget (mp_error_icon, 1, 0, 1, 1);
+
+  mp_error_label = new QLabel (this);
+  QPalette palette = mp_error_label->palette ();
+  palette.setColor (QPalette::Foreground, Qt::red);
+  mp_error_label->setPalette (palette);
+  QFont font = mp_error_label->font ();
+  font.setBold (true);
+  mp_error_label->setFont (font);
+  mp_error_label->hide ();
+  frame_layout->addWidget (mp_error_label, 1, 1, 1, 1);
+  frame_layout->setColumnStretch (1, 1);
+
   m_parameters = parameters;
 
-  QFrame *fi = new QFrame (this);
+  QFrame *fi = new QFrame (mp_parameters_area);
   QWidget *inner_frame = fi;
   fi->setFrameShape (QFrame::NoFrame);
   setFrameShape (QFrame::NoFrame);
@@ -295,13 +320,32 @@ PCellParametersPage::PCellParametersPage (QWidget *parent, const db::Layout *lay
 
   }
 
-  setWidget (main_frame);
+  mp_parameters_area->setWidget (main_frame);
   main_frame->show ();
 
   //  does a first coerce and update
   get_parameters ();
 }
 
+PCellParametersPage::State
+PCellParametersPage::get_state ()
+{
+  State s;
+  s.valid = true;
+  s.vScrollPosition = mp_parameters_area->verticalScrollBar ()->value ();
+  s.hScrollPosition = mp_parameters_area->horizontalScrollBar ()->value ();
+  return s;
+}
+
+void
+PCellParametersPage::set_state (const State &s)
+{
+  if (s.valid) {
+    mp_parameters_area->verticalScrollBar ()->setValue (s.vScrollPosition);
+    mp_parameters_area->horizontalScrollBar ()->setValue (s.hScrollPosition);
+  }
+}
+
 void  
 PCellParametersPage::activated (int)
 {
@@ -416,10 +460,26 @@ PCellParametersPage::get_parameters ()
 
   }
 
-  //  call coerce on the parameters
-  mp_pcell_decl->coerce_parameters (*mp_layout, parameters);
+  try {
 
-  set_parameters (parameters);
+    //  coerce the parameters
+    mp_pcell_decl->coerce_parameters (*mp_layout, parameters);
+    set_parameters (parameters);
+
+  } catch (tl::ScriptError &ex) {
+
+    mp_error_label->setText (tl::to_qstring (ex.basic_msg ()));
+    mp_error_label->setToolTip (tl::to_qstring (ex.msg ()));
+    mp_error_icon->show ();
+    mp_error_label->show ();
+
+  } catch (tl::Exception &ex) {
+
+    mp_error_label->setText (tl::to_qstring (ex.msg ()));
+    mp_error_icon->show ();
+    mp_error_label->show ();
+
+  }
 
   return parameters;
 }
diff --git a/src/edt/edt/edtPCellParametersPage.h b/src/edt/edt/edtPCellParametersPage.h
index 2039e6069..5da75cfbf 100644
--- a/src/edt/edt/edtPCellParametersPage.h
+++ b/src/edt/edt/edtPCellParametersPage.h
@@ -26,7 +26,9 @@
 
 #include "dbPCellDeclaration.h"
 
+#include <QFrame>
 #include <QScrollArea>
+#include <QLabel>
 
 namespace lay
 {
@@ -40,11 +42,20 @@ namespace edt
  *  @brief A QScrollArea that displays and allows editing PCell parameters
  */
 class PCellParametersPage
-  : public QScrollArea
+  : public QFrame
 {
 Q_OBJECT
 
 public:
+  struct State
+  {
+    State () : valid (false), hScrollPosition (0), vScrollPosition (0) { }
+
+    bool valid;
+    int hScrollPosition;
+    int vScrollPosition;
+  };
+
   /**
    *  @brief Constructor: create a page showing the given parameters
    *
@@ -57,6 +68,16 @@ public:
    */
   PCellParametersPage (QWidget *parent, const db::Layout *layout, lay::LayoutView *view, int cv_index, const db::PCellDeclaration *pcell_decl, const db::pcell_parameters_type &parameters);
 
+  /**
+   *  @brief Gets the pages current state
+   */
+  State get_state ();
+
+  /**
+   *  @brief Restores the state
+   */
+  void set_state (const State &s);
+
   /**
    *  @brief Get the current parameters
    */
@@ -80,6 +101,9 @@ public slots:
   void clicked ();
   
 private:
+  QScrollArea *mp_parameters_area;
+  QLabel *mp_error_label;
+  QLabel *mp_error_icon;
   const db::PCellDeclaration *mp_pcell_decl;
   std::vector<QWidget *> m_widgets;
   const db::Layout *mp_layout;
diff --git a/src/tl/tl/tlScriptError.cc b/src/tl/tl/tlScriptError.cc
index f54573b0e..ef8cca1d5 100644
--- a/src/tl/tl/tlScriptError.cc
+++ b/src/tl/tl/tlScriptError.cc
@@ -67,11 +67,7 @@ BacktraceElement::to_string() const
 std::string
 ScriptError::basic_msg () const
 {
-  std::string m = tl::Exception::msg ();
-  if (! m_context.empty ()) {
-    m += tl::to_string (tr (" in ")) + m_context;
-  }
-  return m;
+  return tl::Exception::msg ();
 }
 
 std::string 
@@ -79,6 +75,10 @@ ScriptError::msg () const
 {
   std::string m = basic_msg ();
 
+  if (! m_context.empty ()) {
+    m += tl::to_string (tr (" in ")) + m_context;
+  }
+
   for (std::vector<BacktraceElement>::const_iterator bt = backtrace ().begin (); bt != backtrace ().end (); ++bt) {
     m += "\n  ";
     m += bt->to_string ();