diff --git a/src/db/db/dbRegion.cc b/src/db/db/dbRegion.cc
index 9377d1f3a..d80c205c0 100644
--- a/src/db/db/dbRegion.cc
+++ b/src/db/db/dbRegion.cc
@@ -828,8 +828,13 @@ Region::selected_interacting_generic (const Region &other, int mode, bool touchi
   db::EdgeProcessor ep (m_report_progress, m_progress_desc);
 
   //  shortcut
-  if (empty () || other.empty ()) {
-    if (mode <= 0) {
+  if (empty ()) {
+    return *this;
+  } else if (other.empty ()) {
+    //  clear, if b is empty and
+    //   * mode is inside or interacting and inverse is false ("inside" or "interacting")
+    //   * mode is outside and inverse is true ("not outside")
+    if ((mode <= 0) != inverse) {
       return Region ();
     } else {
       return *this;
@@ -879,8 +884,13 @@ void
 Region::select_interacting_generic (const Region &other, int mode, bool touching, bool inverse)
 {
   //  shortcut
-  if (empty () || other.empty ()) {
-    if (mode <= 0) {
+  if (empty ()) {
+    return;
+  } else if (other.empty ()) {
+    //  clear, if b is empty and
+    //   * mode is inside or interacting and inverse is false ("inside" or "interacting")
+    //   * mode is outside and inverse is true ("not outside")
+    if ((mode <= 0) != inverse) {
       clear ();
     }
     return;
diff --git a/testdata/drc/drcSuiteTests.drc b/testdata/drc/drcSuiteTests.drc
index 3602a6ca4..58aed5e23 100644
--- a/testdata/drc/drcSuiteTests.drc
+++ b/testdata/drc/drcSuiteTests.drc
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ def run_testsuite(dm, ic, tiled = false)
   c = input(3)
   x = input(10)
   y = input(11)
+  empty = input(1000)
 
   h = {}
   layers.each { |l| h[l] = true }
@@ -123,6 +124,9 @@ def run_testsuite(dm, ic, tiled = false)
   message "--- interacting, in, not_in #{lb}"
   
   b.interacting(a).output(lb, dm)
+  b.not_interacting(a).output(lb, dm + 1)
+  b.interacting(empty).output(lb, dm + 2)
+  b.not_interacting(empty).output(lb, dm + 3)
   b.interacting(a).in(b).output(lb + 1, dm)
   (b|a).not_in(b).output(lb + 2, dm)
   x.in(b).output(lb + 3, dm)
@@ -132,21 +136,73 @@ def run_testsuite(dm, ic, tiled = false)
   message "--- inside, outside, overlapping, interacting #{lb}"
   
   b.inside(c).output(lb, dm)
+  b.not_inside(c).output(lb, dm + 1)
+  b.inside(empty).output(lb, dm + 2)
+  b.not_inside(empty).output(lb, dm + 3)
   b.outside(c).output(lb + 1, dm)
+  b.not_outside(c).output(lb + 1, dm + 1)
+  b.outside(empty).output(lb + 1, dm + 2)
+  b.not_outside(empty).output(lb + 1, dm + 3)
   b.overlapping(c).output(lb + 2, dm)
+  b.not_overlapping(c).output(lb + 2, dm + 1)
+  b.overlapping(empty).output(lb + 2, dm + 2)
+  b.not_overlapping(empty).output(lb + 2, dm + 3)
   b.interacting(c).output(lb + 3, dm)
+  b.not_interacting(c).output(lb + 3, dm + 1)
+  b.interacting(empty).output(lb + 3, dm + 2)
+  b.not_interacting(empty).output(lb + 3, dm + 3)
   bdup = b.dup
   bdup.select_inside(c)
   bdup.xor(b.inside(c)).output(lb + 4, dm)
   bdup = b.dup
+  bdup.select_not_inside(c)
+  bdup.output(lb + 4, dm + 1)
+  bdup = b.dup
+  bdup.select_inside(empty)
+  bdup.output(lb + 4, dm + 2)
+  bdup = b.dup
+  bdup.select_not_inside(empty)
+  bdup.output(lb + 4, dm + 3)
+  bdup = b.dup
   bdup.select_outside(c)
   bdup.xor(b.outside(c)).output(lb + 5, dm)
   bdup = b.dup
+  bdup.select_not_outside(c)
+  bdup.output(lb + 5, dm + 1)
+  bdup = b.dup
+  bdup.select_outside(empty)
+  bdup.output(lb + 5, dm + 2)
+  bdup = b.dup
+  bdup.select_not_outside(empty)
+  bdup.output(lb + 5, dm + 3)
+  bdup = b.dup
   bdup.select_overlapping(c)
   bdup.xor(b.overlapping(c)).output(lb + 6, dm)
   bdup = b.dup
+  bdup.select_not_overlapping(c)
+  bdup.output(lb + 6, dm + 1)
+  bdup = b.dup
+  bdup.select_overlapping(empty)
+  bdup.output(lb + 6, dm + 2)
+  bdup = b.dup
+  bdup.select_not_overlapping(empty)
+  bdup.output(lb + 6, dm + 3)
+  bdup = b.dup
   bdup.select_interacting(c)
   bdup.xor(b.interacting(c)).output(lb + 7, dm)
+  bdup = b.dup
+  bdup.select_not_interacting(c)
+  bdup.output(lb + 7, dm + 1)
+  bdup = b.dup
+  bdup.select_interacting(empty)
+  bdup.output(lb + 7, dm + 2)
+  bdup = b.dup
+  bdup.select_not_interacting(empty)
+  bdup.output(lb + 7, dm + 3)
+  b.inside(empty).output(lb + 8, dm)
+  b.not_inside(empty).output(lb + 8, dm + 1)
+  b.outside(empty).output(lb + 9, dm)
+  b.not_outside(empty).output(lb + 9, dm + 1)
   
   lb += 10
   message "--- merge #{lb}"
diff --git a/testdata/drc/drcSuiteTests_au1.gds b/testdata/drc/drcSuiteTests_au1.gds
index 5cb92178e..6af797867 100644
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diff --git a/testdata/drc/drcSuiteTests_au2.gds b/testdata/drc/drcSuiteTests_au2.gds
index e59e510e5..116c6b98b 100644
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diff --git a/testdata/drc/drcSuiteTests_au3.gds b/testdata/drc/drcSuiteTests_au3.gds
index 9a4beda7e..fa691b142 100644
Binary files a/testdata/drc/drcSuiteTests_au3.gds and b/testdata/drc/drcSuiteTests_au3.gds differ
diff --git a/testdata/drc/drcSuiteTests_au4.gds b/testdata/drc/drcSuiteTests_au4.gds
index e59e510e5..f0fbe7be3 100644
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