diff --git a/src/db/db/dbDeepRegion.cc b/src/db/db/dbDeepRegion.cc
index b412fedf5..9d4e8fd79 100644
--- a/src/db/db/dbDeepRegion.cc
+++ b/src/db/db/dbDeepRegion.cc
@@ -665,8 +665,8 @@ DeepRegion::not_with (const Region &other) const
 RegionDelegate *
 DeepRegion::or_with (const Region &other) const
 {
-  //  NOTE: this is somewhat different from the as if flat case because it does not merge
-  return add (other);
+  RegionDelegate *res = add (other);
+  return res->merged_in_place ();
 }
 
 std::pair<RegionDelegate *, RegionDelegate *>
diff --git a/src/drc/drc/built-in-macros/_drc_layer.rb b/src/drc/drc/built-in-macros/_drc_layer.rb
index 041ad60c5..41c645f9d 100644
--- a/src/drc/drc/built-in-macros/_drc_layer.rb
+++ b/src/drc/drc/built-in-macros/_drc_layer.rb
@@ -1788,9 +1788,6 @@ CODE
     #     @td @img(/images/drc_or2.png) @/td
     #   @/tr
     # @/table
-    # 
-    # In deep mode, "or" or "|" does not imply merging. In deep mode,
-    # "or" is an alias for "+" ("add").
     
     def or(other)
       @engine._context("or") do