diff --git a/src/db/db/dbQuadTree.h b/src/db/db/dbQuadTree.h
index 93674ea69..546c007ff 100644
--- a/src/db/db/dbQuadTree.h
+++ b/src/db/db/dbQuadTree.h
@@ -290,22 +290,26 @@ private:
       }
 
       box_type b = BC () (value);
-      int n = quad_for (b);
-
-      if (n < 0) {
-        m_objects.push_back (value);
-        return;
-      }
-
       if (b.inside (box (ucenter))) {
-        if (! m_q[n]) {
-          box_type bq = q (n, ucenter);
-          m_q[n] = new quad_tree_node (bq.center ());
+
+        int n = quad_for (b);
+        if (n < 0) {
+          m_objects.push_back (value);
+        } else {
+          if (! m_q[n]) {
+            box_type bq = q (n, ucenter);
+            m_q[n] = new quad_tree_node (bq.center ());
+          }
+          m_q[n]->insert (value, m_center);
         }
-        m_q[n]->insert (value, m_center);
+
       } else {
-        grow (m_center - (m_center - ucenter) * 2.0);
-        insert (value, ucenter);
+
+        tl_assert (m_q[0] || m_q[1] || m_q[2] || m_q[3]);
+        point_type new_ucenter = m_center - (m_center - ucenter) * 2.0;
+        grow (new_ucenter);
+        insert (value, new_ucenter);
+
       }
 
     }
@@ -317,6 +321,7 @@ private:
       if (m_q[i]) {
         quad_tree_node *n = m_q[i];
         m_q[i] = new quad_tree_node (q (i, ucenter).center ());
+        m_q[i]->m_split = true;
         m_q[i]->m_q[3 - i] = n;
       }
     }
@@ -470,6 +475,8 @@ public:
 
     while (! m_stack.empty ()) {
 
+      qn = m_stack.back ().first;
+
       int &n = m_stack.back ().second;
       while (++n < 4) {
         box_type bq = qn->q_box (n);
diff --git a/src/db/unit_tests/dbQuadTreeTests.cc b/src/db/unit_tests/dbQuadTreeTests.cc
index 6d39ea49b..1866907d1 100644
--- a/src/db/unit_tests/dbQuadTreeTests.cc
+++ b/src/db/unit_tests/dbQuadTreeTests.cc
@@ -26,6 +26,8 @@
 #include "tlUnitTest.h"
 #include "tlString.h"
 
+#include <stdlib.h>
+
 typedef db::quad_tree<db::DBox, db::box_convert<db::DBox>, size_t (1)> my_quad_tree;
 
 std::string find_all (const my_quad_tree &qt)
@@ -256,6 +258,58 @@ TEST(remove)
   EXPECT_EQ (tree.levels (), size_t (1));
 }
 
+TEST(grow)
+{
+  my_quad_tree tree;
+  tree.insert (db::DBox (-1, -2, 3, 4));
+  tree.insert (db::DBox (-1, -3, 3, 0));
+  tree.insert (db::DBox (-1, -3, -0.5, -2));
+  tree.insert (db::DBox (-1, -3, -0.5, 2));
+  EXPECT_EQ (tree.levels (), size_t (2));
+  tree.insert (db::DBox (-100, -3, -99, 2));
+  EXPECT_EQ (tree.levels (), size_t (8));
+
+  EXPECT_EQ (tree.check (), true);
+  EXPECT_EQ (find_all (tree), "(-1,-2;3,4)/(-1,-3;-0.5,-2)/(-1,-3;-0.5,2)/(-1,-3;3,0)/(-100,-3;-99,2)");
+  EXPECT_EQ (find_overlapping (tree, db::DBox (-100, -100, -90, 100)), "(-100,-3;-99,2)");
+
+  bool r = true;
+  while (r && ! tree.empty ()) {
+    r = tree.erase (*tree.begin ());
+    EXPECT_EQ (r, true);
+    EXPECT_EQ (tree.check (), true);
+  }
+
+  EXPECT_EQ (tree.size (), size_t (0));
+  EXPECT_EQ (tree.levels (), size_t (1));
+}
+
+TEST(grow2)
+{
+  my_quad_tree tree;
+  tree.insert (db::DBox (-1, -2, 3, 4));
+  tree.insert (db::DBox (-1, -3, 3, 0));
+  tree.insert (db::DBox (-1, -3, -0.5, -2));
+  tree.insert (db::DBox (-1, -3, -0.5, 2));
+  EXPECT_EQ (tree.levels (), size_t (2));
+  tree.insert (db::DBox (-100, -3, -99, -1));
+  EXPECT_EQ (tree.levels (), size_t (8));
+
+  EXPECT_EQ (tree.check (), true);
+  EXPECT_EQ (find_all (tree), "(-1,-2;3,4)/(-1,-3;-0.5,-2)/(-1,-3;-0.5,2)/(-1,-3;3,0)/(-100,-3;-99,-1)");
+  EXPECT_EQ (find_overlapping (tree, db::DBox (-100, -100, -90, 100)), "(-100,-3;-99,-1)");
+
+  bool r = true;
+  while (r && ! tree.empty ()) {
+    r = tree.erase (*tree.begin ());
+    EXPECT_EQ (r, true);
+    EXPECT_EQ (tree.check (), true);
+  }
+
+  EXPECT_EQ (tree.size (), size_t (0));
+  EXPECT_EQ (tree.levels (), size_t (1));
+}
+
 TEST(clear)
 {
   my_quad_tree tree;
@@ -391,3 +445,33 @@ TEST(move_ctor)
   EXPECT_EQ (tree2.levels (), size_t (2));
 }
 
+static double rvalue ()
+{
+  return ((rand () % 1000000) - 5000) * 0.001;
+}
+
+static db::DBox rbox ()
+{
+  return db::DBox (db::DPoint (rvalue (), rvalue ()), db::DPoint (rvalue (), rvalue ()));
+}
+
+TEST(many)
+{
+  return; // @@@
+  my_quad_tree tree;
+
+  unsigned int n = 1000;
+
+  for (unsigned int i = 0; i < n; ++i) {
+    tree.insert (rbox ());
+  }
+
+  EXPECT_EQ (tree.check (), true);
+
+  bool r = true;
+  while (r && ! tree.empty ()) {
+    r = tree.erase (*tree.begin ());
+    EXPECT_EQ (r, true);
+    EXPECT_EQ (tree.check (), true);
+  }
+}