diff --git a/lef/Depend b/lef/Depend
index 9b997139..76825257 100644
--- a/lef/Depend
+++ b/lef/Depend
@@ -23,6 +23,6 @@ lefRead.o: lefRead.c ../tcltk/tclmagic.h ../utils/magic.h \
  ../lef/lefInt.h
 defRead.o: defRead.c ../tcltk/tclmagic.h ../utils/magic.h \
  ../utils/geometry.h ../tiles/tile.h ../utils/hash.h ../utils/undo.h \
- ../database/database.h ../windows/windows.h ../dbwind/dbwind.h \
- ../utils/malloc.h ../graphics/graphics.h ../utils/main.h ../cif/cif.h \
- ../lef/lefInt.h
+ ../utils/utils.h ../database/database.h ../windows/windows.h \
+ ../dbwind/dbwind.h ../utils/malloc.h ../graphics/graphics.h \
+ ../utils/main.h ../cif/cif.h ../lef/lefInt.h
diff --git a/lef/defRead.c b/lef/defRead.c
index 7091c1c9..a62a5099 100644
--- a/lef/defRead.c
+++ b/lef/defRead.c
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@ static char rcsid[] __attribute__ ((unused)) = "$Header: /usr/cvsroot/magic-8.0/
 #include "tiles/tile.h"
 #include "utils/hash.h"
 #include "utils/undo.h"
+#include "utils/utils.h"
 #include "database/database.h"
 #include "windows/windows.h"
 #include "dbwind/dbwind.h"
@@ -73,11 +74,12 @@ enum def_netspecial_shape_keys {
 	DEF_SPECNET_SHAPE_DRCFILL};
 
 char *
-DefAddRoutes(rootDef, f, oscale, special, defLayerMap)
+DefAddRoutes(rootDef, f, oscale, special, netname, defLayerMap)
     CellDef *rootDef;		/* Cell to paint */
     FILE *f;			/* Input file */
     float oscale;		/* Scale factor between LEF and magic units */
     bool special;		/* True if this section is SPECIALNETS */
+    char *netname;		/* Name of the net, if net is to be labeled */
     LefMapping *defLayerMap;	/* magic-to-lef layer mapping array */
 {
     char *token;
@@ -85,6 +87,7 @@ DefAddRoutes(rootDef, f, oscale, special, defLayerMap)
     Point refp;			/* reference point */
     bool valid = FALSE;		/* is there a valid reference point? */
     bool initial = TRUE;
+    bool labeled = TRUE;
     Rect locarea;
     int extend, lextend, hextend;
     float x, y, z, w;
@@ -124,6 +127,8 @@ DefAddRoutes(rootDef, f, oscale, special, defLayerMap)
 	NULL
     };
 
+    if (netname != NULL) labeled = FALSE;
+
     while (initial || (token = LefNextToken(f, TRUE)) != NULL)
     {
 	/* Get next point, token "NEW", or via name */
@@ -605,6 +610,16 @@ endCoord:
 	/* paint */
 	DBPaint(rootDef, &routeTop->r_r, routeTop->r_type);
 
+	/* label */
+	if (labeled == FALSE)
+	{
+	    Rect r;
+	    r.r_xbot = r.r_xtop = (routeTop->r_r.r_xbot + routeTop->r_r.r_xtop) / 2;
+	    r.r_ybot = r.r_ytop = (routeTop->r_r.r_ybot + routeTop->r_r.r_ytop) / 2;
+	    DBPutLabel(rootDef, &r, GEO_CENTER, netname, routeTop->r_type, 0);
+	    labeled = TRUE;
+	}
+
 	/* advance to next point and free record (1-delayed) */
 	freeMagic((char *)routeTop);
 	routeTop = routeTop->r_next;
@@ -636,15 +651,17 @@ enum def_netprop_keys {
 	DEF_NETPROP_PROPERTY};
 
 void
-DefReadNets(f, rootDef, sname, oscale, special, total)
+DefReadNets(f, rootDef, sname, oscale, special, dolabels, total)
     FILE *f;
     CellDef *rootDef;
     char *sname;
     float oscale;
     bool special;		/* True if this section is SPECIALNETS */
+    bool dolabels;		/* If true, create a label for each net */
     int total;
 {
     char *token;
+    char *netname = NULL;
     int keyword, subkey;
     int processed = 0;
     LefMapping *defLayerMap;
@@ -684,8 +701,8 @@ DefReadNets(f, rootDef, sname, oscale, special, total)
 	    case DEF_NET_START:
 
 		/* Get net name */
-		/* Presently, we ignore net names completely.	*/
 		token = LefNextToken(f, TRUE);
+		if (dolabels) netname = StrDup((char **)NULL, token);
 
 		/* Update the record of the number of nets processed	*/
 		/* and spit out a message for every 5% finished.	*/
@@ -725,10 +742,11 @@ DefReadNets(f, rootDef, sname, oscale, special, total)
 			case DEF_NETPROP_FIXED:
 			case DEF_NETPROP_COVER:
 			    token = DefAddRoutes(rootDef, f, oscale, special,
-					defLayerMap);
+					netname, defLayerMap);
 			    break;
 		    }
 		}
+		if (dolabels) freeMagic(netname);
 		break;
 
 	    case DEF_NET_END:
@@ -1648,8 +1666,9 @@ enum def_sections {DEF_VERSION = 0, DEF_NAMESCASESENSITIVE,
 	DEF_END};
 
 void
-DefRead(inName)
+DefRead(inName, dolabels)
     char *inName;
+    bool dolabels;
 {
     CellDef *rootDef;
     FILE *f;
@@ -1825,13 +1844,15 @@ DefRead(inName)
 		token = LefNextToken(f, TRUE);
 		if (sscanf(token, "%d", &total) != 1) total = 0;
 		LefEndStatement(f);
-		DefReadNets(f, rootDef, sections[DEF_SPECIALNETS], oscale, TRUE, total);
+		DefReadNets(f, rootDef, sections[DEF_SPECIALNETS], oscale, TRUE,
+			dolabels, total);
 		break;
 	    case DEF_NETS:
 		token = LefNextToken(f, TRUE);
 		if (sscanf(token, "%d", &total) != 1) total = 0;
 		LefEndStatement(f);
-		DefReadNets(f, rootDef, sections[DEF_NETS], oscale, FALSE, total);
+		DefReadNets(f, rootDef, sections[DEF_NETS], oscale, FALSE,
+			dolabels, total);
 		break;
 	    case DEF_IOTIMINGS:
 		LefSkipSection(f, sections[DEF_IOTIMINGS]);
diff --git a/lef/lefCmd.c b/lef/lefCmd.c
index df80f310..b5ba0b12 100644
--- a/lef/lefCmd.c
+++ b/lef/lefCmd.c
@@ -92,6 +92,10 @@ CmdLef(w, cmd)
 					 * only the immediate children of the
 					 * top level cell are output.
 					 */
+    bool defLabelNets = FALSE;		/* If TRUE, attach a label to the
+					 * center of the first rectangle
+					 * found on that net.
+					 */
 
     static char *cmdLefOption[] =
     {	
@@ -101,7 +105,8 @@ CmdLef(w, cmd)
 	"    write [filename] -hide	hide all details other than ports",
 	"writeall			write all cells including the top-level cell\n"
 	"    writeall -notop		write all children of the top-level cell\n"
-	"    writeall -all		recurse on all subcells of the top-level cell",
+	"    writeall -all		recurse on all subcells of the top-level cell\n",
+	"    writeall -hide		hide all details other than ports",
 	"help                   	print this help information",
 	NULL
     };
@@ -109,7 +114,8 @@ CmdLef(w, cmd)
     static char *cmdDefOption[] =
     {	
 	"read [filename]		read a DEF file filename[.def]",
-	"write [cell] [-allspecial]	write DEF for current or indicated cell",
+	"write [cell] [-allspecial]	write DEF for current or indicated cell\n",
+	"write -labels			label every net in NETS with the net name",
 	"writeall			(use \"flatten -nosubckt\" + \"def"
 					" write\" instead)",
 	"help                   	print this help information",
@@ -157,22 +163,32 @@ CmdLef(w, cmd)
     switch (option)
     {
 	case LEF_READ:
-            if (cmd->tx_argc != 3)
+            if (cmd->tx_argc > 3)
 	    {
-		if (cmd->tx_argc == 4)
+		for (i = 3; i < cmd->tx_argc; i++)
 		{
-		    if (*(cmd->tx_argv[3]) == '-')
-			if (!strncmp(cmd->tx_argv[3], "-import", 7))
+		    if (*(cmd->tx_argv[i]) == '-')
+		    {
+			if (!strncmp(cmd->tx_argv[i], "-import", 7))
 			    lefImport = TRUE;
+			else if (!strncmp(cmd->tx_argv[i], "-label", 6))
+			{
+			    if (is_lef)
+				TxPrintf("The \"-labels\" option is only for def read\n");
+			    else
+				defLabelNets = TRUE;
+			}
+		    }
 		}
-		else
-		    goto wrongNumArgs;
 	    }
+	    else if (cmd->tx_argc < 3)
+		goto wrongNumArgs;
+
             namep = cmd->tx_argv[2];
 	    if (is_lef)
 		LefRead(namep, lefImport);
 	    else
-		DefRead(namep);
+		DefRead(namep, defLabelNets);
 	    break;
 	case LEF_WRITEALL:
 	    if (!is_lef)
diff --git a/utils/main.c b/utils/main.c
index 73eea16a..708f0354 100644
--- a/utils/main.c
+++ b/utils/main.c
@@ -1156,7 +1156,7 @@ mainInitFinal()
 		    LefRead(temporary->fn, FALSE);
 		    break;
 		case FN_DEF_FILE:
-		    DefRead(temporary->fn);
+		    DefRead(temporary->fn, FALSE);
 		    break;
 #endif
 #ifdef MAGIC_WRAPPER