diff --git a/VERSION b/VERSION
index ac6cd144..45f4fa96 100644
--- a/VERSION
+++ b/VERSION
@@ -1 +1 @@
-8.3.269
+8.3.270
diff --git a/cif/CIFhier.c b/cif/CIFhier.c
index e51d5894..09fd8f05 100644
--- a/cif/CIFhier.c
+++ b/cif/CIFhier.c
@@ -828,8 +828,8 @@ CIFGenSubcells(def, area, output)
 	    if (square.r_ytop > totalArea.r_ytop)
 		square.r_ytop = totalArea.r_ytop;
 	    GEO_EXPAND(&square, radius, &square);
-	    if (!DRCFindInteractions(def, &square, radius,
-		&interaction)) continue;
+	    if (DRCFindInteractions(def, &square, radius,
+		&interaction) <= 0) continue;
 
 	    /* We've found an interaction.  Flatten it into CIFTotalUse, then
 	     * make CIF from what's flattened.  Yank extra material to
diff --git a/commands/CmdCD.c b/commands/CmdCD.c
index fb59a10c..f873e43b 100644
--- a/commands/CmdCD.c
+++ b/commands/CmdCD.c
@@ -3824,8 +3824,8 @@ CmdDrc(w, cmd)
 	    window = ToolGetBoxWindow(&rootArea, (int *) NULL);
 	    if (window == NULL) return;
 	    rootUse = (CellUse *) window->w_surfaceID;
-	    if (!DRCFindInteractions(rootUse->cu_def, &rootArea,
-		radius, &area))
+	    if (DRCFindInteractions(rootUse->cu_def, &rootArea,
+		radius, &area) <= 0)
 	    {
 		TxPrintf("No interactions in this area for that radius.\n");
 		return;
diff --git a/drc/DRCsubcell.c b/drc/DRCsubcell.c
index 89fb7317..34f49223 100644
--- a/drc/DRCsubcell.c
+++ b/drc/DRCsubcell.c
@@ -365,8 +365,10 @@ drcSubCheckPaint(scx, curUse)
  *	or subcell-paint interactions in a given area of a given cell.
  *
  * Results:
- *	Returns TRUE if there were any interactions in the given
- *	area, FALSE if there were none.
+ *	Returns 1 if there were any interactions in the given
+ *	area, 0 if there were none, and -1 if there were no subcells
+ *	in the area (implies no interactions, but may be treated
+ *	differently, e.g., by extSubtree()).
  *
  * Side effects:
  *	The parameter interaction is set to contain the bounding box
@@ -381,7 +383,7 @@ drcSubCheckPaint(scx, curUse)
  * ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
  */
 
-bool
+int
 DRCFindInteractions(def, area, radius, interaction)
     CellDef *def;		/* Cell to check for interactions. */
     Rect *area;			/* Area of def to check for interacting
@@ -425,7 +427,7 @@ DRCFindInteractions(def, area, radius, interaction)
      * have overlapping bounding boxes without overlapping paint.
      */
 
-    if (GEO_RECTNULL(&drcSubIntArea)) return FALSE;
+    if (GEO_RECTNULL(&drcSubIntArea)) return -1;
     use = NULL;
 
     /* If errors are being propagated up from child to parent,	*/
@@ -447,15 +449,15 @@ DRCFindInteractions(def, area, radius, interaction)
 	scx.scx_trans = GeoIdentityTransform;
 	scx.scx_area = drcSubIntArea;
 	if (DBTreeSrCells(&scx, 0, drcSubCheckPaint, (ClientData) &use) == 0)
-	    return FALSE;
+	    return 0;
     }
 
     /* OK, no more excuses, there's really an interaction area here. */
 
     *interaction = drcSubIntArea;
     GeoClip(interaction, area);
-    if (GEO_RECTNULL(interaction)) return FALSE;
-    return TRUE;
+    if (GEO_RECTNULL(interaction)) return 0;
+    return 1;
 }
 
 /*
@@ -757,7 +759,7 @@ DRCInteractionCheck(def, area, erasebox, func, cdarg)
 	    /* Find all the interactions in the square, and clip to the error
 	     * area we're interested in. */
 
-	    if (!DRCFindInteractions(def, &cliparea, DRCTechHalo, &intArea))
+	    if (DRCFindInteractions(def, &cliparea, DRCTechHalo, &intArea) <= 0)
 	    {
 		/* Added May 4, 2008---if there are no subcells, run the
 		 * basic check over the area of the erasebox.
diff --git a/drc/drc.h b/drc/drc.h
index abcc2b40..1fed06c4 100644
--- a/drc/drc.h
+++ b/drc/drc.h
@@ -271,9 +271,9 @@ extern void DRCWhy();
 extern void DRCPrintStats();
 extern void DRCCheck();
 extern DRCCountList *DRCCount();
-extern int DRCFind();
+extern int  DRCFind();
 extern void DRCCatchUp();
-extern bool DRCFindInteractions();
+extern int  DRCFindInteractions();
 extern int  DRCBasicCheck();
 extern void DRCOffGridError();
 
diff --git a/extract/ExtSubtree.c b/extract/ExtSubtree.c
index 24196d05..916f5177 100644
--- a/extract/ExtSubtree.c
+++ b/extract/ExtSubtree.c
@@ -165,7 +165,7 @@ extSubtree(parentUse, reg, f)
     HierExtractArg ha;
     Rect r, rlab, rbloat, *b;
     Label *lab;
-    bool result;
+    int result;
     int cuts, totcuts;
     float pdone, plast;
     SearchContext scx;
@@ -233,21 +233,26 @@ extSubtree(parentUse, reg, f)
 	    // any geometry in the cell and therefore do not get flagged by
 	    // DRCFindInteractions().
 
-	    for (lab = def->cd_labels; lab; lab = lab->lab_next)
-		if (GEO_OVERLAP(&lab->lab_rect, &r) || GEO_TOUCH(&lab->lab_rect, &r)) {
-		    // Clip the label area to the area of rbloat
-		    rlab = lab->lab_rect;
-		    GEOCLIP(&rlab, &rbloat);
-		    if (!result) {
-			// If result == FALSE then ha.ha_interArea is invalid.
-			ha.ha_interArea = rlab;
-			result = TRUE;
+	    if (result != -1)
+	    {
+	    	for (lab = def->cd_labels; lab; lab = lab->lab_next)
+		    if (GEO_OVERLAP(&lab->lab_rect, &r) ||
+				GEO_TOUCH(&lab->lab_rect, &r))
+		    {
+			/* Clip the label area to the area of rbloat */
+			rlab = lab->lab_rect;
+			GEOCLIP(&rlab, &rbloat);
+			if (result == 0) {
+			    /* If result == FALSE then ha.ha_interArea is invalid. */
+			    ha.ha_interArea = rlab;
+			    result = 1;
+			}
+			else
+		            GeoIncludeAll(&rlab, &ha.ha_interArea);
 		    }
-		    else
-		        result |= GeoIncludeAll(&rlab, &ha.ha_interArea);
-		}
+	    }
 
-	    if (result)
+	    if (result > 0)
 	    {
 		ha.ha_clipArea = ha.ha_interArea;
 		GEOCLIP(&ha.ha_clipArea, &r);
@@ -255,7 +260,7 @@ extSubtree(parentUse, reg, f)
 		extSubtreeClippedArea += RECTAREA(&ha.ha_clipArea);
 		extSubtreeInteraction(&ha);
 	    }
-	    else
+	    else if (result != -1)
 	    {
 		/* Make sure substrate connections have been handled	*/
 		/* even if there were no other interactions found.	*/