diff --git a/src/hilight.c b/src/hilight.c
index 498cc584..779c9022 100644
--- a/src/hilight.c
+++ b/src/hilight.c
@@ -194,13 +194,15 @@ Hilight_hashentry *bus_hilight_hash_lookup(const char *token, int value, int wha
   return ptr2;
 }
 
-Hilight_hashentry *hier_hilight_hash_lookup(const char *token, int value, char *path, int what)
+Hilight_hashentry *hier_hilight_hash_lookup(const char *token, int value, const char *path, int what)
 {
   Hilight_hashentry *entry;
   char *oldpath = xctx->sch_path[xctx->currsch];
   xctx->sch_path_hash[xctx->currsch] = 0;
-  xctx->sch_path[xctx->currsch] = path;
+  xctx->sch_path[xctx->currsch] = NULL;
+  my_strdup2(_ALLOC_ID_, &xctx->sch_path[xctx->currsch], path);
   entry = bus_hilight_hash_lookup(token, value, what);
+  my_free(_ALLOC_ID_, &xctx->sch_path[xctx->currsch]);
   xctx->sch_path[xctx->currsch] = oldpath;
   xctx->sch_path_hash[xctx->currsch] = 0;
   return entry;
diff --git a/src/scheduler.c b/src/scheduler.c
index c248f116..c3b6729f 100644
--- a/src/scheduler.c
+++ b/src/scheduler.c
@@ -5414,10 +5414,9 @@ int xschem(ClientData clientdata, Tcl_Interp *interp, int argc, const char * arg
         del_object_table();
         Tcl_ResetResult(interp);
       }
-      else if(argc > 2 && atoi(argv[2]) == 2) {
+      else if(argc > 4 && atoi(argv[2]) == 2) {
         prepare_netlist_structs(0);
-        hier_hilight_hash_lookup("LDCP_REF", 0, ".x17.xctrl.", XINSERT);
-        hier_hilight_hash_lookup(" x4", 1, ".x17.xctrl.", XINSERT);
+        hier_hilight_hash_lookup(argv[4], 0, argv[3], XINSERT);
         propagate_hilights(1, 0, XINSERT_NOREPLACE);
         Tcl_ResetResult(interp);
       }
diff --git a/src/xschem.h b/src/xschem.h
index 42d52dd8..9f1f6173 100644
--- a/src/xschem.h
+++ b/src/xschem.h
@@ -1304,7 +1304,7 @@ extern Hilight_hashentry *bus_hilight_hash_lookup(const char *token, int value,
 /* wrapper function to hash highlighted instances, avoid clash with net names */
 extern Hilight_hashentry *inst_hilight_hash_lookup(int i, int value, int what);
 /* wrapper to bus_hilight_hash_lookup that provides a signal path instead of using xctx->sch_path */
-extern Hilight_hashentry *hier_hilight_hash_lookup(const char *token, int value, char *path, int what);
+extern Hilight_hashentry *hier_hilight_hash_lookup(const char *token, int value, const char *path, int what);
 extern Hilight_hashentry *hilight_lookup(const char *token, int value, int what);
 extern int search(const char *tok, const char *val, int sub, int sel, int match_case);
 extern int process_options(int argc, char **argv);