diff --git a/src/actions.c b/src/actions.c
index 4f82f679..0ee44a3f 100644
--- a/src/actions.c
+++ b/src/actions.c
@@ -1216,23 +1216,27 @@ void launcher(void)
   }
 }
 
-const char *get_sym_name(int inst, int ext)
+
+/* get symbol reference of instance 'inst', looking into 
+ * instance 'schematic' attribute (and appending '.sym') if set
+ * or get it from inst[inst].name.
+ * perform tcl substitution of the result and
+ * return the last 'ndir' directory components of symbol reference. */
+const char *get_sym_name(int inst, int ndir, int ext)
 {
   const char *sym, *sch;
 
   /* instance based symbol selection */
   sch = get_tok_value(xctx->inst[inst].prop_ptr, "schematic", 0);
   if(xctx->tok_size) { /* token exists */ 
-    if(ext) sym = get_cell_w_ext(add_ext(rel_sym_path(sch), ".sym"), 0);
-    else sym = get_cell(add_ext(rel_sym_path(sch), ".sym"), 0);
+    sym = add_ext(rel_sym_path(sch), ".sym");
   } 
-  else if(ext) {
-    sym = get_cell_w_ext(tcl_hook2(xctx->inst[inst].name), 0);
-  } else {
-    sym = get_cell(tcl_hook2(xctx->inst[inst].name), 0);
+  else {
+    sym = tcl_hook2(xctx->inst[inst].name);
   }
-  dbg(1, "get_sym_name(): inst=%d, ext=%d, returning sym=%s\n", inst, ext, sym);
-  return sym;
+
+  if(ext) return get_cell_w_ext(sym, ndir);
+  else return get_cell(sym, ndir);
 }
 
 void copy_symbol(xSymbol *dest_sym, xSymbol *src_sym)
diff --git a/src/netlist.c b/src/netlist.c
index e75d3cd4..31a2c97c 100644
--- a/src/netlist.c
+++ b/src/netlist.c
@@ -1380,8 +1380,8 @@ int sym_vs_sch_pins()
                       err |= 1;
                       tcleval("show_infotext"); /* critical error: force ERC window showing */
                       for(j = 0; j < xctx->instances; ++j) {
-                        if(!xctx->x_strcmp(tcl_hook2(xctx->inst[j].name), xctx->sym[i].name)) {
-                          xctx->inst[i].color = -PINLAYER;
+                        if(!xctx->x_strcmp(get_sym_name(j, 9999, 1), xctx->sym[i].name)) {
+                          xctx->inst[j].color = -PINLAYER;
                           xctx->hilight_nets=1;
                         }
                       }
@@ -1399,8 +1399,8 @@ int sym_vs_sch_pins()
                   tcleval("show_infotext"); /* critical error: force ERC window showing */
                   for(j = 0; j < xctx->instances; ++j) {
                     dbg(1, "inst.name=%s, sym.name=%s\n", tcl_hook2(xctx->inst[j].name), xctx->sym[i].name);
-                    if(!xctx->x_strcmp(tcl_hook2(xctx->inst[j].name), xctx->sym[i].name)) {
-                      xctx->inst[i].color = -PINLAYER;
+                    if(!xctx->x_strcmp(get_sym_name(j, 9999, 1), xctx->sym[i].name)) {
+                      xctx->inst[j].color = -PINLAYER;
                       xctx->hilight_nets=1;
                     }
                   }
@@ -1434,8 +1434,9 @@ int sym_vs_sch_pins()
           err |= 1;
           tcleval("show_infotext"); /* critical error: force ERC window showing */
           for(j = 0; j < xctx->instances; ++j) {
-            if(!xctx->x_strcmp(tcl_hook2(xctx->inst[j].name), xctx->sym[i].name)) {
-              xctx->inst[i].color = -PINLAYER;
+            dbg(0, "instance %d --> %s, sym=%s\n", j, get_sym_name(j, 9999, 1), xctx->sym[i].name);
+            if(!xctx->x_strcmp(get_sym_name(j, 9999, 1), xctx->sym[i].name)) {
+              xctx->inst[j].color = -PINLAYER;
               xctx->hilight_nets=1;
             }
           }
@@ -1459,8 +1460,8 @@ int sym_vs_sch_pins()
             err |= 1;
             tcleval("show_infotext"); /* critical error: force ERC window showing */
             for(k = 0; k < xctx->instances; ++k) {
-              if(!xctx->x_strcmp(tcl_hook2(xctx->inst[k].name), xctx->sym[i].name)) {
-                xctx->inst[i].color = -PINLAYER;
+              if(!xctx->x_strcmp(get_sym_name(k, 9999, 1), xctx->sym[i].name)) {
+                xctx->inst[k].color = -PINLAYER;
                 xctx->hilight_nets=1;
               }
             }
diff --git a/src/token.c b/src/token.c
index e41d0d9e..ee14378c 100644
--- a/src/token.c
+++ b/src/token.c
@@ -851,12 +851,12 @@ static void print_vhdl_primitive(FILE *fd, int inst) /* netlist  primitives, 200
    else if(strcmp(token,"@symname")==0) /* of course symname must not be present  */
                                         /* in hash table */
    {
-     const char *s = sanitize(get_sym_name(inst, 0));
+     const char *s = sanitize(get_sym_name(inst, 0, 0));
      fputs(s, fd);
    }
    else if (strcmp(token,"@symname_ext")==0) 
    {
-     const char *s = sanitize(get_sym_name(inst, 1));
+     const char *s = sanitize(get_sym_name(inst, 0, 1));
      fputs(s, fd);
    }
    else if(strcmp(token,"@schname_ext")==0) /* of course schname must not be present  */
@@ -1223,9 +1223,9 @@ void print_vhdl_element(FILE *fd, int inst)
  /* print instance name and subckt */
   dbg(2, "print_vhdl_element(): printing inst name & subcircuit name\n");
   if( (lab = expandlabel(name, &tmp)) != NULL)
-    fprintf(fd, "%d %s : %s\n", tmp, lab, sanitize(get_sym_name(inst, 0)) );
+    fprintf(fd, "%d %s : %s\n", tmp, lab, sanitize(get_sym_name(inst, 0, 0)) );
   else  /*  name in some strange format, probably an error */
-    fprintf(fd, "1 %s : %s\n", name, sanitize(get_sym_name(inst, 0)) );
+    fprintf(fd, "1 %s : %s\n", name, sanitize(get_sym_name(inst, 0, 0)) );
   dbg(2, "print_vhdl_element(): printing generics passed as properties\n");
 
 
@@ -1864,7 +1864,7 @@ int print_spice_element(FILE *fd, int inst)
       }
       else if (strcmp(token,"@symname")==0) /* of course symname must not be present in attributes */
       {
-        const char *s = sanitize(get_sym_name(inst, 0));
+        const char *s = sanitize(get_sym_name(inst, 0, 0));
         tmp = strlen(s) +100 ; /* always make room for some extra chars 
                                 * so 1-char writes to result do not need reallocs */
         STR_ALLOC(&result, tmp + result_pos, &size);
@@ -1873,7 +1873,7 @@ int print_spice_element(FILE *fd, int inst)
       }
       else if (strcmp(token,"@symname_ext")==0) /* of course symname must not be present in attributes */
       {
-        const char *s = sanitize(get_sym_name(inst, 1));
+        const char *s = sanitize(get_sym_name(inst, 0, 1));
         tmp = strlen(s) +100 ; /* always make room for some extra chars 
                                 * so 1-char writes to result do not need reallocs */
         STR_ALLOC(&result, tmp + result_pos, &size);
@@ -2094,7 +2094,7 @@ void print_tedax_element(FILE *fd, int inst)
    int n;
    Int_hashtable table={NULL, 0};
    subcircuit = 1;
-   fprintf(fd, "__subcircuit__ %s %s\n", sanitize(get_sym_name(inst, 0)), xctx->inst[inst].instname);
+   fprintf(fd, "__subcircuit__ %s %s\n", sanitize(get_sym_name(inst, 0, 0)), xctx->inst[inst].instname);
    int_hash_init(&table, 37);
    for(i=0;i<no_of_pins; ++i) {
      my_strdup2(_ALLOC_ID_, &net, net_name(inst,i, &net_mult, 0, 1));
@@ -2231,12 +2231,12 @@ void print_tedax_element(FILE *fd, int inst)
     else if(strcmp(token,"@symname")==0)        /* of course symname must not be present  */
                                         /* in hash table */
     {
-      const char *s = sanitize(get_sym_name(inst, 0));
+      const char *s = sanitize(get_sym_name(inst, 0, 0));
       fputs(s, fd);
     }
     else if (strcmp(token,"@symname_ext")==0) 
     {
-      const char *s = sanitize(get_sym_name(inst, 1));
+      const char *s = sanitize(get_sym_name(inst, 0, 1));
       fputs(s, fd);
     }
     else if(strcmp(token,"@schname_ext")==0)        /* of course schname must not be present  */
@@ -2472,12 +2472,12 @@ static void print_verilog_primitive(FILE *fd, int inst) /* netlist switch level
     else if(strcmp(token,"@symname")==0) /* of course symname must not be present  */
                                          /* in hash table */
     {
-      const char *s = sanitize(get_sym_name(inst, 0));
+      const char *s = sanitize(get_sym_name(inst, 0, 0));
       fputs(s, fd);
     }
     else if (strcmp(token,"@symname_ext")==0) 
     {
-      const char *s = sanitize(get_sym_name(inst, 1));
+      const char *s = sanitize(get_sym_name(inst, 0, 1));
       fputs(s, fd);
     }
     else if(strcmp(token,"@schname_ext")==0) /* of course schname must not be present  */
@@ -2620,9 +2620,9 @@ void print_verilog_element(FILE *fd, int inst)
     get_tok_value((xctx->inst[inst].ptr + xctx->sym)->prop_ptr, "verilogprefix", 0));
  if(verilogprefix) {
    my_strdup(_ALLOC_ID_, &symname, verilogprefix);
-   my_strcat(_ALLOC_ID_, &symname, get_sym_name(inst, 0));
+   my_strcat(_ALLOC_ID_, &symname, get_sym_name(inst, 0, 0));
  } else {
-   my_strdup(_ALLOC_ID_, &symname, get_sym_name(inst, 0));
+   my_strdup(_ALLOC_ID_, &symname, get_sym_name(inst, 0, 0));
  }
  my_free(_ALLOC_ID_, &verilogprefix);
  my_strdup(_ALLOC_ID_, &template, (xctx->inst[inst].ptr + xctx->sym)->templ);
@@ -2976,7 +2976,7 @@ const char *translate(int inst, const char* s)
      memcpy(result+result_pos,xctx->inst[inst].instname, tmp+1);
      result_pos+=tmp;
    } else if(strcmp(token,"@symname")==0) {
-    tmp_sym_name = get_sym_name(inst, 0);
+    tmp_sym_name = get_sym_name(inst, 0, 0);
     tmp_sym_name=tmp_sym_name ? tmp_sym_name : "";
     tmp=strlen(tmp_sym_name);
     STR_ALLOC(&result, tmp + result_pos, &size);
@@ -2989,7 +2989,7 @@ const char *translate(int inst, const char* s)
     memcpy(result+result_pos, path, tmp+1);
     result_pos+=tmp;
    } else if(strcmp(token,"@symname_ext")==0) {
-    tmp_sym_name = get_sym_name(inst, 1);
+    tmp_sym_name = get_sym_name(inst, 0, 1);
     tmp_sym_name=tmp_sym_name ? tmp_sym_name : "";
     tmp=strlen(tmp_sym_name);
     STR_ALLOC(&result, tmp + result_pos, &size);
diff --git a/src/xschem.h b/src/xschem.h
index 91e42609..2577b542 100644
--- a/src/xschem.h
+++ b/src/xschem.h
@@ -1309,7 +1309,7 @@ extern char *read_line(FILE *fp, int dbg_level);
 extern void read_record(int firstchar, FILE *fp, int dbg_level);
 extern void create_sch_from_sym(void);
 extern void get_sch_from_sym(char *filename, xSymbol *sym, int inst);
-extern const char *get_sym_name(int inst, int ext);
+extern const char *get_sym_name(int inst, int ndir, int ext);
 extern void get_additional_symbols(int what);
 extern int descend_schematic(int instnumber);
 extern void go_back(int confirm);