diff --git a/src/netlist.c b/src/netlist.c
index 227b5e68..fd8b0d70 100644
--- a/src/netlist.c
+++ b/src/netlist.c
@@ -1344,6 +1344,16 @@ int sym_vs_sch_pins()
                 break;
               }
               load_ascii_string(&tmp,fd);
+
+              /* generators or names with @ characters in general need translate() to process
+               * arguments. This can not be done in this context (the current schematic we are looking
+               * into is not loaded), so skip test */
+              if( strchr(name, '@')) {
+                dbg(1, "sym_vs_sch_pins(): symbol reference %s skipped (need to translate() tokens)\n", 
+                   name);
+                break;
+              }
+
               symbol = match_symbol(name);
               my_strdup(_ALLOC_ID_, &type, xctx->sym[symbol].type);
               if(type && IS_PIN(type)) {
diff --git a/src/save.c b/src/save.c
index fadb20ac..cb85c419 100644
--- a/src/save.c
+++ b/src/save.c
@@ -3176,7 +3176,8 @@ int load_sym_def(const char *name, FILE *embed_fd)
   generator = is_generator(cmd);
   if(generator) {
     translated_cmd = get_generator_command(cmd);
-    dbg(1, "l_s_d(): generator: cmd=%s\n", cmd);
+    dbg(1, "l_s_d(): generator: cmd=|%s|\n", cmd);
+    dbg(1, "l_s_d(): generator: translated_cmd=|%s|\n", translated_cmd);
     if(translated_cmd) {
       lcc[level].fd = popen(translated_cmd, "r"); /* execute ss="/path/to/xxx par1 par2 ..." and pipe in the stdout */
     } else {
diff --git a/xschem_library/generators/symbolgen.tcl b/xschem_library/generators/symbolgen.tcl
index d5ba65ed..afd78e60 100755
--- a/xschem_library/generators/symbolgen.tcl
+++ b/xschem_library/generators/symbolgen.tcl
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ exec tclsh "$0" "$@"
 
 set arg1 [lindex $argv 0]
 set rout [lindex $argv 1]
+# puts stderr "arg1=|$arg1| $rout=|$rout|"
 if { $arg1 eq {inv}} {
 puts "v {xschem version=3.1.0 file_version=1.2}
 K {type=subcircuit
@@ -22,7 +23,7 @@ L 4 30 -0 40 -0 {}
 B 5 37.5 -2.5 42.5 2.5 {name=y dir=out }
 B 5 -42.5 -2.5 -37.5 2.5 {name=a dir=in }
 A 4 25 -0 5 180 360 {}
-T {$arg1 $rout } -47.5 24 0 0 0.3 0.3 {}
+T {$arg1 $rout} -47.5 24 0 0 0.3 0.3 {}
 T {@name} 25 -22 0 0 0.2 0.2 {}
 T {y} 7.5 -6.5 0 1 0.2 0.2 {}
 T {a} -17.5 -6.5 0 0 0.2 0.2 {}
@@ -44,7 +45,7 @@ L 4 -20 -20 -20 20 {}
 L 4 -20 20 20 0 {}
 B 5 37.5 -2.5 42.5 2.5 {name=y dir=out }
 B 5 -42.5 -2.5 -37.5 2.5 {name=a dir=in }
-T {$arg1 $rout } -47.5 24 0 0 0.3 0.3 {}
+T {$arg1 $rout} -47.5 24 0 0 0.3 0.3 {}
 T {@name} 25 -22 0 0 0.2 0.2 {}
 T {y} 7.5 -6.5 0 1 0.2 0.2 {}
 T {a} -17.5 -6.5 0 0 0.2 0.2 {}