diff --git a/libsrc/occ/occgeom.cpp b/libsrc/occ/occgeom.cpp
index 9426405d..a874dcbe 100644
--- a/libsrc/occ/occgeom.cpp
+++ b/libsrc/occ/occgeom.cpp
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@
 namespace netgen
 {
 
-  std::map<Handle(TopoDS_TShape), string> OCCGeometry::global_shape_names;
+  // std::map<Handle(TopoDS_TShape), string> OCCGeometry::global_shape_names;
   // std::map<Handle(TopoDS_TShape), Vec<3>> OCCGeometry::global_shape_cols;
   std::map<Handle(TopoDS_TShape), ShapeProperties> OCCGeometry::global_shape_properties;
   
@@ -56,27 +56,45 @@ namespace netgen
     for (e.Init(shape, TopAbs_SOLID); e.More(); e.Next())
       {
          TopoDS_Solid solid = TopoDS::Solid(e.Current());
+         /*
          string name = global_shape_names[solid.TShape()];
          if (name == "")
            name = string("domain_") + ToString(snames.Size());
-         snames.Append(name);
+           snames.Append(name);
+         */
+         if (auto name = global_shape_properties[solid.TShape()].name)
+           snames.Append(*name);
+         else
+           snames.Append(string("domain_") + ToString(snames.Size()));          
       }
     
     for (e.Init(shape, TopAbs_FACE); e.More(); e.Next())
       {
          TopoDS_Face face = TopoDS::Face(e.Current());
+         /*
          string name = global_shape_names[face.TShape()];
          if (name == "")
            name = string("bc_") + ToString(fnames.Size());
          fnames.Append(name);
+         */
+         if (auto name = global_shape_properties[face.TShape()].name)
+           fnames.Append(*name);
+         else
+           fnames.Append(string("bc_") + ToString(fnames.Size()));          
 
          for (exp1.Init(face, TopAbs_EDGE); exp1.More(); exp1.Next())
            {
              TopoDS_Edge edge = TopoDS::Edge(exp1.Current());
              // name = STEP_GetEntityName(edge,&reader);
              // cout << "getname = " << name << ", mapname = " << shape_names[edge.TShape()] << endl;
+             /*
              name = global_shape_names[edge.TShape()];
              enames.Append(name);
+             */
+             if (auto name = global_shape_properties[edge.TShape()].name)
+               enames.Append(*name);
+             else
+               enames.Append("noname-edge");
            }
       }
   }
@@ -296,9 +314,9 @@ namespace netgen
     
     for (TopExp_Explorer e(shape, TopAbs_SOLID); e.More(); e.Next())
       {
-        auto name = OCCGeometry::global_shape_names[e.Current().TShape()];
-        for (auto mods : history->Modified(e.Current()))
-          OCCGeometry::global_shape_names[mods.TShape()] = name;
+        if (auto name = OCCGeometry::global_shape_properties[e.Current().TShape()].name)
+          for (auto mods : history->Modified(e.Current()))
+            OCCGeometry::global_shape_properties[mods.TShape()].name = *name;
       }
 #endif // OCC_HAVE_HISTORY    
     
@@ -1569,7 +1587,7 @@ namespace netgen
       }
 
       for (auto [s,n] : shape_names)
-        OCCGeometry::global_shape_names[s] = n;
+        OCCGeometry::global_shape_properties[s].name = n;
       
       
       timer_getnames.Start();
diff --git a/libsrc/occ/occgeom.hpp b/libsrc/occ/occgeom.hpp
index d073b7cc..3dd991ef 100644
--- a/libsrc/occ/occgeom.hpp
+++ b/libsrc/occ/occgeom.hpp
@@ -224,7 +224,7 @@ namespace netgen
   public:
     static std::map<Handle(TopoDS_TShape), ShapeProperties> global_shape_properties;
     
-    static std::map<Handle(TopoDS_TShape), string> global_shape_names;
+    // static std::map<Handle(TopoDS_TShape), string> global_shape_names;
     // static std::map<Handle(TopoDS_TShape), Vec<3>> global_shape_cols;
     
     TopoDS_Shape shape;
diff --git a/libsrc/occ/python_occ.cpp b/libsrc/occ/python_occ.cpp
index de1f396f..17d9beb7 100644
--- a/libsrc/occ/python_occ.cpp
+++ b/libsrc/occ/python_occ.cpp
@@ -107,12 +107,12 @@ DLL_HEADER void ExportNgOCC(py::module &m)
                     
                     for (auto & s : shapes)
                       for (TopExp_Explorer e(s, TopAbs_SOLID); e.More(); e.Next())
-                        {
-                          auto name = OCCGeometry::global_shape_names[e.Current().TShape()];
-                          TopTools_ListOfShape modlist = history->Modified(e.Current());
-                          for (auto mods : modlist)
-                            OCCGeometry::global_shape_names[mods.TShape()] = name;
-                        }
+                        if (auto name = OCCGeometry::global_shape_properties[e.Current().TShape()].name)
+                          {
+                            TopTools_ListOfShape modlist = history->Modified(e.Current());
+                            for (auto mods : modlist)
+                              OCCGeometry::global_shape_properties[mods.TShape()].name = *name;
+                          }
 #endif // OCC_HAVE_HISTORY
 
                     auto geo = make_shared<OCCGeometry> (builder.Shape());
@@ -376,27 +376,23 @@ DLL_HEADER void ExportNgOCC(py::module &m)
     .def("bc", [](const TopoDS_Shape & shape, const string & name)
          {
            for (TopExp_Explorer e(shape, TopAbs_FACE); e.More(); e.Next())
-             {
-               OCCGeometry::global_shape_names[e.Current().TShape()] = name;
-               OCCGeometry::global_shape_properties[e.Current().TShape()].name = name;
-             }
+             OCCGeometry::global_shape_properties[e.Current().TShape()].name = name;
            return shape;
          })
 
     .def("mat", [](const TopoDS_Shape & shape, const string & name)
          {
            for (TopExp_Explorer e(shape, TopAbs_SOLID); e.More(); e.Next())
-             {
-               OCCGeometry::global_shape_names[e.Current().TShape()] = name;
-               OCCGeometry::global_shape_properties[e.Current().TShape()].name = name;
-             }
+             OCCGeometry::global_shape_properties[e.Current().TShape()].name = name;
            return shape;
          })
     
     .def_property("name", [](const TopoDS_Shape & self) {
-        return OCCGeometry::global_shape_names[self.TShape()];
+        if (auto name = OCCGeometry::global_shape_properties[self.TShape()].name)
+          return *name;
+        else
+          return string();
       }, [](const TopoDS_Shape & self, string name) {
-        OCCGeometry::global_shape_names[self.TShape()] = name;
         OCCGeometry::global_shape_properties[self.TShape()].name = name;            
       })
 
@@ -433,10 +429,6 @@ DLL_HEADER void ExportNgOCC(py::module &m)
         for (auto & s : { shape1, shape2 })
           for (TopExp_Explorer e(s, TopAbs_FACE); e.More(); e.Next())
             {
-              const string & name = OCCGeometry::global_shape_names[e.Current().TShape()];
-              for (auto smod : history->Modified(e.Current()))            
-                OCCGeometry::global_shape_names[smod.TShape()] = name;
-
               auto & prop = OCCGeometry::global_shape_properties[e.Current().TShape()];
               for (auto smod : history->Modified(e.Current()))            
                 OCCGeometry::global_shape_properties[smod.TShape()].Merge(prop);
@@ -456,10 +448,11 @@ DLL_HEADER void ExportNgOCC(py::module &m)
         for (auto s : { shape1, shape2 })
           for (TopExp_Explorer e(s, TopAbs_FACE); e.More(); e.Next())
             {
+              /*
               const string & name = OCCGeometry::global_shape_names[e.Current().TShape()];
               for (auto s : history->Modified(e.Current()))            
                 OCCGeometry::global_shape_names[s.TShape()] = name;
-
+              */
               /*
               auto it = OCCGeometry::global_shape_cols.find(e.Current().TShape());
               if (it != OCCGeometry::global_shape_cols.end())
@@ -532,11 +525,18 @@ DLL_HEADER void ExportNgOCC(py::module &m)
 
           for (auto & s : shapes)
             for (TopExp_Explorer e(s, TopAbs_SOLID); e.More(); e.Next())
+              {
+                auto prop = OCCGeometry::global_shape_properties[e.Current().TShape()];
+                for (auto mods : history->Modified(e.Current()))
+                  OCCGeometry::global_shape_properties[mods.TShape()].Merge(prop);
+              }
+              /*
               {
                 auto name = OCCGeometry::global_shape_names[e.Current().TShape()];
                 for (auto mods : history->Modified(e.Current()))
                   OCCGeometry::global_shape_names[mods.TShape()] = name;
               }
+              */
 #endif // OCC_HAVE_HISTORY
           
           return builder.Shape();
@@ -561,9 +561,9 @@ DLL_HEADER void ExportNgOCC(py::module &m)
 
           for (TopExp_Explorer e(shape, TopAbs_SOLID); e.More(); e.Next())
             {
-              auto name = OCCGeometry::global_shape_names[e.Current().TShape()];
+              auto prop = OCCGeometry::global_shape_properties[e.Current().TShape()];
               for (auto mods : history->Modified(e.Current()))
-                OCCGeometry::global_shape_names[mods.TShape()] = name;
+                OCCGeometry::global_shape_properties[mods.TShape()].Merge(prop);
             }
 #endif // OCC_HAVE_HISTORY