diff --git a/libsrc/meshing/boundarylayer.cpp b/libsrc/meshing/boundarylayer.cpp
index 1ca3589e..643f0922 100644
--- a/libsrc/meshing/boundarylayer.cpp
+++ b/libsrc/meshing/boundarylayer.cpp
@@ -155,6 +155,7 @@ namespace netgen
       int prismlayers = blp.prismlayers;
       double hfirst = blp.hfirst;
       double growthfactor = blp.growthfactor;
+      Array<double> heights (blp.heights);
 
       bool grow_edges = false; // grow layer at edges
       
@@ -179,13 +180,20 @@ namespace netgen
 
           double layerht = hfirst;
           
-          if(growthfactor == 1)
+          if(heights.Size()>0)
             {
-              layerht = layer * hfirst;
+              layerht = heights[layer-1];
             }
           else
             {
-              layerht = hfirst*(pow(growthfactor,(layer+1)) - 1)/(growthfactor - 1);
+              if(growthfactor == 1)
+                {
+                  layerht = layer * hfirst;
+                }
+              else
+                {
+                  layerht = hfirst*(pow(growthfactor,(layer+1)) - 1)/(growthfactor - 1);
+                }
             }
           
          cout << "Layer Height = " << layerht << endl;
@@ -510,7 +518,10 @@ namespace netgen
                  Element el(types[classify]);
                  for (int i = 0; i < 6; i++)
                    el[i] = nums[vertices[classify][i]];
-                 el.SetIndex(blp.new_matnr);
+                   if(blp.new_matnrs.Size() > 0)
+                      el.SetIndex(blp.new_matnrs[layer-1]);
+                   else
+                      el.SetIndex(blp.new_matnr);
                  // cout << "el = " << el << endl;
                  if (classify != 0)
                    mesh.AddVolumeElement(el);
diff --git a/libsrc/meshing/boundarylayer.hpp b/libsrc/meshing/boundarylayer.hpp
index cbad16af..442de314 100644
--- a/libsrc/meshing/boundarylayer.hpp
+++ b/libsrc/meshing/boundarylayer.hpp
@@ -13,6 +13,8 @@ class BoundaryLayerParameters
 public:
   // parameters by Philippose ..
   Array<int> surfid;
+  Array<double> heights;
+  Array<double> new_matnrs;
   int prismlayers = 1;
   int bulk_matnr = 1;
   int new_matnr = 1;
diff --git a/libsrc/meshing/python_mesh.cpp b/libsrc/meshing/python_mesh.cpp
index e27d3433..8134d345 100644
--- a/libsrc/meshing/python_mesh.cpp
+++ b/libsrc/meshing/python_mesh.cpp
@@ -338,6 +338,37 @@ DLL_HEADER void ExportNetgenMeshing()
            }))
 
     .def ("BoundaryLayer", FunctionPointer 
+          ([](Mesh & self, int bc, bp::list thicknesses, int volnr, bp::list materials)
+           {
+             int n = bp::len(thicknesses);
+             BoundaryLayerParameters blp;
+
+             for (int i = 1; i <= self.GetNFD(); i++)
+               if (self.GetFaceDescriptor(i).BCProperty() == bc)
+                   blp.surfid.Append (i);
+
+             cout << "add layer at surfaces: " << blp.surfid << endl;
+
+             blp.prismlayers = n;
+             blp.growthfactor = 1.0;
+
+             // find max domain nr
+             int maxind = 0;
+             for (ElementIndex ei = 0; ei < self.GetNE(); ei++)
+               maxind = max (maxind, self[ei].GetIndex());
+             cout << "maxind = " << maxind << endl;
+             for ( int i=0; i<n; i++ )
+               {
+                 blp.heights.Append( bp::extract<double>(thicknesses[i])()) ;
+                 blp.new_matnrs.Append( maxind+1+i );
+                 self.SetMaterial (maxind+1+i, bp::extract<string>(materials[i])().c_str());
+               }
+             blp.bulk_matnr = volnr;
+             GenerateBoundaryLayer (self, blp);
+           }
+           ))
+
+    .def ("BoundaryLayer", FunctionPointer
           ([](Mesh & self, int bc, double thickness, int volnr, string material)
            {
              BoundaryLayerParameters blp;