diff --git a/diylc/diylc-core/src/org/diylc/presenter/DrawingManager.java b/diylc/diylc-core/src/org/diylc/presenter/DrawingManager.java
index f9045881..a37b5f12 100644
--- a/diylc/diylc-core/src/org/diylc/presenter/DrawingManager.java
+++ b/diylc/diylc-core/src/org/diylc/presenter/DrawingManager.java
@@ -556,7 +556,7 @@ public class DrawingManager {
     return areas;
   }
   
-  private void expandConnections(Set<Connection> connections) {
+  public void expandConnections(Set<Connection> connections) {
     Set<Connection> toAdd = new HashSet<Connection>();
     for (Connection c1 : connections)
       for (Connection c2 : connections) {
@@ -596,15 +596,19 @@ public class DrawingManager {
           continue;
         Area a1 = areas.get(i);
         Area a2 = areas.get(j);
-        Area intersection = new Area(a1);
-        intersection.intersect(a2);
+        Area intersection = null;
+        if (a1.getBounds2D().intersects(a2.getBounds())) {
+          intersection = new Area(a1);
+          intersection.intersect(a2);
+        }
         // if the two areas intersect, make a union and consume the second area
-        if (!intersection.isEmpty()) {
+        if (intersection != null && !intersection.isEmpty()) {
           a1.add(a2);
           consumed.set(j, true);
         } else { // maybe there's a connection between them
-          for (Connection p : connections) {
-            if ((a1.contains(p.getP1()) && a2.contains(p.getP2())) || (a1.contains(p.getP2()) && a2.contains(p.getP1()))) {
+          for (Connection p : connections) { // use getBounds to optimize the computation, don't get into complex math if not needed
+            if ((a1.getBounds().contains(p.getP1()) && a2.getBounds().contains(p.getP2()) && a1.contains(p.getP1()) && a2.contains(p.getP2())) || 
+                (a1.getBounds().contains(p.getP2()) && a2.getBounds().contains(p.getP1())) && a1.contains(p.getP2()) && a2.contains(p.getP1())) {
               a1.add(a2);
               consumed.set(j, true);
               break;
diff --git a/diylc/diylc-core/src/org/diylc/presenter/Presenter.java b/diylc/diylc-core/src/org/diylc/presenter/Presenter.java
index 3a9b701e..be7c9cdc 100644
--- a/diylc/diylc-core/src/org/diylc/presenter/Presenter.java
+++ b/diylc/diylc-core/src/org/diylc/presenter/Presenter.java
@@ -2910,7 +2910,7 @@ public class Presenter implements IPlugInPort {
 
   @SuppressWarnings("unchecked")
   private List<Connection> getConnections(Map<ISwitch, Integer> switchPositions) {
-    List<Connection> connections = new ArrayList<Connection>();
+    Set<Connection> connections = new HashSet<Connection>();
     for (IDIYComponent<?> c : currentProject.getComponents()) {
       ComponentType type =
           ComponentProcessor.getInstance().extractComponentTypeFrom((Class<? extends IDIYComponent<?>>) c.getClass());
@@ -2930,9 +2930,11 @@ public class Presenter implements IPlugInPort {
             if (s.arePointsConnected(i, j, position))
               connections.add(new Connection(c.getControlPoint(i), c.getControlPoint(j)));
       }
-    }      
+    }
     
-    return connections;
+    drawingManager.expandConnections(connections);
+    
+    return new ArrayList<Connection>(connections);
   }  
   
   @Override
diff --git a/diylc/diylc-library/lib/diylc-core.jar b/diylc/diylc-library/lib/diylc-core.jar
index 240578cb..936d9cd3 100644
Binary files a/diylc/diylc-library/lib/diylc-core.jar and b/diylc/diylc-library/lib/diylc-core.jar differ
diff --git a/diylc/diylc-library/src/org/diylc/components/connectivity/CopperTrace.java b/diylc/diylc-library/src/org/diylc/components/connectivity/CopperTrace.java
index 0195c6b2..d1c6b67f 100644
--- a/diylc/diylc-library/src/org/diylc/components/connectivity/CopperTrace.java
+++ b/diylc/diylc-library/src/org/diylc/components/connectivity/CopperTrace.java
@@ -27,7 +27,6 @@ import org.diylc.common.SimpleComponentTransformer;
 import org.diylc.components.AbstractLeadedComponent;
 import org.diylc.core.ComponentState;
 import org.diylc.core.CreationMethod;
-import org.diylc.core.IContinuity;
 import org.diylc.core.IDIYComponent;
 import org.diylc.core.VisibilityPolicy;
 import org.diylc.core.annotations.BomPolicy;
@@ -42,7 +41,7 @@ import org.diylc.core.measures.SizeUnit;
     description = "Straight copper trace", zOrder = IDIYComponent.TRACE, bomPolicy = BomPolicy.NEVER_SHOW,
     autoEdit = false, keywordPolicy = KeywordPolicy.SHOW_TAG, keywordTag = "PCB",
     transformer = SimpleComponentTransformer.class)
-public class CopperTrace extends AbstractLeadedComponent<Void> implements IContinuity {
+public class CopperTrace extends AbstractLeadedComponent<Void> {
 
   private static final long serialVersionUID = 1L;
 
@@ -168,9 +167,4 @@ public class CopperTrace extends AbstractLeadedComponent<Void> implements IConti
   public String getControlPointNodeName(int index) {   
     return null;
   }
-  
-  @Override
-  public boolean arePointsConnected(int index1, int index2) {
-    return Math.abs(index1 - index2) == getControlPointCount() - 1;
-  }
 }
diff --git a/diylc/diylc-library/src/org/diylc/components/connectivity/CurvedTrace.java b/diylc/diylc-library/src/org/diylc/components/connectivity/CurvedTrace.java
index 65664db2..8394aaad 100644
--- a/diylc/diylc-library/src/org/diylc/components/connectivity/CurvedTrace.java
+++ b/diylc/diylc-library/src/org/diylc/components/connectivity/CurvedTrace.java
@@ -27,7 +27,6 @@ import org.diylc.common.PCBLayer;
 import org.diylc.common.SimpleComponentTransformer;
 import org.diylc.components.AbstractCurvedComponent;
 import org.diylc.core.ComponentState;
-import org.diylc.core.IContinuity;
 import org.diylc.core.IDIYComponent;
 import org.diylc.core.IDrawingObserver;
 import org.diylc.core.annotations.BomPolicy;
@@ -41,7 +40,7 @@ import org.diylc.core.measures.SizeUnit;
     instanceNamePrefix = "Trace", description = "Curved copper trace with two control points",
     zOrder = IDIYComponent.TRACE, bomPolicy = BomPolicy.NEVER_SHOW, autoEdit = false,
     keywordPolicy = KeywordPolicy.SHOW_TAG, keywordTag = "PCB", transformer = SimpleComponentTransformer.class)
-public class CurvedTrace extends AbstractCurvedComponent<Void> implements IContinuity {
+public class CurvedTrace extends AbstractCurvedComponent<Void> {
 
   private static final long serialVersionUID = 1L;
 
@@ -117,9 +116,4 @@ public class CurvedTrace extends AbstractCurvedComponent<Void> implements IConti
   public String getControlPointNodeName(int index) {   
     return null;
   }
-
-  @Override
-  public boolean arePointsConnected(int index1, int index2) {
-    return Math.abs(index1 - index2) == getControlPointCount() - 1;
-  }
 }
diff --git a/diylc/diylc-swing/lib/diylc-core.jar b/diylc/diylc-swing/lib/diylc-core.jar
index 240578cb..936d9cd3 100644
Binary files a/diylc/diylc-swing/lib/diylc-core.jar and b/diylc/diylc-swing/lib/diylc-core.jar differ
diff --git a/diylc/diylc-swing/library/main.jar b/diylc/diylc-swing/library/main.jar
index 9ca90b8f..c68b8b27 100644
Binary files a/diylc/diylc-swing/library/main.jar and b/diylc/diylc-swing/library/main.jar differ
diff --git a/diylc/diylc-swing/update.xml b/diylc/diylc-swing/update.xml
index 57550040..9c5ed9e8 100644
--- a/diylc/diylc-swing/update.xml
+++ b/diylc/diylc-swing/update.xml
@@ -2634,6 +2634,10 @@
 					<changeType>IMPROVEMENT</changeType>
 					<description>Output SPICE node names in the "Nxxx" format</description>
 				</org.diylc.appframework.update.Change>	
+				<org.diylc.appframework.update.Change>
+					<changeType>IMPROVEMENT</changeType>
+					<description>Improve performance of netlist calculations</description>
+				</org.diylc.appframework.update.Change>	
 				<org.diylc.appframework.update.Change>
 					<changeType>IMPROVEMENT</changeType>
 					<description>Honor "Terminal Strip" connectivity when creating a netlist</description>