diff --git a/src/odb/src/db/dbBTerm.cpp b/src/odb/src/db/dbBTerm.cpp
index 1cb1355a7f..6cfb23703e 100644
--- a/src/odb/src/db/dbBTerm.cpp
+++ b/src/odb/src/db/dbBTerm.cpp
@@ -665,6 +665,7 @@ dbBTerm* dbBTerm::create(dbNet* net_, const char* name)
     master_impl->flags_.frozen = 1;
     mterm->order_id_ = inst_hdr->mterms_.size();
     inst_hdr->mterms_.push_back(mterm->getOID());
+    inst_hdr->mterm_ptrs_.push_back(mterm);
 
     _dbInst* inst_impl = (_dbInst*) inst;
     _dbHier* hier = parent_block->hier_tbl_->getPtr(inst_impl->hierarchy_);
diff --git a/src/odb/src/db/dbBlock.cpp b/src/odb/src/db/dbBlock.cpp
index 8268386efc..9bf43ebbc5 100644
--- a/src/odb/src/db/dbBlock.cpp
+++ b/src/odb/src/db/dbBlock.cpp
@@ -72,8 +72,11 @@
 #include "dbIsolation.h"
 #include "dbJournal.h"
 #include "dbLevelShifter.h"
+#include "dbLib.h"
 #include "dbLogicPort.h"
+#include "dbMTerm.h"
 #include "dbMarkerCategory.h"
+#include "dbMaster.h"
 #include "dbModBTerm.h"
 #include "dbModITerm.h"
 #include "dbModInst.h"
@@ -981,6 +984,18 @@ dbIStream& operator>>(dbIStream& stream, _dbBlock& block)
   stream >> *block.iterm_tbl_;
   stream >> *block.net_tbl_;
   stream >> *block.inst_hdr_tbl_;
+
+  for (dbInstHdr* hdr_public :
+       dbSet<dbInstHdr>((dbBlock*) &block, block.inst_hdr_tbl_)) {
+    _dbInstHdr* inst_hdr = (_dbInstHdr*) hdr_public;
+    _dbLib* lib = db->lib_tbl_->getPtr(inst_hdr->lib_);
+    _dbMaster* master = lib->master_tbl_->getPtr(inst_hdr->master_);
+    inst_hdr->mterm_ptrs_.resize(master->mterm_cnt_);
+    for (int i = 0; i < master->mterm_cnt_; ++i) {
+      dbId<_dbMTerm> mterm = inst_hdr->mterms_[i];
+      inst_hdr->mterm_ptrs_[i] = master->mterm_tbl_->getPtr(mterm);
+    }
+  }
   if (db->isSchema(kSchemaDbRemoveHash)) {
     stream >> *block.module_tbl_;
     stream >> *block.inst_tbl_;
diff --git a/src/odb/src/db/dbITerm.cpp b/src/odb/src/db/dbITerm.cpp
index 1851415fc1..8867e64dd6 100644
--- a/src/odb/src/db/dbITerm.cpp
+++ b/src/odb/src/db/dbITerm.cpp
@@ -110,11 +110,7 @@ _dbMTerm* _dbITerm::getMTerm() const
   _dbBlock* block = (_dbBlock*) getOwner();
   _dbInst* inst = block->inst_tbl_->getPtr(inst_);
   _dbInstHdr* inst_hdr = block->inst_hdr_tbl_->getPtr(inst->inst_hdr_);
-  _dbDatabase* db = getDatabase();
-  _dbLib* lib = db->lib_tbl_->getPtr(inst_hdr->lib_);
-  _dbMaster* master = lib->master_tbl_->getPtr(inst_hdr->master_);
-  dbId<_dbMTerm> mterm = inst_hdr->mterms_[flags_.mterm_idx];
-  return master->mterm_tbl_->getPtr(mterm);
+  return inst_hdr->mterm_ptrs_[flags_.mterm_idx];
 }
 
 _dbInst* _dbITerm::getInst() const
@@ -161,11 +157,7 @@ dbMTerm* dbITerm::getMTerm() const
   _dbBlock* block = (_dbBlock*) iterm->getOwner();
   _dbInst* inst = block->inst_tbl_->getPtr(iterm->inst_);
   _dbInstHdr* inst_hdr = block->inst_hdr_tbl_->getPtr(inst->inst_hdr_);
-  _dbDatabase* db = iterm->getDatabase();
-  _dbLib* lib = db->lib_tbl_->getPtr(inst_hdr->lib_);
-  _dbMaster* master = lib->master_tbl_->getPtr(inst_hdr->master_);
-  dbId<_dbMTerm> mterm = inst_hdr->mterms_[iterm->flags_.mterm_idx];
-  return (dbMTerm*) master->mterm_tbl_->getPtr(mterm);
+  return (dbMTerm*) inst_hdr->mterm_ptrs_[iterm->flags_.mterm_idx];
 }
 
 dbBTerm* dbITerm::getBTerm()
diff --git a/src/odb/src/db/dbInstHdr.cpp b/src/odb/src/db/dbInstHdr.cpp
index 8b1726ee2c..09cda89eb3 100644
--- a/src/odb/src/db/dbInstHdr.cpp
+++ b/src/odb/src/db/dbInstHdr.cpp
@@ -71,6 +71,7 @@ _dbInstHdr::_dbInstHdr(_dbDatabase*, const _dbInstHdr& i)
       lib_(i.lib_),
       master_(i.master_),
       mterms_(i.mterms_),
+      mterm_ptrs_(i.mterm_ptrs_),
       inst_cnt_(i.inst_cnt_)
 {
 }
@@ -164,11 +165,14 @@ dbInstHdr* dbInstHdr::create(dbBlock* block_, dbMaster* master_)
   // MACRO until the complete MACRO is parsed...
   //
   inst_hdr->mterms_.resize(master->mterm_cnt_);
+  inst_hdr->mterm_ptrs_.resize(master->mterm_cnt_);
 
   // mterms, this set is ordered: {output, inout, input}
   int i = 0;
   for (dbMTerm* mterm : master_->getMTerms()) {
-    inst_hdr->mterms_[i++] = mterm->getImpl()->getOID();
+    inst_hdr->mterms_[i] = mterm->getImpl()->getOID();
+    inst_hdr->mterm_ptrs_[i] = (_dbMTerm*) mterm;
+    i++;
   }
 
   return (dbInstHdr*) inst_hdr;
diff --git a/src/odb/src/db/dbInstHdr.h b/src/odb/src/db/dbInstHdr.h
index f8f089de0b..a36dcb91df 100644
--- a/src/odb/src/db/dbInstHdr.h
+++ b/src/odb/src/db/dbInstHdr.h
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
 #pragma once
 
 #include <cstdint>
+#include <vector>
 
 #include "dbCore.h"
 #include "dbVector.h"
@@ -48,7 +49,8 @@ class _dbInstHdr : public _dbObject
   dbId<_dbLib> lib_;
   dbId<_dbMaster> master_;
   dbVector<dbId<_dbMTerm>> mterms_;
-  int inst_cnt_;  // number of instances of this InstHdr
+  std::vector<_dbMTerm*> mterm_ptrs_;  // non-persistent
+  int inst_cnt_;                       // number of instances of this InstHdr
 };
 
 dbOStream& operator<<(dbOStream& stream, const _dbInstHdr& inst_hdr);