diff --git a/crates/topola-egui/src/appearance_panel.rs b/crates/topola-egui/src/appearance_panel.rs
index c4b03d3..326e466 100644
--- a/crates/topola-egui/src/appearance_panel.rs
+++ b/crates/topola-egui/src/appearance_panel.rs
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 //
 // SPDX-License-Identifier: MIT
 
+use egui::{widget_text::WidgetText, Context, Grid, ScrollArea, SidePanel};
 use topola::board::{AccessMesadata, Board};
 
 pub struct AppearancePanel {
@@ -10,40 +11,63 @@ pub struct AppearancePanel {
     // In2.Cu shall be #ce7d2c (#e8c39e when selected).
     pub visible: Box<[bool]>,
 
-    pub active_layer: usize,
+    pub active_layer: Option<usize>,
 }
 
 impl AppearancePanel {
     pub fn new(board: &Board<impl AccessMesadata>) -> Self {
         let layer_count = board.layout().drawing().layer_count();
-        let visible = std::iter::repeat(true)
+        let visible = core::iter::repeat(true)
             .take(layer_count)
-            .collect::<Vec<_>>()
-            .into_boxed_slice();
+            .collect::<Box<[_]>>();
         Self {
             visible,
-            active_layer: 0,
+            active_layer: Some(0),
         }
     }
 
-    pub fn update(&mut self, ctx: &egui::Context, board: &Board<impl AccessMesadata>) {
-        egui::SidePanel::right("right_side_panel").show(ctx, |ui| {
+    pub fn update(&mut self, ctx: &Context, board: &Board<impl AccessMesadata>) {
+        SidePanel::right("appearance_panel").show(ctx, |ui| {
             ui.label("Layers");
+            let row_height = ui.spacing().interact_size.y;
+            ScrollArea::vertical().show_rows(
+                ui,
+                row_height,
+                self.visible.len(),
+                |ui, row_range| {
+                    let start_row = row_range.start;
+                    Grid::new("appearance_layers")
+                        .min_col_width(ui.spacing().icon_width)
+                        .num_columns(3)
+                        .start_row(start_row)
+                        .show(ui, |ui| {
+                            for (layer, visible) in self.visible[row_range].iter_mut().enumerate() {
+                                let layer = layer + start_row;
+                                let layername =
+                                    board.layout().drawing().rules().layer_layername(layer);
 
-            for (layer, visible) in self.visible.iter_mut().enumerate() {
-                let layername = board
-                    .layout()
-                    .drawing()
-                    .rules()
-                    .layer_layername(layer)
-                    .unwrap_or("Unnamed layer");
-
-                let old = *visible;
-                ui.checkbox(visible, layername);
-                if old != *visible {
-                    self.active_layer = layer;
-                }
-            }
+                                // unnamed layers can't be used for routing
+                                if layername.is_some() {
+                                    ui.radio_value(
+                                        &mut self.active_layer,
+                                        Some(layer),
+                                        WidgetText::default(),
+                                    );
+                                } else {
+                                    // dummy item to bump the grid
+                                    ui.label("");
+                                }
+                                ui.checkbox(visible, WidgetText::default());
+                                ui.label(
+                                    layername
+                                        .map(|i| i.to_string())
+                                        .unwrap_or_else(|| format!("{} - Unnamed layer", layer)),
+                                );
+                                ui.end_row();
+                            }
+                        })
+                },
+            );
         });
     }
 }
diff --git a/crates/topola-egui/src/menu_bar.rs b/crates/topola-egui/src/menu_bar.rs
index 39bfd26..93f21ac 100644
--- a/crates/topola-egui/src/menu_bar.rs
+++ b/crates/topola-egui/src/menu_bar.rs
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ use topola::{
     autorouter::{
         execution::Command, invoker::InvokerError, selection::Selection, AutorouterOptions,
     },
+    board::AccessMesadata,
     router::RouterOptions,
     specctra::{design::SpecctraDesign, ParseError, ParseErrorContext as SpecctraLoadingError},
 };
@@ -281,7 +282,22 @@ impl MenuBar {
                     ) {
                     } else if workspace_activities_enabled {
                         let mut schedule = |op: fn(Selection, AutorouterOptions) -> Command| {
-                            let selection = workspace.overlay.take_selection();
+                            let mut selection = workspace.overlay.take_selection();
+                            if let Some(active_layer) = workspace.appearance_panel.active_layer {
+                                let active_layer = workspace
+                                    .interactor
+                                    .invoker()
+                                    .autorouter()
+                                    .board()
+                                    .layout()
+                                    .rules()
+                                    .layer_layername(active_layer)
+                                    .expect("unknown active layer");
+                                selection
+                                    .pin_selection
+                                    .0
+                                    .retain(|i| i.layer == active_layer);
+                            }
                             workspace
                                 .interactor
                                 .schedule(op(selection, self.autorouter_options));
diff --git a/crates/topola-egui/src/overlay.rs b/crates/topola-egui/src/overlay.rs
index 5f84efa..75afc87 100644
--- a/crates/topola-egui/src/overlay.rs
+++ b/crates/topola-egui/src/overlay.rs
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ pub enum SelectionMode {
 
 pub struct Overlay {
     ratsnest: Ratsnest,
-    selection: Selection,
+    pub selection: Selection,
     planar_incr_navmesh: Option<PieNavmesh>,
     reselect_bbox: Option<(SelectionMode, Point)>,
 }
@@ -86,6 +86,10 @@ impl Overlay {
         use spade::Triangulation;
         use topola::router::planar_incr_embed::navmesh::TrianVertex;
 
+        let Some(active_layer) = appearance_panel.active_layer else {
+            return;
+        };
+
         if let Ok(triangulation) =
             spade::DelaunayTriangulation::<TrianVertex<NodeIndex, f64>>::bulk_load(
                 board
@@ -93,16 +97,8 @@ impl Overlay {
                     .drawing()
                     .rtree()
                     .locate_in_envelope_intersecting(&AABB::<[f64; 3]>::from_corners(
-                        [
-                            -f64::INFINITY,
-                            -f64::INFINITY,
-                            appearance_panel.active_layer as f64,
-                        ],
-                        [
-                            f64::INFINITY,
-                            f64::INFINITY,
-                            appearance_panel.active_layer as f64,
-                        ],
+                        [-f64::INFINITY, -f64::INFINITY, active_layer as f64],
+                        [f64::INFINITY, f64::INFINITY, active_layer as f64],
                     ))
                     .map(|&geom| geom.data)
                     .filter_map(|node| {
diff --git a/src/autorouter/selection.rs b/src/autorouter/selection.rs
index 29595c0..959d25b 100644
--- a/src/autorouter/selection.rs
+++ b/src/autorouter/selection.rs
@@ -74,7 +74,7 @@ impl PinSelector {
 }
 
 #[derive(Debug, Default, Clone, Serialize, Deserialize)]
-pub struct PinSelection(BTreeSet<PinSelector>);
+pub struct PinSelection(pub BTreeSet<PinSelector>);
 
 impl PinSelection {
     pub fn new() -> Self {