diff --git a/application/editormodesrk.cpp b/application/editormodesrk.cpp
index d447dafc..45385c72 100644
--- a/application/editormodesrk.cpp
+++ b/application/editormodesrk.cpp
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ http://mozilla.org/MPL/2.0/.
 #include "application/editormodeshared.h"
 #include "application/editorprojection.h"
 #include "application/editoruilayer.h"
+#include "editor/editorAlignmentStore.hpp"
 #include "editor/editorFormat.hpp"
 #include "editor/editorGeometry.hpp"
 #include "editor/editorIncludeInfo.hpp"
@@ -360,11 +361,7 @@ srk_tool::record &srk_tool::record_of_open()
 		auto *first{m_layout->switches.front()};
 		entry.anchor = first->name();
 		entry.track = first;
-		entry.layer = scene::Layers.resolve(first->layer());
-		if (false == scene::Layers.valid(entry.layer) || false == scene::Layers.accepts(entry.layer))
-			entry.layer = scene::Layers.active();
-		if (false == scene::Layers.valid(entry.layer))
-			entry.layer = 1;
+		entry.layer = alignment_store::layer_of(*first);
 		m_records.push_back(std::move(entry));
 		m_record = static_cast<int>(m_records.size()) - 1;
 		m_anchor = first;
diff --git a/editor/editorAlignmentStore.cpp b/editor/editorAlignmentStore.cpp
index e57258d2..37b70795 100644
--- a/editor/editorAlignmentStore.cpp
+++ b/editor/editorAlignmentStore.cpp
@@ -863,7 +863,12 @@ void restore(std::vector<record> Records)
 
 scene::layer_handle layer_of(TTrack const &Track)
 {
-	auto const usable = [](scene::layer_handle const Layer) { return scene::Layers.valid(Layer) && scene::Layers.accepts(Layer) && false == scene::Layers.layer(Layer).name.ends_with(".txtf"); };
+	auto const usable = [](scene::layer_handle const Layer) {
+		if (false == scene::Layers.valid(Layer) || false == scene::Layers.accepts(Layer))
+			return false;
+		auto const &name{scene::Layers.layer(Layer).name};
+		return false == name.ends_with(".txtf") && false == name.ends_with("_ter.scm");
+	};
 	auto layer{scene::Layers.resolve(Track.layer())};
 	if (false == usable(layer))
 		layer = scene::Layers.active();
diff --git a/editor/editorAlignmentStore.hpp b/editor/editorAlignmentStore.hpp
index 61dff97d..aea28a14 100644
--- a/editor/editorAlignmentStore.hpp
+++ b/editor/editorAlignmentStore.hpp
@@ -104,8 +104,8 @@ std::optional<std::vector<record>> take_changes();
 void settle();
 // puts the records back as they were, for undo and redo
 void restore(std::vector<record> Records);
-// layer the editor keeps the records of the track in: its own, unless it's a terrain file (.txtf), whose binary version
-// (.btf) the editor doesn't read the records from
+// layer the editor keeps the records of the track in: its own, unless it's a terrain file: a .txtf, whose binary version (.btf)
+// the editor doesn't read the records from, or a _ter.scm, which isn't written back while the scenery has its .sbt
 scene::layer_handle layer_of(TTrack const &Track);
 
 } // namespace alignment_store