diff --git a/common/common.cpp b/common/common.cpp
index 2795ba707f..7b353b2dd5 100644
--- a/common/common.cpp
+++ b/common/common.cpp
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@
 #include "macros.h"
 #include "build_version.h"
 
+
 /*****************************/
 wxString GetBuildVersion()
 /*****************************/
@@ -264,6 +265,8 @@ void MyFree( void* pt_mem )
 }
 
 
+
+
 /**************************************************************/
 wxString ReturnPcbLayerName( int layer_number, bool omitSpacePadding )
 /**************************************************************/
@@ -273,6 +276,65 @@ wxString ReturnPcbLayerName( int layer_number, bool omitSpacePadding )
  *  (not internatinalized, no space)
  */
 {
+
+#if 0 || defined(DEBUG)  
+
+    // Dick: this code is working fine, but we have no place to store the layer names yet.
+    
+    const unsigned LAYER_LIMIT = 29;
+
+    // @todo: these layer names should be configurable on a per project basis.
+    // In anticipation of that enhancement, here is a different strategy for
+    // deriving the file names from the "configured" layer names.
+    // The main idea is to use a single array of names, and then remove
+    // spaces on the fly from the names when writing to disk.
+    
+    
+#if 1   // my specific layer names    
+    static const wxString layer_name_list[] = {
+        _( "H2 Bottom" ), _( "Power" ),     _( "V2 Signal" ), _( "H1 Signal" ),
+        _( "Ground" ),    _( "Inner L5 " ), _( "Inner L6 " ), _( "Inner L7 " ),
+        _( "Inner L8 " ), _( "Inner L9 " ), _( "Inner L10" ), _( "Inner L11" ),
+        _( "Inner L12" ), _( "Inner L13" ), _( "Inner L14" ), _( "Component" ),
+        _( "Adhes Cop" ), _( "Adhes Cmp" ), _( "SoldP Cop" ), _( "SoldP Cmp" ),
+        _( "SilkS Cop" ), _( "SilkS Cmp" ), _( "Mask Cop " ), _( "Mask Cmp " ),
+        _( "Drawings " ), _( "Comments " ), _( "Eco1     " ), _( "Eco2     " ),
+        _( "Edges Pcb" ), _( "BAD INDEX" ),
+    };
+#else
+    static const wxString layer_name_list[] = {
+        _( "Copper   " ), _( "Inner L1 " ), _( "Inner L2 " ), _( "Inner L3 " ),
+        _( "Inner L4 " ), _( "Inner L5 " ), _( "Inner L6 " ), _( "Inner L7 " ),
+        _( "Inner L8 " ), _( "Inner L9 " ), _( "Inner L10" ), _( "Inner L11" ),
+        _( "Inner L12" ), _( "Inner L13" ), _( "Inner L14" ), _( "Component" ),
+        _( "Adhes Cop" ), _( "Adhes Cmp" ), _( "SoldP Cop" ), _( "SoldP Cmp" ),
+        _( "SilkS Cop" ), _( "SilkS Cmp" ), _( "Mask Cop " ), _( "Mask Cmp " ),
+        _( "Drawings " ), _( "Comments " ), _( "Eco1     " ), _( "Eco2     " ),
+        _( "Edges Pcb" ), _( "BAD INDEX" ),
+    };
+
+#endif
+
+    if( (unsigned) layer_number > LAYER_LIMIT )
+        layer_number = LAYER_LIMIT;
+
+    const wxString* p = &layer_name_list[layer_number];
+    
+    if( omitSpacePadding )
+    {
+        wxString ret = *p;  // copy the string
+        
+        // modify the copy
+        ret.Trim();
+        ret.Replace( wxT(" "), wxT("_") );
+        
+        return ret;
+    }
+    else
+        return *p;
+
+#else   // long standing established code:
+    
     static const wxString layer_name_list[] = {
         _( "Copper   " ), _( "Inner L1 " ), _( "Inner L2 " ), _( "Inner L3 " ),
         _( "Inner L4 " ), _( "Inner L5 " ), _( "Inner L6 " ), _( "Inner L7 " ),
@@ -296,6 +358,7 @@ wxString ReturnPcbLayerName( int layer_number, bool omitSpacePadding )
         wxT( "Drawings" ), wxT( "Comments" ), wxT( "Eco1" ),     wxT( "Eco2" ),
         wxT( "EdgesPcb" ), wxT( "---" ),      wxT( "---" ),      wxT( "---" )
     };
+    
 
     if( (unsigned) layer_number >= 31u )
         layer_number = 31;
@@ -303,6 +366,8 @@ wxString ReturnPcbLayerName( int layer_number, bool omitSpacePadding )
     return omitSpacePadding  ? 
         layer_name_list_for_filename[layer_number] :
         layer_name_list[layer_number];
+#endif
+        
 }