diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index afeef5372..388cdac76 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -24,3 +24,4 @@ htmlcov/
 # OSX Finder
 .DS_Store
 
+.pytest_cache
diff --git a/Doc/source/designspaceLib/readme.rst b/Doc/source/designspaceLib/readme.rst
index 139122273..f43dcd9f9 100644
--- a/Doc/source/designspaceLib/readme.rst
+++ b/Doc/source/designspaceLib/readme.rst
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ A couple of differences between things that use designspaces:
 
 -  Varlib does not support anisotropic interpolations.
 -  MutatorMath and Superpolator will extrapolate over the boundaries of
-   the axes. Varlib can not.
+   the axes. Varlib can not (at the moment).
 -  Varlib requires much less data to define an instance than
    MutatorMath.
 -  The goals of Varlib and MutatorMath are different, so not all
@@ -129,6 +129,8 @@ Attributes
 -  ``path``: string. Absolute path to the source file, calculated from
    the document path and the string in the filename attr. MutatorMath +
    Varlib.
+   ``layerName``: string. The name of the layer in the source to look for
+   outline data. Default ``None`` which means ``foreground``.
 -  ``font``: Any Python object. Optional. Points to a representation of
    this source font that is loaded in memory, as a Python object
    (e.g. a ``defcon.Font`` or a ``fontTools.ttFont.TTFont``). The default
@@ -538,6 +540,8 @@ Attributes
 -  ``filename``: required, string. A path to the source file, relative
    to the root path of this document. The path can be at the same level
    as the document or lower.
+-  ``layer``: optional, string. The name of the layer in the source file.
+   If no layer attribute is given assume it is the foreground layer.
 
 .. 31-lib-element:
 
diff --git a/Doc/source/designspaceLib/scripting.rst b/Doc/source/designspaceLib/scripting.rst
index 8192d2933..447513c01 100644
--- a/Doc/source/designspaceLib/scripting.rst
+++ b/Doc/source/designspaceLib/scripting.rst
@@ -111,6 +111,7 @@ outline geometry, kerning and font.info that we want to work with.
 -  The **path** attribute is the absolute path to an existing UFO.
 -  The **name** attribute is a unique name for this source used to keep
    track it.
+-  The **layerName** attribute is the name of the UFO3 layer. Default None for ``foreground``.
 
 So go ahead and add another master:
 
diff --git a/Lib/fontTools/designspaceLib/__init__.py b/Lib/fontTools/designspaceLib/__init__.py
index 0e1b5e1a7..3be15e33b 100644
--- a/Lib/fontTools/designspaceLib/__init__.py
+++ b/Lib/fontTools/designspaceLib/__init__.py
@@ -114,7 +114,7 @@ class SimpleDescriptor(object):
 class SourceDescriptor(SimpleDescriptor):
     """Simple container for data related to the source"""
     flavor = "source"
-    _attrs = ['filename', 'path', 'name',
+    _attrs = ['filename', 'path', 'name', 'layerName',
               'location', 'copyLib',
               'copyGroups', 'copyFeatures',
               'muteKerning', 'muteInfo',
@@ -142,6 +142,7 @@ class SourceDescriptor(SimpleDescriptor):
 
         self.name = None
         self.location = None
+        self.layerName = None
         self.copyLib = False
         self.copyInfo = False
         self.copyGroups = False
@@ -567,6 +568,8 @@ class BaseDocWriter(object):
             sourceElement.attrib['familyname'] = sourceObject.familyName
         if sourceObject.styleName is not None:
             sourceElement.attrib['stylename'] = sourceObject.styleName
+        if sourceObject.layerName is not None:
+            sourceElement.attrib['layer'] = sourceObject.layerName
         if sourceObject.copyLib:
             libElement = ET.Element('lib')
             libElement.attrib['copy'] = "1"
@@ -769,6 +772,7 @@ class BaseDocReader(object):
         # Look at all locations and collect the axis names and values
         # assumptions:
         # look for the default value on an axis from a master location
+        # Needs deprecation warning
         allLocations = []
         minima = {}
         maxima = {}
@@ -822,6 +826,9 @@ class BaseDocReader(object):
             if styleName is not None:
                 sourceObject.styleName = styleName
             sourceObject.location = self.locationFromElement(sourceElement)
+            layerName = sourceElement.attrib.get('layer')
+            if layerName is not None:
+                sourceObject.layerName = layerName
             for libElement in sourceElement.findall('.lib'):
                 if libElement.attrib.get('copy') == '1':
                     sourceObject.copyLib = True
diff --git a/Tests/designspaceLib/data/test.designspace b/Tests/designspaceLib/data/test.designspace
index e91aad1e4..43116deb2 100644
--- a/Tests/designspaceLib/data/test.designspace
+++ b/Tests/designspaceLib/data/test.designspace
@@ -38,6 +38,12 @@
                 <dimension name="width" xvalue="20" />
             </location>
         </source>
+        <source familyname="MasterFamilyName" filename="masters/masterTest2.ufo" layer="supports" name="master.ufo2" stylename="Supports">
+            <location>
+                <dimension name="weight" xvalue="1000" />
+                <dimension name="width" xvalue="20" />
+            </location>
+        </source>
     </sources>
     <instances>
         <instance familyname="InstanceFamilyName" filename="instances/instanceTest1.ufo" name="instance.ufo1" postscriptfontname="InstancePostscriptName" stylemapfamilyname="InstanceStyleMapFamilyName" stylemapstylename="InstanceStyleMapStyleName" stylename="InstanceStyleName">
diff --git a/Tests/designspaceLib/designspace_test.py b/Tests/designspaceLib/designspace_test.py
index 210be8123..5ee09b27d 100644
--- a/Tests/designspaceLib/designspace_test.py
+++ b/Tests/designspaceLib/designspace_test.py
@@ -57,6 +57,19 @@ def test_fill_document(tmpdir):
     s2.familyName = "MasterFamilyName"
     s2.styleName = "MasterStyleNameTwo"
     doc.addSource(s2)
+    # add master 3 from a different layer
+    s3 = SourceDescriptor()
+    s3.filename = os.path.relpath(masterPath2, os.path.dirname(testDocPath))
+    s3.name = "master.ufo2"
+    s3.copyLib = False
+    s3.copyInfo = False
+    s3.copyFeatures = False
+    s3.muteKerning = False
+    s3.layerName = "supports"
+    s3.location = dict(weight=1000)
+    s3.familyName = "MasterFamilyName"
+    s3.styleName = "Supports"
+    doc.addSource(s3)
     # add instance 1
     i1 = InstanceDescriptor()
     i1.filename = os.path.relpath(instancePath1, os.path.dirname(testDocPath))
@@ -130,7 +143,7 @@ def test_fill_document(tmpdir):
     a3.maximum = 666
     a3.default = 444
     a3.name = "spooky"
-    a3.tag = "spok"
+    a3.tag = "SPOK"
     a3.map = [(0.0, 10.0), (401.0, 66.0), (1000.0, 990.0)]
     #doc.addAxis(a3)    # uncomment this line to test the effects of default axes values
     # write some rules
@@ -787,99 +800,3 @@ def __removeAxesFromDesignSpace(path):
     f.write(n)
     f.close()
 
-
-@pytest.fixture
-def invalid_designspace():
-    p = "testCheck.designspace"
-    __removeAxesFromDesignSpace(p)
-    yield p
-
-
-@pytest.mark.xfail(reason="The check method requires MutatorMath")
-def test_check(invalid_designspace, tmpdir):
-    tmpdir = str(tmpdir)
-    # check if the checks are checking
-    testDocPath = os.path.join(tmpdir, invalid_designspace)
-    masterPath1 = os.path.join(tmpdir, "masters", "masterTest1.ufo")
-    masterPath2 = os.path.join(tmpdir, "masters", "masterTest2.ufo")
-    instancePath1 = os.path.join(tmpdir, "instances", "instanceTest1.ufo")
-    instancePath2 = os.path.join(tmpdir, "instances", "instanceTest2.ufo")
-
-    # no default selected
-    doc = DesignSpaceDocument()
-    # add master 1
-    s1 = SourceDescriptor()
-    s1.path = masterPath1
-    s1.name = "master.ufo1"
-    s1.location = dict(snap=0, pop=10)
-    s1.familyName = "MasterFamilyName"
-    s1.styleName = "MasterStyleNameOne"
-    doc.addSource(s1)
-    # add master 2
-    s2 = SourceDescriptor()
-    s2.path = masterPath2
-    s2.name = "master.ufo2"
-    s2.location = dict(snap=1000, pop=20)
-    s2.familyName = "MasterFamilyName"
-    s2.styleName = "MasterStyleNameTwo"
-    doc.addSource(s2)
-    doc.checkAxes()
-    doc.getAxisOrder() == ['snap', 'pop']
-    assert doc.default == None
-    doc.checkDefault()
-    assert doc.default.name == 'master.ufo1'
-
-    # default selected
-    doc = DesignSpaceDocument()
-    # add master 1
-    s1 = SourceDescriptor()
-    s1.path = masterPath1
-    s1.name = "master.ufo1"
-    s1.location = dict(snap=0, pop=10)
-    s1.familyName = "MasterFamilyName"
-    s1.styleName = "MasterStyleNameOne"
-    doc.addSource(s1)
-    # add master 2
-    s2 = SourceDescriptor()
-    s2.path = masterPath2
-    s2.name = "master.ufo2"
-    s2.copyInfo = True
-    s2.location = dict(snap=1000, pop=20)
-    s2.familyName = "MasterFamilyName"
-    s2.styleName = "MasterStyleNameTwo"
-    doc.addSource(s2)
-    doc.checkAxes()
-    assert doc.getAxisOrder() == ['snap', 'pop']
-    assert doc.default == None
-    doc.checkDefault()
-    assert doc.default.name == 'master.ufo2'
-
-    # generate a doc without axes, save and read again
-    doc = DesignSpaceDocument()
-    # add master 1
-    s1 = SourceDescriptor()
-    s1.path = masterPath1
-    s1.name = "master.ufo1"
-    s1.location = dict(snap=0, pop=10)
-    s1.familyName = "MasterFamilyName"
-    s1.styleName = "MasterStyleNameOne"
-    doc.addSource(s1)
-    # add master 2
-    s2 = SourceDescriptor()
-    s2.path = masterPath2
-    s2.name = "master.ufo2"
-    s2.location = dict(snap=1000, pop=20)
-    s2.familyName = "MasterFamilyName"
-    s2.styleName = "MasterStyleNameTwo"
-    doc.addSource(s2)
-    doc.checkAxes()
-    doc.write(testDocPath)
-    __removeAxesFromDesignSpace(testDocPath)
-
-    new = DesignSpaceDocument()
-    new.read(testDocPath)
-    assert len(new.axes) == 2
-    new.checkAxes()
-    assert len(new.axes) == 2
-    assert print([a.name for a in new.axes]) == ['snap', 'pop']
-    new.write(testDocPath)