diff --git a/src/cts/src/TritonCTS.cpp b/src/cts/src/TritonCTS.cpp
index b0389c407b7..90cbc3dcf87 100644
--- a/src/cts/src/TritonCTS.cpp
+++ b/src/cts/src/TritonCTS.cpp
@@ -1931,6 +1931,13 @@ void TritonCTS::writeClockNDRsToDb(TreeBuilder* builder)
   odb::dbTech* tech = db_->getTech();
   for (int i = 1; i <= tech->getRoutingLayerCount(); i++) {
     odb::dbTechLayer* layer = tech->findRoutingLayer(i);
+    // Backside routing layers (BPR, BM*, BRDL) are not clock-routing
+    // targets; clock trees live on the frontside. Skip them so we do
+    // not create NDR rules whose widths/spacings are derived from
+    // backside design rules and would never apply to a clock net.
+    if (layer->isBackside()) {
+      continue;
+    }
     odb::dbTechLayerRule* layerRule = clockNDR->getLayerRule(layer);
     if (!layerRule) {
       layerRule = odb::dbTechLayerRule::create(clockNDR, layer);
diff --git a/src/est/src/EstimateParasitics.cpp b/src/est/src/EstimateParasitics.cpp
index 5a800cf2815..294c51133f6 100644
--- a/src/est/src/EstimateParasitics.cpp
+++ b/src/est/src/EstimateParasitics.cpp
@@ -914,7 +914,22 @@ double EstimateParasitics::computeAverageCutResistance(sta::Scene* scene)
   int max_layer = block_->getMaxRoutingLayer();
 
   if (max_layer < 0) {
-    max_layer = db_->getTech()->getRoutingLayerCount() / 2;
+    // Fall back to roughly the middle of the frontside routing stack.
+    // Halving the total routing-layer count picks the wrong stack when
+    // backside layers (BPR, BM*, BRDL) push the midpoint below the
+    // frontside boundary; counting only frontside levels keeps the
+    // heuristic on the side that hosts the signal routes whose cut
+    // resistance this function averages.
+    odb::dbTech* tech = db_->getTech();
+    const int total_levels = tech->getRoutingLayerCount();
+    odb::dbTechLayer* first_front = tech->firstFrontsideRoutingLayer();
+    if (first_front != nullptr) {
+      const int first_level = first_front->getRoutingLevel();
+      const int frontside_count = total_levels - first_level + 1;
+      max_layer = first_level - 1 + frontside_count / 2;
+    } else {
+      max_layer = total_levels / 2;
+    }
   }
 
   odb::dbTechLayer* min_tech_layer
diff --git a/src/grt/src/GlobalRouter.cpp b/src/grt/src/GlobalRouter.cpp
index 9e3b4b59906..cdf8ffd7ca8 100644
--- a/src/grt/src/GlobalRouter.cpp
+++ b/src/grt/src/GlobalRouter.cpp
@@ -796,6 +796,13 @@ void GlobalRouter::checkAdjacentLayersDirection(int min_routing_layer,
   for (int l = min_routing_layer; l < max_routing_layer; l++) {
     odb::dbTechLayer* layer_a = tech->findRoutingLayer(l);
     odb::dbTechLayer* layer_b = tech->findRoutingLayer(l + 1);
+    // Backside and frontside routing layers sit on opposite sides of the
+    // substrate, so "adjacent routing level" across the side boundary is
+    // not a physical neighbor relationship and direction agreement there
+    // is not a misconfiguration.
+    if (layer_a->isBackside() != layer_b->isBackside()) {
+      continue;
+    }
     if (layer_a->getDirection() == layer_b->getDirection()) {
       logger_->error(
           GRT,