diff --git a/include/sta/Sta.hh b/include/sta/Sta.hh
index f7b233da4..ada783017 100644
--- a/include/sta/Sta.hh
+++ b/include/sta/Sta.hh
@@ -1331,6 +1331,9 @@ public:
   // TCL variable sta_input_port_default_clock.
   bool useDefaultArrivalClock() const;
   void setUseDefaultArrivalClock(bool enable);
+  // TCL variable sta_strip_escaped_bus.
+  bool stripEscapedBus() const;
+  void setStripEscapedBus(bool enable);
   ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 
   Properties &properties() { return properties_; }
diff --git a/include/sta/Variables.hh b/include/sta/Variables.hh
index 1d60408ec..eaadc6976 100644
--- a/include/sta/Variables.hh
+++ b/include/sta/Variables.hh
@@ -78,6 +78,9 @@ public:
   void setUseDefaultArrivalClock(bool enable);
   bool pocvEnabled() const { return pocv_enabled_; }
   void setPocvEnabled(bool enabled);
+  // TCL variable sta_strip_escaped_bus.
+  bool stripEscapedBus() const { return strip_escaped_bus_; }
+  void setStripEscapedBus(bool enable) { strip_escaped_bus_ = enable; }
 
 private:
   bool crpr_enabled_;
@@ -94,6 +97,7 @@ private:
   bool propagate_all_clks_;
   bool use_default_arrival_clock_;
   bool pocv_enabled_;
+  bool strip_escaped_bus_;
 };
 
 } // namespace
diff --git a/sdc/Variables.cc b/sdc/Variables.cc
index 1cb10bd0a..f5d32ecd5 100644
--- a/sdc/Variables.cc
+++ b/sdc/Variables.cc
@@ -40,7 +40,8 @@ Variables::Variables() :
   dynamic_loop_breaking_(false),
   propagate_all_clks_(false),
   use_default_arrival_clock_(false),
-  pocv_enabled_(false)
+  pocv_enabled_(false),
+  strip_escaped_bus_(false)
 {
 }
 
diff --git a/search/Search.i b/search/Search.i
index 3e2e761aa..fcd97ae8c 100644
--- a/search/Search.i
+++ b/search/Search.i
@@ -1182,6 +1182,19 @@ levelize()
   sta->levelize()->levelize();
 }
 
+bool
+strip_escaped_bus()
+{
+  return Sta::sta()->stripEscapedBus();
+}
+
+void
+set_strip_escaped_bus(bool enable)
+{
+  Sta::sta()->setStripEscapedBus(enable);
+}
+
+
 %} // inline
 
 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
diff --git a/search/Sta.cc b/search/Sta.cc
index 99675388a..94eb17a9b 100644
--- a/search/Sta.cc
+++ b/search/Sta.cc
@@ -2401,6 +2401,19 @@ Sta::setClkThruTristateEnabled(bool enable)
   }
 }
 
+bool
+Sta::stripEscapedBus() const
+{
+  return variables_->stripEscapedBus();
+}
+
+void
+Sta::setStripEscapedBus(bool enable)
+{
+  variables_->setStripEscapedBus(enable);
+}
+
+
 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 
 Corner *
diff --git a/tcl/Variables.tcl b/tcl/Variables.tcl
index a019c2959..04ede46fa 100644
--- a/tcl/Variables.tcl
+++ b/tcl/Variables.tcl
@@ -168,6 +168,14 @@ proc trace_pocv_enabled { name1 name2 op } {
     pocv_enabled set_pocv_enabled
 }
 
+trace variable ::sta_strip_escaped_bus "rw" \
+  sta::trace_strip_escaped_bus
+
+proc trace_strip_escaped_bus { name1 name2 op } {
+  trace_boolean_var $op ::sta_strip_escaped_bus \
+    strip_escaped_bus set_strip_escaped_bus
+}
+
 # Report path numeric field width is digits + extra.
 set report_path_field_width_extra 5
 
diff --git a/test/regression_vars.tcl b/test/regression_vars.tcl
index f3eb42e97..005a9f8b2 100644
--- a/test/regression_vars.tcl
+++ b/test/regression_vars.tcl
@@ -158,6 +158,7 @@ record_sta_tests {
   report_checks_src_attr
   report_json1
   report_json2
+  sdc_strip_escaped_bus
   suppress_msg
   verilog_attribute
   verilog_specify
diff --git a/test/sdc_strip_escaped_bus.ok b/test/sdc_strip_escaped_bus.ok
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..369616281
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/sdc_strip_escaped_bus.ok
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+Error: sdc_strip_escaped_bus.tcl line 11, pin 'a' not found.
+Error: sdc_strip_escaped_bus.tcl line 12, pin 'y' not found.
diff --git a/test/sdc_strip_escaped_bus.tcl b/test/sdc_strip_escaped_bus.tcl
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..a852b48d3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/sdc_strip_escaped_bus.tcl
@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
+# sdc clock annotation for 2d array
+
+# Load design and create clock
+set sta_continue_on_error 1
+read_verilog sdc_strip_escaped_bus.v
+link_design sdc_strip_escaped_bus
+create_clock -name clk -period 1000
+
+# sta_strip_escaped_bus 0: should produce errors for { a } and { y }
+set sta_strip_escaped_bus 0
+set_input_delay -clock clk 3 { a }
+set_output_delay -clock clk 3 { y }
+set_input_delay -clock clk 4 { a[0] }
+set_output_delay -clock clk 4 { y[0] }
+
+# sta_strip_escaped_bus 1
+set sta_strip_escaped_bus 1
+set_input_delay -clock clk 0 { a }
+set_output_delay -clock clk 0 { y }
+set_input_delay -clock clk 1 { a[0] }
+set_output_delay -clock clk 1 { y[0] }
diff --git a/test/sdc_strip_escaped_bus.v b/test/sdc_strip_escaped_bus.v
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..ba81f2463
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/sdc_strip_escaped_bus.v
@@ -0,0 +1,22 @@
+module sdc_strip_escaped_bus(\a[3] , \a[2] , \a[1] , \a[0] , \y[3] , \y[2] , \y[1] , \y[0] );
+  input [3:0] \a[0] ;
+  wire [3:0] \a[0] ;
+  input [3:0] \a[1] ;
+  wire [3:0] \a[1] ;
+  input [3:0] \a[2] ;
+  wire [3:0] \a[2] ;
+  input [3:0] \a[3] ;
+  wire [3:0] \a[3] ;
+  output [3:0] \y[0] ;
+  wire [3:0] \y[0] ;
+  output [3:0] \y[1] ;
+  wire [3:0] \y[1] ;
+  output [3:0] \y[2] ;
+  wire [3:0] \y[2] ;
+  output [3:0] \y[3] ;
+  wire [3:0] \y[3] ;
+  assign \y[0]  = \a[0] ;
+  assign \y[1]  = \a[1] ;
+  assign \y[2]  = \a[2] ;
+  assign \y[3]  = \a[3] ;
+endmodule
diff --git a/util/PatternMatch.cc b/util/PatternMatch.cc
index 2dd32df92..d875c19ba 100644
--- a/util/PatternMatch.cc
+++ b/util/PatternMatch.cc
@@ -23,11 +23,14 @@
 // This notice may not be removed or altered from any source distribution.
 
 #include "PatternMatch.hh"
+#include "Sta.hh"
 #include <cstring>
+#include <regex>
 #include <tcl.h>
 
 namespace sta {
 
+using std::regex;
 using std::string;
 
 PatternMatch::PatternMatch(const char *pattern,
@@ -117,13 +120,35 @@ PatternMatch::match(const string &str) const
   return match(str.c_str());
 }
 
+string
+stripEscapedBus(string str)
+{
+  // strip escaped bus indices from str
+  // bus\[8\] -> bus
+  // bus\[8\]\[7\] -> bus
+  // bus\[8\]\[7\]\[6\] -> bus
+  // bus\[8\].hello -> bus\[8\].hello
+  // bus\[hello\].world -> bus\[hello\].world
+  // etc.
+  string result = str;
+  regex trailing_numeric_pattern(R"(\\\[\s*\d+\s*\\\]$)");
+  string prev_result;
+  do {
+    prev_result = result;
+    result = std::regex_replace(result, trailing_numeric_pattern, "");
+  } while (result != prev_result);
+  return result;
+}
+
 bool
 PatternMatch::match(const char *str) const
 {
   if (regexp_)
     return Tcl_RegExpExec(nullptr, regexp_, str, str) == 1;
   else
-    return patternMatch(pattern_, str);
+    return patternMatch(pattern_, str)
+      || (Sta::sta()->stripEscapedBus() &&
+          patternMatch(pattern_, stripEscapedBus(str).c_str()));
 }
 
 bool
@@ -132,7 +157,9 @@ PatternMatch::matchNoCase(const char *str) const
   if (regexp_)
     return Tcl_RegExpExec(0, regexp_, str, str) == 1;
   else
-    return patternMatchNoCase(pattern_, str, nocase_);
+    return patternMatchNoCase(pattern_, str, nocase_)
+      || (Sta::sta()->stripEscapedBus() &&
+          patternMatchNoCase(pattern_, stripEscapedBus(str).c_str(), nocase_));
 }
 
 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////