diff --git a/scripts/klayout/xml_drc_report_to_json.py b/scripts/klayout/xml_drc_report_to_json.py
index 687e043ae..bf2cdb726 100644
--- a/scripts/klayout/xml_drc_report_to_json.py
+++ b/scripts/klayout/xml_drc_report_to_json.py
@@ -12,7 +12,6 @@
 # WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
 # See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
 # limitations under the License.
-
 import json
 
 from klayout.rdb import ReportDatabase
@@ -26,17 +25,18 @@ def cli(xml_file, json_file):
     database = ReportDatabase("Database")
     json_database = {}
     database.load(xml_file)
+    total = 0
     for category in database.each_category():
         num_items = category.num_items()
         category_name = category.name()
         json_database[category_name] = num_items
+        total += num_items
+
+    json_database = dict(sorted(json_database.items(), key=lambda item: item[1]))
+    json_database["total"] = total
 
-    with open(json_file, "w") as f:
-        f.write(
-            json.dumps(
-                dict(sorted(json_database.items(), key=lambda item: item[1])), indent=4
-            )
-        )
+    with open(json_file, "w", encoding="utf8") as f:
+        json.dump(json_database, f)
 
 
 if __name__ == "__main__":
diff --git a/scripts/tcl_commands/checkers.tcl b/scripts/tcl_commands/checkers.tcl
index a339bb578..697f53614 100755
--- a/scripts/tcl_commands/checkers.tcl
+++ b/scripts/tcl_commands/checkers.tcl
@@ -387,24 +387,9 @@ proc quit_on_unconnected_pdn_nodes {args} {
     }
 }
 
-proc get_violations_count {report_file} {
-    package require json
-
-    set total_violations_count 0
-
-    set fp [open $report_file r]
-    set violations_json [read $fp]
-    close $fp
-
-    set violations_dict [json::json2dict $violations_json]
-    foreach count [dict values $violations_dict] {
-        set total_violations_count [expr $total_violations_count + $count]
-    }
-    return $total_violations_count
-}
-
 proc quit_on_klayout_drc {report_file} {
-    set violations_count [get_violations_count $report_file]
+    set violations_dict [json::json2dict [cat $report_file]]
+    set violations_count [dict get $violations_dict "total"]
     if { $::env(QUIT_ON_KLAYOUT_DRC) && $violations_count != 0} {
         puts_err "There are violations in the design after KLayout DRC."
         puts_err "Total Number of violations is $violations_count"