diff --git a/d2compiler/compile.go b/d2compiler/compile.go
index 4dd2badbb..66940ce56 100644
--- a/d2compiler/compile.go
+++ b/d2compiler/compile.go
@@ -368,8 +368,8 @@ func (c *compiler) compileReserved(attrs *d2graph.Attributes, f *d2ir.Field) {
 			c.errorf(scalar, "non-integer rows %#v: %s", scalar.ScalarString(), err)
 			return
 		}
-		if v < 0 {
-			c.errorf(scalar, "rows must be a non-negative integer: %#v", scalar.ScalarString())
+		if v <= 0 {
+			c.errorf(scalar, "rows must be a positive integer: %#v", scalar.ScalarString())
 			return
 		}
 		attrs.Rows = &d2graph.Scalar{}
@@ -381,8 +381,8 @@ func (c *compiler) compileReserved(attrs *d2graph.Attributes, f *d2ir.Field) {
 			c.errorf(scalar, "non-integer columns %#v: %s", scalar.ScalarString(), err)
 			return
 		}
-		if v < 0 {
-			c.errorf(scalar, "columns must be a non-negative integer: %#v", scalar.ScalarString())
+		if v <= 0 {
+			c.errorf(scalar, "columns must be a positive integer: %#v", scalar.ScalarString())
 			return
 		}
 		attrs.Columns = &d2graph.Scalar{}
diff --git a/d2compiler/compile_test.go b/d2compiler/compile_test.go
index 7dc218cae..2d6e63a95 100644
--- a/d2compiler/compile_test.go
+++ b/d2compiler/compile_test.go
@@ -2286,7 +2286,7 @@ obj {
 	columns: -200
 }
 `,
-			expErr: `d2/testdata/d2compiler/TestCompile/grid_negative.d2:3:11: columns must be a non-negative integer: "-200"`,
+			expErr: `d2/testdata/d2compiler/TestCompile/grid_negative.d2:3:11: columns must be a positive integer: "-200"`,
 		},
 	}
 
diff --git a/d2layouts/d2grid/grid.go b/d2layouts/d2grid/grid.go
index 29853fc8a..cd5e4ec8f 100644
--- a/d2layouts/d2grid/grid.go
+++ b/d2layouts/d2grid/grid.go
@@ -29,15 +29,9 @@ func newGrid(root *d2graph.Object) *grid {
 	// TODO consider making this based on node dimensions
 	if g.rows == 0 {
 		// set rows based on number of columns
-		if g.columns == 0 {
-			// 0,0: put everything in one row
-			g.rows = 1
-			g.columns = len(g.nodes)
-		} else {
-			g.rows = len(g.nodes) / g.columns
-			if len(g.nodes)%g.columns != 0 {
-				g.rows++
-			}
+		g.rows = len(g.nodes) / g.columns
+		if len(g.nodes)%g.columns != 0 {
+			g.rows++
 		}
 	} else if g.columns == 0 {
 		// set columns based on number of rows
diff --git a/testdata/d2compiler/TestCompile/grid_negative.exp.json b/testdata/d2compiler/TestCompile/grid_negative.exp.json
index ff17efc56..5551871da 100644
--- a/testdata/d2compiler/TestCompile/grid_negative.exp.json
+++ b/testdata/d2compiler/TestCompile/grid_negative.exp.json
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
     "errs": [
       {
         "range": "d2/testdata/d2compiler/TestCompile/grid_negative.d2,2:10:28-2:14:32",
-        "errmsg": "d2/testdata/d2compiler/TestCompile/grid_negative.d2:3:11: columns must be a non-negative integer: \"-200\""
+        "errmsg": "d2/testdata/d2compiler/TestCompile/grid_negative.d2:3:11: columns must be a positive integer: \"-200\""
       }
     ]
   }