diff --git a/d2compiler/compile_test.go b/d2compiler/compile_test.go
index 1347435c4..3deef1e5e 100644
--- a/d2compiler/compile_test.go
+++ b/d2compiler/compile_test.go
@@ -1378,6 +1378,21 @@ x -> y: {
 				}
 			},
 		},
+		{
+			name: "nil_scope_obj_regression",
+
+			text: `a
+b: {
+  _.a
+}
+`,
+			assertions: func(t *testing.T, g *d2graph.Graph) {
+				tassert.Equal(t, "a", g.Objects[0].ID)
+				for _, ref := range g.Objects[0].References {
+					tassert.NotNil(t, ref.ScopeObj)
+				}
+			},
+		},
 		{
 			name: "path_link",
 
diff --git a/d2oracle/edit_test.go b/d2oracle/edit_test.go
index f4c3d0ce4..9b84e15ed 100644
--- a/d2oracle/edit_test.go
+++ b/d2oracle/edit_test.go
@@ -3309,6 +3309,23 @@ d
 			exp: `a: {
   _.b -> c -> _.b
 }
+`,
+		},
+		{
+			name: "container_multiple_refs_with_underscore",
+
+			text: `a
+b: {
+  _.a
+}
+`,
+			key:    `a`,
+			newKey: `b.a`,
+
+			exp: `b.a
+b: {
+  a
+}
 `,
 		},
 	}
diff --git a/testdata/d2compiler/TestCompile/nil_scope_obj_regression.exp.json b/testdata/d2compiler/TestCompile/nil_scope_obj_regression.exp.json
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..00ce55a57
--- /dev/null
+++ b/testdata/d2compiler/TestCompile/nil_scope_obj_regression.exp.json
@@ -0,0 +1,250 @@
+{
+  "graph": {
+    "name": "",
+    "ast": {
+      "range": "d2/testdata/d2compiler/TestCompile/nil_scope_obj_regression.d2,0:0:0-4:0:15",
+      "nodes": [
+        {
+          "map_key": {
+            "range": "d2/testdata/d2compiler/TestCompile/nil_scope_obj_regression.d2,0:0:0-0:1:1",
+            "key": {
+              "range": "d2/testdata/d2compiler/TestCompile/nil_scope_obj_regression.d2,0:0:0-0:1:1",
+              "path": [
+                {
+                  "unquoted_string": {
+                    "range": "d2/testdata/d2compiler/TestCompile/nil_scope_obj_regression.d2,0:0:0-0:1:1",
+                    "value": [
+                      {
+                        "string": "a",
+                        "raw_string": "a"
+                      }
+                    ]
+                  }
+                }
+              ]
+            },
+            "primary": {},
+            "value": {}
+          }
+        },
+        {
+          "map_key": {
+            "range": "d2/testdata/d2compiler/TestCompile/nil_scope_obj_regression.d2,1:0:2-3:1:14",
+            "key": {
+              "range": "d2/testdata/d2compiler/TestCompile/nil_scope_obj_regression.d2,1:0:2-1:1:3",
+              "path": [
+                {
+                  "unquoted_string": {
+                    "range": "d2/testdata/d2compiler/TestCompile/nil_scope_obj_regression.d2,1:0:2-1:1:3",
+                    "value": [
+                      {
+                        "string": "b",
+                        "raw_string": "b"
+                      }
+                    ]
+                  }
+                }
+              ]
+            },
+            "primary": {},
+            "value": {
+              "map": {
+                "range": "d2/testdata/d2compiler/TestCompile/nil_scope_obj_regression.d2,1:3:5-3:0:13",
+                "nodes": [
+                  {
+                    "map_key": {
+                      "range": "d2/testdata/d2compiler/TestCompile/nil_scope_obj_regression.d2,2:2:9-2:5:12",
+                      "key": {
+                        "range": "d2/testdata/d2compiler/TestCompile/nil_scope_obj_regression.d2,2:2:9-2:5:12",
+                        "path": [
+                          {
+                            "unquoted_string": {
+                              "range": "d2/testdata/d2compiler/TestCompile/nil_scope_obj_regression.d2,2:2:9-2:3:10",
+                              "value": [
+                                {
+                                  "string": "_",
+                                  "raw_string": "_"
+                                }
+                              ]
+                            }
+                          },
+                          {
+                            "unquoted_string": {
+                              "range": "d2/testdata/d2compiler/TestCompile/nil_scope_obj_regression.d2,2:4:11-2:5:12",
+                              "value": [
+                                {
+                                  "string": "a",
+                                  "raw_string": "a"
+                                }
+                              ]
+                            }
+                          }
+                        ]
+                      },
+                      "primary": {},
+                      "value": {}
+                    }
+                  }
+                ]
+              }
+            }
+          }
+        }
+      ]
+    },
+    "root": {
+      "id": "",
+      "id_val": "",
+      "label_dimensions": {
+        "width": 0,
+        "height": 0
+      },
+      "attributes": {
+        "label": {
+          "value": ""
+        },
+        "style": {},
+        "near_key": null,
+        "shape": {
+          "value": ""
+        },
+        "direction": {
+          "value": ""
+        },
+        "constraint": {
+          "value": ""
+        }
+      },
+      "zIndex": 0
+    },
+    "edges": null,
+    "objects": [
+      {
+        "id": "a",
+        "id_val": "a",
+        "label_dimensions": {
+          "width": 0,
+          "height": 0
+        },
+        "references": [
+          {
+            "key": {
+              "range": "d2/testdata/d2compiler/TestCompile/nil_scope_obj_regression.d2,0:0:0-0:1:1",
+              "path": [
+                {
+                  "unquoted_string": {
+                    "range": "d2/testdata/d2compiler/TestCompile/nil_scope_obj_regression.d2,0:0:0-0:1:1",
+                    "value": [
+                      {
+                        "string": "a",
+                        "raw_string": "a"
+                      }
+                    ]
+                  }
+                }
+              ]
+            },
+            "key_path_index": 0,
+            "map_key_edge_index": -1
+          },
+          {
+            "key": {
+              "range": "d2/testdata/d2compiler/TestCompile/nil_scope_obj_regression.d2,2:2:9-2:5:12",
+              "path": [
+                {
+                  "unquoted_string": {
+                    "range": "d2/testdata/d2compiler/TestCompile/nil_scope_obj_regression.d2,2:2:9-2:3:10",
+                    "value": [
+                      {
+                        "string": "_",
+                        "raw_string": "_"
+                      }
+                    ]
+                  }
+                },
+                {
+                  "unquoted_string": {
+                    "range": "d2/testdata/d2compiler/TestCompile/nil_scope_obj_regression.d2,2:4:11-2:5:12",
+                    "value": [
+                      {
+                        "string": "a",
+                        "raw_string": "a"
+                      }
+                    ]
+                  }
+                }
+              ]
+            },
+            "key_path_index": 1,
+            "map_key_edge_index": -1
+          }
+        ],
+        "attributes": {
+          "label": {
+            "value": "a"
+          },
+          "style": {},
+          "near_key": null,
+          "shape": {
+            "value": "rectangle"
+          },
+          "direction": {
+            "value": ""
+          },
+          "constraint": {
+            "value": ""
+          }
+        },
+        "zIndex": 0
+      },
+      {
+        "id": "b",
+        "id_val": "b",
+        "label_dimensions": {
+          "width": 0,
+          "height": 0
+        },
+        "references": [
+          {
+            "key": {
+              "range": "d2/testdata/d2compiler/TestCompile/nil_scope_obj_regression.d2,1:0:2-1:1:3",
+              "path": [
+                {
+                  "unquoted_string": {
+                    "range": "d2/testdata/d2compiler/TestCompile/nil_scope_obj_regression.d2,1:0:2-1:1:3",
+                    "value": [
+                      {
+                        "string": "b",
+                        "raw_string": "b"
+                      }
+                    ]
+                  }
+                }
+              ]
+            },
+            "key_path_index": 0,
+            "map_key_edge_index": -1
+          }
+        ],
+        "attributes": {
+          "label": {
+            "value": "b"
+          },
+          "style": {},
+          "near_key": null,
+          "shape": {
+            "value": "rectangle"
+          },
+          "direction": {
+            "value": ""
+          },
+          "constraint": {
+            "value": ""
+          }
+        },
+        "zIndex": 0
+      }
+    ]
+  },
+  "err": null
+}