diff --git a/ci/release/changelogs/next.md b/ci/release/changelogs/next.md
index 14878ca73..da3a38d00 100644
--- a/ci/release/changelogs/next.md
+++ b/ci/release/changelogs/next.md
@@ -4,12 +4,6 @@
 
 #### Improvements 🧹
 
-- Use shape specific sizing for grid containers [#1294](https://github.com/terrastruct/d2/pull/1294)
-- Grid diagrams now support nested shapes or grid diagrams [#1309](https://github.com/terrastruct/d2/pull/1309)
-- Grid diagrams will now also use `grid-gap`, `vertical-gap`, and `horizontal-gap` for padding [#1309](https://github.com/terrastruct/d2/pull/1309)
-- Watch mode browser uses an error favicon to easily indicate compiler errors. Thanks @sinyo-matu ! [#1240](https://github.com/terrastruct/d2/pull/1240)
-- Improves grid layout performance when there are many similarly sized shapes. [#1315](https://github.com/terrastruct/d2/pull/1315)
-- Connections and labels now are adjusted for shapes with `3d` or `multiple`. [#1340](https://github.com/terrastruct/d2/pull/1340)
 - Display version on CLI help invocation [#1400](https://github.com/terrastruct/d2/pull/1400)
 - Improved readability of connection labels when they overlap another connection. [#447](https://github.com/terrastruct/d2/pull/447)
 - Error message when `shape` is given a composite [#1415](https://github.com/terrastruct/d2/pull/1415)
diff --git a/d2format/format.go b/d2format/format.go
index 5d5b71271..34b00410e 100644
--- a/d2format/format.go
+++ b/d2format/format.go
@@ -275,36 +275,15 @@ func (p *printer) _map(m *d2ast.Map) {
 		}
 	}
 
-	nodes := []d2ast.MapNodeBox{}
-	// extract out layer, scenario, and step nodes
-	layerNodes := []d2ast.MapNodeBox{}
-	scenarioNodes := []d2ast.MapNodeBox{}
-	stepNodes := []d2ast.MapNodeBox{}
-	for i := 0; i < len(m.Nodes); i++ {
-		node := m.Nodes[i]
-		if node.IsBoardNode() {
-			switch node.MapKey.Key.Path[0].Unbox().ScalarString() {
-			case "layers":
-				layerNodes = append(layerNodes, node)
-			case "scenarios":
-				scenarioNodes = append(scenarioNodes, node)
-			case "steps":
-				stepNodes = append(stepNodes, node)
-			}
-		} else {
-			nodes = append(nodes, node)
-		}
-	}
-
-	// append layers, scenarios, and steps at the end
-	nodes = append(nodes, layerNodes...)
-	nodes = append(nodes, scenarioNodes...)
-	nodes = append(nodes, stepNodes...)
-
 	prev := d2ast.Node(m)
-	for i := 0; i < len(nodes); i++ {
-		nb := nodes[i]
+	for i := 0; i < len(m.Nodes); i++ {
+		nb := m.Nodes[i]
 		n := nb.Unbox()
+		// skip board nodes as we'll write them at the end
+		if nb.IsBoardNode() {
+			prev = n
+			continue
+		}
 
 		// Handle inline comments.
 		if i > 0 && (nb.Comment != nil || nb.BlockComment != nil) {
@@ -328,12 +307,43 @@ func (p *printer) _map(m *d2ast.Map) {
 			p.sb.WriteString("; ")
 		}
 
-		if m.IsFileMap() && nb.IsBoardNode() {
-			currString := p.sb.String()
-			// if the two characters before the board node is not a double newline, we add one
-			if currString[len(currString)-2:] != "\n\n" {
-				p.newline()
-			}
+		p.node(n)
+		prev = n
+	}
+
+	// extract out layer, scenario, and step nodes
+	layerNodes := []d2ast.MapNodeBox{}
+	scenarioNodes := []d2ast.MapNodeBox{}
+	stepNodes := []d2ast.MapNodeBox{}
+	for i := 0; i < len(m.Nodes); i++ {
+		node := m.Nodes[i]
+		if !node.IsBoardNode() {
+			continue
+		}
+		switch node.MapKey.Key.Path[0].Unbox().ScalarString() {
+		case "layers":
+			layerNodes = append(layerNodes, node)
+		case "scenarios":
+			scenarioNodes = append(scenarioNodes, node)
+		case "steps":
+			stepNodes = append(stepNodes, node)
+		}
+	}
+
+	boards := []d2ast.MapNodeBox{}
+	boards = append(boards, layerNodes...)
+	boards = append(boards, scenarioNodes...)
+	boards = append(boards, stepNodes...)
+
+	// draw board nodes
+	for i := 0; i < len(boards); i++ {
+		n := boards[i].Unbox()
+		// if this board is the very first line of the file, don't add an extra indent
+		if n.GetRange().Start.Line != 0 {
+			p.newline()
+		}
+		if len(m.Nodes) > len(boards) {
+			p.newline()
 		}
 		p.node(n)
 		prev = n
diff --git a/d2format/format_test.go b/d2format/format_test.go
index 7e034c7cb..de0ccd1cd 100644
--- a/d2format/format_test.go
+++ b/d2format/format_test.go
@@ -152,8 +152,8 @@ meow
     representation: {type: jsonb}
     diagram: int {constraint: foreign_key}
   }
-
   meow <- diagrams.id
+  
   steps: {
     shape: sql_table
     id: {type: int; constraint: primary_key}
@@ -661,28 +661,21 @@ x: @"x/../file"
 		},
 		{
 			name: "layers_scenarios_steps_bottom_simple",
-			in: `a
-
-layers: {
+			in: `layers: {
   b: {
+		e
     scenarios: {
       p: { 
         x 
       }
     }
-    e
   }
 }
-
-g
 `,
-			exp: `a
-
-g
-
-layers: {
+			exp: `layers: {
   b: {
     e
+    
     scenarios: {
       p: {
         x
@@ -741,21 +734,35 @@ scenarios: {
 
 c
 d
+
+only-layers: {
+	layers: {
+		X
+		Y
+	}
+}
 `,
 			exp: `a
-
 b
 
 c
 d
 
+only-layers: {
+  layers: {
+    X
+    Y
+  }
+}
+
 layers: {
   Test super nested: {
     base-layer
-
     last-layer
+    
     layers: {
       layer-board
+      
       layers: {
         grand-child-layer: {
           grand-child-board
@@ -768,6 +775,7 @@ layers: {
 scenarios: {
   scenario-1: {
     non-step
+    
     steps: {
       step-1: {
         Test