diff --git a/d2compiler/compile_test.go b/d2compiler/compile_test.go
index 50c1ef32e..d642ef2cb 100644
--- a/d2compiler/compile_test.go
+++ b/d2compiler/compile_test.go
@@ -1904,6 +1904,23 @@ Chinchillas_Collectibles.chinchilla -> Chinchillas.id`,
 			text: `x.link: layers.x
 layers: {
   x
+}`,
+		},
+		{
+			name: "link-board-mixed",
+			text: `question: How does the cat go?
+question.link: layers.cat
+
+layers: {
+  cat: {
+    the cat -> meeeowwww: goes
+  }
+}
+
+scenarios: {
+  green: {
+		question.style.fill: green
+  }
 }`,
 		},
 		{
diff --git a/testdata/d2compiler/TestCompile/link-board-mixed.exp.json b/testdata/d2compiler/TestCompile/link-board-mixed.exp.json
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..2212669e9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/testdata/d2compiler/TestCompile/link-board-mixed.exp.json
@@ -0,0 +1,788 @@
+{
+  "graph": {
+    "name": "",
+    "ast": {
+      "range": "d2/testdata/d2compiler/TestCompile/link-board-mixed.d2,0:0:0-11:1:137",
+      "nodes": [
+        {
+          "map_key": {
+            "range": "d2/testdata/d2compiler/TestCompile/link-board-mixed.d2,0:0:0-0:30:30",
+            "key": {
+              "range": "d2/testdata/d2compiler/TestCompile/link-board-mixed.d2,0:0:0-0:8:8",
+              "path": [
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+                      }
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+                "range": "d2/testdata/d2compiler/TestCompile/link-board-mixed.d2,0:10:10-0:30:30",
+                "value": [
+                  {
+                    "string": "How does the cat go?",
+                    "raw_string": "How does the cat go?"
+                  }
+                ]
+              }
+            }
+          }
+        },
+        {
+          "map_key": {
+            "range": "d2/testdata/d2compiler/TestCompile/link-board-mixed.d2,1:15:46-1:25:56",
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+              "path": [
+                {
+                  "unquoted_string": {
+                    "range": "d2/testdata/d2compiler/TestCompile/link-board-mixed.d2,1:0:31-1:8:39",
+                    "value": [
+                      {
+                        "string": "question",
+                        "raw_string": "question"
+                      }
+                    ]
+                  }
+                },
+                {
+                  "unquoted_string": {
+                    "range": "d2/testdata/d2compiler/TestCompile/link-board-mixed.d2,1:9:40-1:13:44",
+                    "value": [
+                      {
+                        "string": "link",
+                        "raw_string": "link"
+                      }
+                    ]
+                  }
+                }
+              ]
+            },
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+            "value": {
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+                "value": [
+                  {
+                    "string": "layers.cat",
+                    "raw_string": "layers.cat"
+                  }
+                ]
+              }
+            }
+          }
+        },
+        {
+          "map_key": {
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+              "path": [
+                {
+                  "unquoted_string": {
+                    "range": "d2/testdata/d2compiler/TestCompile/link-board-mixed.d2,3:0:58-3:6:64",
+                    "value": [
+                      {
+                        "string": "layers",
+                        "raw_string": "layers"
+                      }
+                    ]
+                  }
+                }
+              ]
+            },
+            "primary": {},
+            "value": {
+              "map": {
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+                          {
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+                              "range": "d2/testdata/d2compiler/TestCompile/link-board-mixed.d2,4:2:70-4:5:73",
+                              "value": [
+                                {
+                                  "string": "cat",
+                                  "raw_string": "cat"
+                                }
+                              ]
+                            }
+                          }
+                        ]
+                      },
+                      "primary": {},
+                      "value": {
+                        "map": {
+                          "range": "d2/testdata/d2compiler/TestCompile/link-board-mixed.d2,4:7:75-6:2:110",
+                          "nodes": [
+                            {
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+                                "range": "d2/testdata/d2compiler/TestCompile/link-board-mixed.d2,5:4:81-5:30:107",
+                                "edges": [
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+                                    "src": {
+                                      "range": "d2/testdata/d2compiler/TestCompile/link-board-mixed.d2,5:4:81-5:12:89",
+                                      "path": [
+                                        {
+                                          "unquoted_string": {
+                                            "range": "d2/testdata/d2compiler/TestCompile/link-board-mixed.d2,5:4:81-5:11:88",
+                                            "value": [
+                                              {
+                                                "string": "the cat",
+                                                "raw_string": "the cat"
+                                              }
+                                            ]
+                                          }
+                                        }
+                                      ]
+                                    },
+                                    "src_arrow": "",
+                                    "dst": {
+                                      "range": "d2/testdata/d2compiler/TestCompile/link-board-mixed.d2,5:14:91-5:24:101",
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+                                            "range": "d2/testdata/d2compiler/TestCompile/link-board-mixed.d2,5:15:92-5:24:101",
+                                            "value": [
+                                              {
+                                                "string": "meeeowwww",
+                                                "raw_string": "meeeowwww"
+                                              }
+                                            ]
+                                          }
+                                        }
+                                      ]
+                                    },
+                                    "dst_arrow": ">"
+                                  }
+                                ],
+                                "primary": {},
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+                                    "range": "d2/testdata/d2compiler/TestCompile/link-board-mixed.d2,5:26:103-5:30:107",
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+                                        "string": "goes",
+                                        "raw_string": "goes"
+                                      }
+                                    ]
+                                  }
+                                }
+                              }
+                            }
+                          ]
+                        }
+                      }
+                    }
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+                ]
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+            }
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+                        "raw_string": "scenarios"
+                      }
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+                              "range": "d2/testdata/d2compiler/TestCompile/link-board-mixed.d2,10:2:130-10:7:135",
+                              "value": [
+                                {
+                                  "string": "green",
+                                  "raw_string": "green"
+                                }
+                              ]
+                            }
+                          }
+                        ]
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+                      "primary": {},
+                      "value": {}
+                    }
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+        }
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+                    "value": [
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+                        "raw_string": "question"
+                      }
+                    ]
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+            "map_key_edge_index": -1
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+                      }
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+                    "value": [
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+          },
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+            "value": "rectangle"
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+          },
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+          }
+        },
+        "zIndex": 0
+      }
+    ],
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+        "name": "cat",
+        "ast": {
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+          "nodes": [
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+                          }
+                        ]
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+                        "raw_string": "How does the cat go?"
+                      }
+                    ]
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+            },
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+                        "raw_string": "layers.cat"
+                      }
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+                }
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+                        "range": "d2/testdata/d2compiler/TestCompile/link-board-mixed.d2,3:0:58-3:6:64",
+                        "value": [
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+                            "raw_string": "layers"
+                          }
+                        ]
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+                                                    "raw_string": "the cat"
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+                                                    "string": "meeeowwww",
+                                                    "raw_string": "meeeowwww"
+                                                  }
+                                                ]
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+                                      }
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+                                            "raw_string": "goes"
+                                          }
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+                            "raw_string": "scenarios"
+                          }
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+                            "raw_string": "the cat"
+                          }
+                        ]
+                      }
+                    }
+                  ]
+                },
+                "key_path_index": 0,
+                "map_key_edge_index": 0
+              }
+            ],
+            "attributes": {
+              "label": {
+                "value": "the cat"
+              },
+              "style": {},
+              "link": {
+                "value": ""
+              },
+              "near_key": null,
+              "shape": {
+                "value": "rectangle"
+              },
+              "direction": {
+                "value": ""
+              },
+              "constraint": {
+                "value": ""
+              }
+            },
+            "zIndex": 0
+          },
+          {
+            "id": "meeeowwww",
+            "id_val": "meeeowwww",
+            "label_dimensions": {
+              "width": 0,
+              "height": 0
+            },
+            "references": [
+              {
+                "key": {
+                  "range": "d2/testdata/d2compiler/TestCompile/link-board-mixed.d2,5:14:91-5:24:101",
+                  "path": [
+                    {
+                      "unquoted_string": {
+                        "range": "d2/testdata/d2compiler/TestCompile/link-board-mixed.d2,5:15:92-5:24:101",
+                        "value": [
+                          {
+                            "string": "meeeowwww",
+                            "raw_string": "meeeowwww"
+                          }
+                        ]
+                      }
+                    }
+                  ]
+                },
+                "key_path_index": 0,
+                "map_key_edge_index": 0
+              }
+            ],
+            "attributes": {
+              "label": {
+                "value": "meeeowwww"
+              },
+              "style": {},
+              "link": {
+                "value": ""
+              },
+              "near_key": null,
+              "shape": {
+                "value": "rectangle"
+              },
+              "direction": {
+                "value": ""
+              },
+              "constraint": {
+                "value": ""
+              }
+            },
+            "zIndex": 0
+          }
+        ]
+      }
+    ]
+  },
+  "err": null
+}