diff --git a/d2layouts/d2dagrelayout/layout.go b/d2layouts/d2dagrelayout/layout.go
index 6d004e25f..b88e5e6b9 100644
--- a/d2layouts/d2dagrelayout/layout.go
+++ b/d2layouts/d2dagrelayout/layout.go
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ import (
 	"math"
 	"regexp"
 	"sort"
+	"strconv"
 	"strings"
 
 	"cdr.dev/slog"
@@ -140,17 +141,13 @@ func Layout(ctx context.Context, g *d2graph.Graph, opts *ConfigurableOpts) (err
 		return err
 	}
 
+	mapper := NewObjectMapper()
 	loadScript := ""
-	idToObj := make(map[string]*d2graph.Object)
 	for _, obj := range g.Objects {
-		id := obj.AbsID()
-		idToObj[id] = obj
-
-		width, height := obj.Width, obj.Height
-
-		loadScript += generateAddNodeLine(id, int(width), int(height))
+		mapper.Register(obj)
+		loadScript += mapper.generateAddNodeLine(obj, int(obj.Width), int(obj.Height))
 		if obj.Parent != g.Root {
-			loadScript += generateAddParentLine(id, obj.Parent.AbsID())
+			loadScript += mapper.generateAddParentLine(obj, obj.Parent)
 		}
 	}
 
@@ -178,7 +175,7 @@ func Layout(ctx context.Context, g *d2graph.Graph, opts *ConfigurableOpts) (err
 			}
 		}
 
-		loadScript += generateAddEdgeLine(src.AbsID(), dst.AbsID(), edge.AbsID(), width, height)
+		loadScript += mapper.generateAddEdgeLine(src, dst, edge.AbsID(), width, height)
 	}
 
 	if debugJS {
@@ -209,7 +206,7 @@ func Layout(ctx context.Context, g *d2graph.Graph, opts *ConfigurableOpts) (err
 			log.Debug(ctx, "graph", slog.F("json", dn))
 		}
 
-		obj := idToObj[dn.ID]
+		obj := mapper.ToObj(dn.ID)
 
 		// dagre gives center of node
 		obj.TopLeft = geo.NewPoint(math.Round(dn.X-dn.Width/2), math.Round(dn.Y-dn.Height/2))
@@ -415,6 +412,32 @@ func setGraphAttrs(attrs dagreOpts) string {
 	)
 }
 
+type objectMapper struct {
+	objToID map[*d2graph.Object]string
+	idToObj map[string]*d2graph.Object
+}
+
+func NewObjectMapper() *objectMapper {
+	return &objectMapper{
+		objToID: make(map[*d2graph.Object]string),
+		idToObj: make(map[string]*d2graph.Object),
+	}
+}
+
+func (c *objectMapper) Register(obj *d2graph.Object) {
+	id := strconv.Itoa(len(c.idToObj))
+	c.idToObj[id] = obj
+	c.objToID[obj] = id
+}
+
+func (c *objectMapper) ToID(obj *d2graph.Object) string {
+	return c.objToID[obj]
+}
+
+func (c *objectMapper) ToObj(id string) *d2graph.Object {
+	return c.idToObj[id]
+}
+
 func escapeID(id string) string {
 	// fixes \\
 	id = strings.ReplaceAll(id, "\\", `\\`)
@@ -426,17 +449,20 @@ func escapeID(id string) string {
 	return id
 }
 
-func generateAddNodeLine(id string, width, height int) string {
-	id = escapeID(id)
+func (c objectMapper) generateAddNodeLine(obj *d2graph.Object, width, height int) string {
+	id := c.ToID(obj)
 	return fmt.Sprintf("g.setNode(`%s`, { id: `%s`, width: %d, height: %d });\n", id, id, width, height)
 }
 
-func generateAddParentLine(childID, parentID string) string {
-	return fmt.Sprintf("g.setParent(`%s`, `%s`);\n", escapeID(childID), escapeID(parentID))
+func (c objectMapper) generateAddParentLine(child, parent *d2graph.Object) string {
+	return fmt.Sprintf("g.setParent(`%s`, `%s`);\n", c.ToID(child), c.ToID(parent))
 }
 
-func generateAddEdgeLine(fromID, toID, edgeID string, width, height int) string {
-	return fmt.Sprintf("g.setEdge({v:`%s`, w:`%s`, name:`%s`}, { width:%d, height:%d, labelpos: `c` });\n", escapeID(fromID), escapeID(toID), escapeID(edgeID), width, height)
+func (c objectMapper) generateAddEdgeLine(from, to *d2graph.Object, edgeID string, width, height int) string {
+	return fmt.Sprintf(
+		"g.setEdge({v:`%s`, w:`%s`, name:`%s`}, { width:%d, height:%d, labelpos: `c` });\n",
+		c.ToID(from), c.ToID(to), escapeID(edgeID), width, height,
+	)
 }
 
 // getLongestEdgeChainHead finds the longest chain in a container and gets its head