diff --git a/ci/release/changelogs/next.md b/ci/release/changelogs/next.md
index 577b13d0e..e42b8be2a 100644
--- a/ci/release/changelogs/next.md
+++ b/ci/release/changelogs/next.md
@@ -28,6 +28,8 @@
 
 - d2cli:
     - Support `validate` command. [#2415](https://github.com/terrastruct/d2/pull/2415)
+- d2compiler:
+    - `link`s can be set to root path, e.g. `/xyz`. [#2357](https://github.com/terrastruct/d2/issues/2357)
 
 #### Bugfixes ⛑️
 
diff --git a/d2compiler/compile.go b/d2compiler/compile.go
index 97f55f4a1..34e49c383 100644
--- a/d2compiler/compile.go
+++ b/d2compiler/compile.go
@@ -1265,7 +1265,7 @@ func (c *compiler) validateBoardLinks(g *d2graph.Graph) {
 		}
 
 		u, err := url.Parse(html.UnescapeString(obj.Link.Value))
-		isRemote := err == nil && u.Scheme != ""
+		isRemote := err == nil && (u.Scheme != "" || strings.HasPrefix(u.Path, "/"))
 		if isRemote {
 			continue
 		}
diff --git a/d2compiler/compile_test.go b/d2compiler/compile_test.go
index 47183fe9c..c64c18919 100644
--- a/d2compiler/compile_test.go
+++ b/d2compiler/compile_test.go
@@ -1658,6 +1658,22 @@ x -> y: {
 				}
 			},
 		},
+		{
+			name: "url_relative_link",
+
+			text: `x: {
+  link: /google
+}
+`,
+			assertions: func(t *testing.T, g *d2graph.Graph) {
+				if len(g.Objects) != 1 {
+					t.Fatal(g.Objects)
+				}
+				if g.Objects[0].Link.Value != "/google" {
+					t.Fatal(g.Objects[0].Link.Value)
+				}
+			},
+		},
 		{
 			name: "non_url_link",
 
diff --git a/d2ir/compile.go b/d2ir/compile.go
index a239862a8..82f3559d1 100644
--- a/d2ir/compile.go
+++ b/d2ir/compile.go
@@ -1146,7 +1146,7 @@ func (c *compiler) extendLinks(m *Map, importF *Field, importDir string) {
 			val := f.Primary().Value.ScalarString()
 
 			u, err := url.Parse(html.UnescapeString(val))
-			isRemote := err == nil && u.Scheme != ""
+			isRemote := err == nil && (u.Scheme != "" || strings.HasPrefix(u.Path, "/"))
 			if isRemote {
 				continue
 			}
@@ -1184,7 +1184,7 @@ func (c *compiler) extendLinks(m *Map, importF *Field, importDir string) {
 				continue
 			}
 			u, err := url.Parse(html.UnescapeString(val))
-			isRemoteImg := err == nil && u.Scheme != ""
+			isRemoteImg := err == nil && (u.Scheme != "" || strings.HasPrefix(u.Path, "/"))
 			if isRemoteImg {
 				continue
 			}
diff --git a/testdata/d2compiler/TestCompile/url_relative_link.exp.json b/testdata/d2compiler/TestCompile/url_relative_link.exp.json
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..a781e613f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/testdata/d2compiler/TestCompile/url_relative_link.exp.json
@@ -0,0 +1,148 @@
+{
+  "graph": {
+    "name": "",
+    "isFolderOnly": false,
+    "ast": {
+      "range": "d2/testdata/d2compiler/TestCompile/url_relative_link.d2,0:0:0-3:0:23",
+      "nodes": [
+        {
+          "map_key": {
+            "range": "d2/testdata/d2compiler/TestCompile/url_relative_link.d2,0:0:0-2:1:22",
+            "key": {
+              "range": "d2/testdata/d2compiler/TestCompile/url_relative_link.d2,0:0:0-0:1:1",
+              "path": [
+                {
+                  "unquoted_string": {
+                    "range": "d2/testdata/d2compiler/TestCompile/url_relative_link.d2,0:0:0-0:1:1",
+                    "value": [
+                      {
+                        "string": "x",
+                        "raw_string": "x"
+                      }
+                    ]
+                  }
+                }
+              ]
+            },
+            "primary": {},
+            "value": {
+              "map": {
+                "range": "d2/testdata/d2compiler/TestCompile/url_relative_link.d2,0:3:3-2:1:22",
+                "nodes": [
+                  {
+                    "map_key": {
+                      "range": "d2/testdata/d2compiler/TestCompile/url_relative_link.d2,1:2:7-1:15:20",
+                      "key": {
+                        "range": "d2/testdata/d2compiler/TestCompile/url_relative_link.d2,1:2:7-1:6:11",
+                        "path": [
+                          {
+                            "unquoted_string": {
+                              "range": "d2/testdata/d2compiler/TestCompile/url_relative_link.d2,1:2:7-1:6:11",
+                              "value": [
+                                {
+                                  "string": "link",
+                                  "raw_string": "link"
+                                }
+                              ]
+                            }
+                          }
+                        ]
+                      },
+                      "primary": {},
+                      "value": {
+                        "unquoted_string": {
+                          "range": "d2/testdata/d2compiler/TestCompile/url_relative_link.d2,1:8:13-1:15:20",
+                          "value": [
+                            {
+                              "string": "/google",
+                              "raw_string": "/google"
+                            }
+                          ]
+                        }
+                      }
+                    }
+                  }
+                ]
+              }
+            }
+          }
+        }
+      ]
+    },
+    "root": {
+      "id": "",
+      "id_val": "",
+      "attributes": {
+        "label": {
+          "value": ""
+        },
+        "labelDimensions": {
+          "width": 0,
+          "height": 0
+        },
+        "style": {},
+        "near_key": null,
+        "shape": {
+          "value": ""
+        },
+        "direction": {
+          "value": ""
+        },
+        "constraint": null
+      },
+      "zIndex": 0
+    },
+    "edges": null,
+    "objects": [
+      {
+        "id": "x",
+        "id_val": "x",
+        "references": [
+          {
+            "key": {
+              "range": "d2/testdata/d2compiler/TestCompile/url_relative_link.d2,0:0:0-0:1:1",
+              "path": [
+                {
+                  "unquoted_string": {
+                    "range": "d2/testdata/d2compiler/TestCompile/url_relative_link.d2,0:0:0-0:1:1",
+                    "value": [
+                      {
+                        "string": "x",
+                        "raw_string": "x"
+                      }
+                    ]
+                  }
+                }
+              ]
+            },
+            "key_path_index": 0,
+            "map_key_edge_index": -1
+          }
+        ],
+        "attributes": {
+          "label": {
+            "value": "x"
+          },
+          "labelDimensions": {
+            "width": 0,
+            "height": 0
+          },
+          "style": {},
+          "link": {
+            "value": "/google"
+          },
+          "near_key": null,
+          "shape": {
+            "value": "rectangle"
+          },
+          "direction": {
+            "value": ""
+          },
+          "constraint": null
+        },
+        "zIndex": 0
+      }
+    ]
+  },
+  "err": null
+}