diff --git a/d2exporter/export.go b/d2exporter/export.go
index 8f8a398f1..fe9be6c46 100644
--- a/d2exporter/export.go
+++ b/d2exporter/export.go
@@ -213,7 +213,11 @@ func toConnection(edge *d2graph.Edge, theme *d2themes.Theme) d2target.Connection
 	}
 	if edge.SrcArrowhead != nil {
 		if edge.SrcArrowhead.Label.Value != "" {
-			connection.SrcLabel = edge.SrcArrowhead.Label.Value
+			connection.SrcLabel = &d2target.Text{
+				Label:       edge.SrcArrowhead.Label.Value,
+				LabelWidth:  edge.SrcArrowhead.LabelDimensions.Width,
+				LabelHeight: edge.SrcArrowhead.LabelDimensions.Height,
+			}
 		}
 	}
 	if edge.DstArrow {
@@ -230,7 +234,11 @@ func toConnection(edge *d2graph.Edge, theme *d2themes.Theme) d2target.Connection
 	}
 	if edge.DstArrowhead != nil {
 		if edge.DstArrowhead.Label.Value != "" {
-			connection.DstLabel = edge.DstArrowhead.Label.Value
+			connection.DstLabel = &d2target.Text{
+				Label:       edge.DstArrowhead.Label.Value,
+				LabelWidth:  edge.DstArrowhead.LabelDimensions.Width,
+				LabelHeight: edge.DstArrowhead.LabelDimensions.Height,
+			}
 		}
 	}
 	if theme != nil && theme.SpecialRules.NoCornerRadius {
diff --git a/d2renderers/d2svg/d2svg.go b/d2renderers/d2svg/d2svg.go
index f38d5b006..3e38c8cf3 100644
--- a/d2renderers/d2svg/d2svg.go
+++ b/d2renderers/d2svg/d2svg.go
@@ -621,23 +621,27 @@ func drawConnection(writer io.Writer, labelMaskID string, connection d2target.Co
 	}
 
 	length := geo.Route(connection.Route).Length()
-	if connection.SrcLabel != "" {
+	if connection.SrcLabel != nil && connection.SrcLabel.Label != "" {
 		// TODO use arrowhead label dimensions https://github.com/terrastruct/d2/issues/183
-		size := float64(connection.FontSize)
+		// size := float64(connection.FontSize)
+		width := float64(connection.SrcLabel.LabelWidth)
+		height := float64(connection.DstLabel.LabelHeight)
 		position := 0.
 		if length > 0 {
-			position = size / length
+			position = math.Max(width, height) / length
 		}
-		fmt.Fprint(writer, renderArrowheadLabel(connection, connection.SrcLabel, position, size, size))
+		fmt.Fprint(writer, renderArrowheadLabel(connection, connection.SrcLabel.Label, position, width, height))
 	}
-	if connection.DstLabel != "" {
+	if connection.DstLabel != nil && connection.DstLabel.Label != "" {
 		// TODO use arrowhead label dimensions https://github.com/terrastruct/d2/issues/183
-		size := float64(connection.FontSize)
+		// size := float64(connection.FontSize)
+		width := float64(connection.DstLabel.LabelWidth)
+		height := float64(connection.DstLabel.LabelHeight)
 		position := 1.
 		if length > 0 {
-			position -= size / length
+			position -= math.Max(width, height) / length
 		}
-		fmt.Fprint(writer, renderArrowheadLabel(connection, connection.DstLabel, position, size, size))
+		fmt.Fprint(writer, renderArrowheadLabel(connection, connection.DstLabel.Label, position, width, height))
 	}
 	fmt.Fprintf(writer, `</g>`)
 	return
diff --git a/d2target/d2target.go b/d2target/d2target.go
index fd42e3407..bd5c49411 100644
--- a/d2target/d2target.go
+++ b/d2target/d2target.go
@@ -286,8 +286,12 @@ func (diagram Diagram) GetCorpus() string {
 	}
 	for _, c := range diagram.Connections {
 		corpus += c.Label
-		corpus += c.SrcLabel
-		corpus += c.DstLabel
+		if c.SrcLabel != nil {
+			corpus += c.SrcLabel.Label
+		}
+		if c.DstLabel != nil {
+			corpus += c.DstLabel.Label
+		}
 	}
 
 	return corpus
@@ -431,11 +435,11 @@ type Connection struct {
 
 	Src      string    `json:"src"`
 	SrcArrow Arrowhead `json:"srcArrow"`
-	SrcLabel string    `json:"srcLabel"`
+	SrcLabel *Text     `json:"srcLabel,omitempty"`
 
 	Dst      string    `json:"dst"`
 	DstArrow Arrowhead `json:"dstArrow"`
-	DstLabel string    `json:"dstLabel"`
+	DstLabel *Text     `json:"dstLabel,omitempty"`
 
 	Opacity      float64 `json:"opacity"`
 	StrokeDash   float64 `json:"strokeDash"`