diff --git a/d2compiler/compile_test.go b/d2compiler/compile_test.go
index 4156961d7..d644b7fa9 100644
--- a/d2compiler/compile_test.go
+++ b/d2compiler/compile_test.go
@@ -2113,7 +2113,7 @@ b
 				tassert.Equal(t, 5, len(g.Objects))
 				tassert.Equal(t, "a", g.Objects[0].ID)
 				tassert.Equal(t, "b", g.Objects[1].ID)
-				tassert.Equal(t, `04:20,11:20`, g.Objects[2].ID)
+				tassert.Equal(t, `"04:20,11:20"`, g.Objects[2].ID)
 				tassert.Equal(t, `loop through each table`, g.Objects[3].ID)
 				tassert.Equal(t, 1, len(g.Objects[0].ChildrenArray))
 				tassert.Equal(t, 0, len(g.Objects[1].ChildrenArray))
diff --git a/d2graph/d2graph.go b/d2graph/d2graph.go
index 30d9123c5..0776849ab 100644
--- a/d2graph/d2graph.go
+++ b/d2graph/d2graph.go
@@ -694,7 +694,10 @@ func (obj *Object) Text() *d2target.MText {
 	}
 }
 
-func (obj *Object) newObject(id string) *Object {
+func (obj *Object) newObject(ids d2ast.String) *Object {
+	id := d2format.Format(&d2ast.KeyPath{
+		Path: []*d2ast.StringBox{d2ast.MakeValueBox(d2ast.RawString(ids.ScalarString(), true)).StringBox()},
+	})
 	idval := id
 	k, _ := d2parser.ParseKey(id)
 	if k != nil && len(k.Path) > 0 {
@@ -901,9 +904,12 @@ func (obj *Object) EnsureChild(ida []d2ast.String) *Object {
 		return obj.Parent.EnsureChild(ida)
 	}
 
-	child, ok := obj.Children[strings.ToLower(id.ScalarString())]
+	head := d2format.Format(&d2ast.KeyPath{
+		Path: []*d2ast.StringBox{d2ast.MakeValueBox(d2ast.RawString(id.ScalarString(), true)).StringBox()},
+	})
+	child, ok := obj.Children[strings.ToLower(head)]
 	if !ok {
-		child = obj.newObject(id.ScalarString())
+		child = obj.newObject(id)
 	}
 
 	if len(ida) >= 1 {
diff --git a/testdata/d2compiler/TestCompile/escaped_id.exp.json b/testdata/d2compiler/TestCompile/escaped_id.exp.json
index 43ac9198a..796618579 100644
--- a/testdata/d2compiler/TestCompile/escaped_id.exp.json
+++ b/testdata/d2compiler/TestCompile/escaped_id.exp.json
@@ -56,8 +56,8 @@
     "edges": null,
     "objects": [
       {
-        "id": "b\nb",
-        "id_val": "b",
+        "id": "\"b\\nb\"",
+        "id_val": "b\nb",
         "references": [
           {
             "key": {
@@ -82,7 +82,7 @@
         ],
         "attributes": {
           "label": {
-            "value": "b"
+            "value": "b\nb"
           },
           "labelDimensions": {
             "width": 0,
diff --git a/testdata/d2compiler/TestCompile/name-with-dot-underscore.exp.json b/testdata/d2compiler/TestCompile/name-with-dot-underscore.exp.json
index 746a719a0..7c2ec3cf4 100644
--- a/testdata/d2compiler/TestCompile/name-with-dot-underscore.exp.json
+++ b/testdata/d2compiler/TestCompile/name-with-dot-underscore.exp.json
@@ -291,8 +291,8 @@
         "zIndex": 0
       },
       {
-        "id": "D.E",
-        "id_val": "D",
+        "id": "\"D.E\"",
+        "id_val": "D.E",
         "references": [
           {
             "key": {
@@ -317,7 +317,7 @@
         ],
         "attributes": {
           "label": {
-            "value": "D"
+            "value": "D.E"
           },
           "labelDimensions": {
             "width": 0,
diff --git a/testdata/d2compiler/TestCompile/null.exp.json b/testdata/d2compiler/TestCompile/null.exp.json
index e3045facb..9781daf23 100644
--- a/testdata/d2compiler/TestCompile/null.exp.json
+++ b/testdata/d2compiler/TestCompile/null.exp.json
@@ -56,7 +56,7 @@
     "edges": null,
     "objects": [
       {
-        "id": "null",
+        "id": "'null'",
         "id_val": "null",
         "references": [
           {
diff --git a/testdata/d2compiler/TestCompile/sequence-timestamp.exp.json b/testdata/d2compiler/TestCompile/sequence-timestamp.exp.json
index 1799ac343..4c90eaac0 100644
--- a/testdata/d2compiler/TestCompile/sequence-timestamp.exp.json
+++ b/testdata/d2compiler/TestCompile/sequence-timestamp.exp.json
@@ -442,8 +442,8 @@
         "zIndex": 0
       },
       {
-        "id": "04:20,11:20",
-        "id_val": "04",
+        "id": "\"04:20,11:20\"",
+        "id_val": "04:20,11:20",
         "references": [
           {
             "key": {
@@ -468,7 +468,7 @@
         ],
         "attributes": {
           "label": {
-            "value": "04"
+            "value": "04:20,11:20"
           },
           "labelDimensions": {
             "width": 0,
@@ -532,8 +532,8 @@
         "zIndex": 0
       },
       {
-        "id": "start_time = datetime.datetime.now",
-        "id_val": "start_time = datetime",
+        "id": "\"start_time = datetime.datetime.now\"",
+        "id_val": "start_time = datetime.datetime.now",
         "references": [
           {
             "key": {
@@ -569,7 +569,7 @@
         ],
         "attributes": {
           "label": {
-            "value": "start_time = datetime"
+            "value": "start_time = datetime.datetime.now"
           },
           "labelDimensions": {
             "width": 0,