diff --git a/d2ir/compile.go b/d2ir/compile.go
index 03cc04b85..e59cb51be 100644
--- a/d2ir/compile.go
+++ b/d2ir/compile.go
@@ -66,6 +66,9 @@ func (c *compiler) compileSteps(m *Map) {
 		if i == 0 {
 			base = m.CopyBase(sf)
 		} else {
+			if steps.Fields[i-1].Map() == nil {
+				continue
+			}
 			base = steps.Fields[i-1].Map().CopyBase(sf)
 		}
 		OverlayMap(base, sf.Map())
diff --git a/e2etests/testdata/todo/steps_panic/dagre/board.exp.json b/e2etests/testdata/todo/steps_panic/dagre/board.exp.json
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..b230f4a99
--- /dev/null
+++ b/e2etests/testdata/todo/steps_panic/dagre/board.exp.json
@@ -0,0 +1,22 @@
+{
+  "name": "",
+  "fontFamily": "SourceSansPro",
+  "shapes": [],
+  "connections": [],
+  "scenarios": [
+    {
+      "name": "hey",
+      "fontFamily": "SourceSansPro",
+      "shapes": [],
+      "connections": []
+    }
+  ],
+  "steps": [
+    {
+      "name": "id",
+      "fontFamily": "SourceSansPro",
+      "shapes": [],
+      "connections": []
+    }
+  ]
+}
diff --git a/e2etests/testdata/todo/steps_panic/dagre/sketch.exp.svg b/e2etests/testdata/todo/steps_panic/dagre/sketch.exp.svg
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..5169c50f1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/e2etests/testdata/todo/steps_panic/dagre/sketch.exp.svg
@@ -0,0 +1,45 @@
+<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
+<svg
+id="d2-svg"
+style="background: white;"
+xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"
+width="200" height="200" viewBox="-100 -100 200 200"><style type="text/css">
+<![CDATA[
+.shape {
+  shape-rendering: geometricPrecision;
+  stroke-linejoin: round;
+}
+.connection {
+  stroke-linecap: round;
+  stroke-linejoin: round;
+}
+.blend {
+  mix-blend-mode: multiply;
+  opacity: 0.5;
+}
+
+]]>
+</style><script type="application/javascript"><![CDATA[window.addEventListener("DOMContentLoaded", () => {
+  if (document.documentElement.getAttribute("id") !== "d2-svg") {
+    return;
+  }
+  const svgEl = document.documentElement;
+  let width = parseInt(svgEl.getAttribute("width"), 10);
+  let height = parseInt(svgEl.getAttribute("height"), 10);
+  let ratio;
+  if (width > height) {
+    if (width > window.innerWidth) {
+      ratio = window.innerWidth / width;
+    }
+  } else if (height > window.innerHeight) {
+    ratio = window.innerHeight / height;
+  }
+  if (ratio) {
+    svgEl.setAttribute("width", width * ratio - 16);
+    svgEl.setAttribute("height", height * ratio - 16);
+  }
+});
+]]></script><mask id="121760133" maskUnits="userSpaceOnUse" x="-100" y="-100" width="200" height="200">
+<rect x="-100" y="-100" width="200" height="200" fill="white"></rect>
+
+</mask><style type="text/css"><![CDATA[]]></style></svg>
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/e2etests/testdata/todo/steps_panic/elk/board.exp.json b/e2etests/testdata/todo/steps_panic/elk/board.exp.json
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..b230f4a99
--- /dev/null
+++ b/e2etests/testdata/todo/steps_panic/elk/board.exp.json
@@ -0,0 +1,22 @@
+{
+  "name": "",
+  "fontFamily": "SourceSansPro",
+  "shapes": [],
+  "connections": [],
+  "scenarios": [
+    {
+      "name": "hey",
+      "fontFamily": "SourceSansPro",
+      "shapes": [],
+      "connections": []
+    }
+  ],
+  "steps": [
+    {
+      "name": "id",
+      "fontFamily": "SourceSansPro",
+      "shapes": [],
+      "connections": []
+    }
+  ]
+}
diff --git a/e2etests/testdata/todo/steps_panic/elk/sketch.exp.svg b/e2etests/testdata/todo/steps_panic/elk/sketch.exp.svg
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..5169c50f1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/e2etests/testdata/todo/steps_panic/elk/sketch.exp.svg
@@ -0,0 +1,45 @@
+<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
+<svg
+id="d2-svg"
+style="background: white;"
+xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"
+width="200" height="200" viewBox="-100 -100 200 200"><style type="text/css">
+<![CDATA[
+.shape {
+  shape-rendering: geometricPrecision;
+  stroke-linejoin: round;
+}
+.connection {
+  stroke-linecap: round;
+  stroke-linejoin: round;
+}
+.blend {
+  mix-blend-mode: multiply;
+  opacity: 0.5;
+}
+
+]]>
+</style><script type="application/javascript"><![CDATA[window.addEventListener("DOMContentLoaded", () => {
+  if (document.documentElement.getAttribute("id") !== "d2-svg") {
+    return;
+  }
+  const svgEl = document.documentElement;
+  let width = parseInt(svgEl.getAttribute("width"), 10);
+  let height = parseInt(svgEl.getAttribute("height"), 10);
+  let ratio;
+  if (width > height) {
+    if (width > window.innerWidth) {
+      ratio = window.innerWidth / width;
+    }
+  } else if (height > window.innerHeight) {
+    ratio = window.innerHeight / height;
+  }
+  if (ratio) {
+    svgEl.setAttribute("width", width * ratio - 16);
+    svgEl.setAttribute("height", height * ratio - 16);
+  }
+});
+]]></script><mask id="121760133" maskUnits="userSpaceOnUse" x="-100" y="-100" width="200" height="200">
+<rect x="-100" y="-100" width="200" height="200" fill="white"></rect>
+
+</mask><style type="text/css"><![CDATA[]]></style></svg>
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/e2etests/todo_test.go b/e2etests/todo_test.go
index 907cd750a..bd2aeded0 100644
--- a/e2etests/todo_test.go
+++ b/e2etests/todo_test.go
@@ -162,11 +162,14 @@ small code: |go
 `,
 		},
 		{
-			skip: true,
 			name: "steps_panic",
 			script: `steps: {
   shape: sql_table
-  id: {type: int, constraint: primary_key}
+  id: int {constraint: primary_key}
+}
+scenarios: {
+  shape: sql_table
+  hey: int {constraint: primary_key}
 }
 `,
 		},