diff --git a/ci/release/changelogs/next.md b/ci/release/changelogs/next.md
index 59bb6569d..acd76b3fc 100644
--- a/ci/release/changelogs/next.md
+++ b/ci/release/changelogs/next.md
@@ -13,3 +13,4 @@
 - Fixes rare compiler bug when using underscores in edges to create objects across containers. [#824](https://github.com/terrastruct/d2/pull/824)
 - Fixes rare possibility of rendered connections being hidden or cut off. [#828](https://github.com/terrastruct/d2/pull/828)
 - Creating nested children within `sql_table` and `class` shapes are now prevented (caused confusion when accidentally done). [#834](https://github.com/terrastruct/d2/pull/834)
+- Fixes graph deserialization bug. [#837](https://github.com/terrastruct/d2/pull/837)
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/d2graph/serde.go b/d2graph/serde.go
index 76e83ae2c..1e1778577 100644
--- a/d2graph/serde.go
+++ b/d2graph/serde.go
@@ -49,7 +49,7 @@ func DeserializeGraph(bytes []byte, g *Graph) error {
 			for _, id := range so["ChildrenArray"].([]interface{}) {
 				o := idToObj[id.(string)]
 				childrenArray = append(childrenArray, o)
-				children[strings.ToLower(id.(string))] = o
+				children[strings.ToLower(o.ID)] = o
 
 				o.Parent = idToObj[so["AbsID"].(string)]
 			}
diff --git a/d2graph/serde_test.go b/d2graph/serde_test.go
index 070400f20..9d52b91f7 100644
--- a/d2graph/serde_test.go
+++ b/d2graph/serde_test.go
@@ -17,19 +17,19 @@ func TestSerialization(t *testing.T) {
 	assert.Nil(t, err)
 
 	asserts := func(g *d2graph.Graph) {
+		a := g.Root.ChildrenArray[0]
+		a_a := a.ChildrenArray[0]
+
 		assert.Equal(t, 4, len(g.Objects))
 		assert.Equal(t, 1, len(g.Root.ChildrenArray))
-		assert.Equal(t, 1, len(g.Root.ChildrenArray[0].ChildrenArray))
-		assert.Equal(t, 2, len(g.Root.ChildrenArray[0].ChildrenArray[0].ChildrenArray))
-		assert.Equal(t,
-			g.Root.ChildrenArray[0],
-			g.Root.ChildrenArray[0].ChildrenArray[0].Parent,
-		)
+		assert.Equal(t, 1, len(a.ChildrenArray))
+		assert.Equal(t, 2, len(a_a.ChildrenArray))
+		assert.Equal(t, a, a_a.Parent)
+		assert.Equal(t, g.Root, a.Parent)
 
-		assert.Equal(t,
-			g.Root,
-			g.Root.ChildrenArray[0].Parent,
-		)
+		assert.Contains(t, a.Children, "a")
+		assert.Contains(t, a_a.Children, "b")
+		assert.Contains(t, a_a.Children, "c")
 
 		assert.Equal(t, 1, len(g.Edges))
 		assert.Equal(t, "b", g.Edges[0].Src.ID)