diff --git a/d2compiler/compile_test.go b/d2compiler/compile_test.go
index 44c4d1bb2..702295099 100644
--- a/d2compiler/compile_test.go
+++ b/d2compiler/compile_test.go
@@ -1714,6 +1714,18 @@ steps: {
 				assert.Equal(t, 1, len(g.Layers[0].Steps))
 			},
 		},
+		{
+			name: "composite-glob-filter",
+
+			text: `
+*: {
+  &shape: [a; b]
+}
+k
+`,
+			expErr: `d2/testdata/d2compiler/TestCompile/composite-glob-filter.d2:3:3: glob filters cannot be composites
+d2/testdata/d2compiler/TestCompile/composite-glob-filter.d2:3:3: glob filters cannot be composites`,
+		},
 		{
 			name: "import-nested-var",
 
diff --git a/d2ir/compile.go b/d2ir/compile.go
index 04754ce48..91c0739e8 100644
--- a/d2ir/compile.go
+++ b/d2ir/compile.go
@@ -796,7 +796,7 @@ func (c *compiler) ampersandFilter(refctx *RefContext) bool {
 		return false
 	}
 	if len(fa) == 0 {
-		if refctx.Key.Value.ScalarBox().Unbox().ScalarString() == "*" {
+		if refctx.Key.Value.ScalarBox().Unbox() != nil && refctx.Key.Value.ScalarBox().Unbox().ScalarString() == "*" {
 			return false
 		}
 		// The field/edge has no value for this filter
diff --git a/testdata/d2compiler/TestCompile/composite-glob-filter.exp.json b/testdata/d2compiler/TestCompile/composite-glob-filter.exp.json
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..f7cc9c42a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/testdata/d2compiler/TestCompile/composite-glob-filter.exp.json
@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+{
+  "graph": null,
+  "err": {
+    "errs": [
+      {
+        "range": "d2/testdata/d2compiler/TestCompile/composite-glob-filter.d2,2:2:8-2:16:22",
+        "errmsg": "d2/testdata/d2compiler/TestCompile/composite-glob-filter.d2:3:3: glob filters cannot be composites"
+      },
+      {
+        "range": "d2/testdata/d2compiler/TestCompile/composite-glob-filter.d2,2:2:8-2:16:22",
+        "errmsg": "d2/testdata/d2compiler/TestCompile/composite-glob-filter.d2:3:3: glob filters cannot be composites"
+      }
+    ]
+  }
+}