diff --git a/d2layouts/d2dagrelayout/layout.go b/d2layouts/d2dagrelayout/layout.go
index 7ac2a44e4..201509cee 100644
--- a/d2layouts/d2dagrelayout/layout.go
+++ b/d2layouts/d2dagrelayout/layout.go
@@ -30,7 +30,10 @@ var setupJS string
 //go:embed dagre.js
 var dagreJS string
 
-const MIN_SEGMENT_LEN = 10
+const (
+	MIN_SEGMENT_LEN = 10
+	MIN_RANK_SEP    = 100
+)
 
 type ConfigurableOpts struct {
 	NodeSep int `json:"nodesep"`
@@ -112,7 +115,7 @@ func Layout(ctx context.Context, g *d2graph.Graph, opts *ConfigurableOpts) (err
 		}
 		maxLabelSize = go2.Max(maxLabelSize, size)
 	}
-	rootAttrs.ranksep = go2.Max(100, maxLabelSize+40)
+	rootAttrs.ranksep = go2.Max(MIN_RANK_SEP, maxLabelSize+40)
 
 	configJS := setGraphAttrs(rootAttrs)
 	if _, err := vm.RunString(configJS); err != nil {
diff --git a/d2layouts/d2elklayout/layout.go b/d2layouts/d2elklayout/layout.go
index 909a7eab1..671fc2790 100644
--- a/d2layouts/d2elklayout/layout.go
+++ b/d2layouts/d2elklayout/layout.go
@@ -132,7 +132,7 @@ func Layout(ctx context.Context, g *d2graph.Graph, opts *ConfigurableOpts) (err
 	elkGraph := &ELKGraph{
 		ID: "root",
 		LayoutOptions: &elkOpts{
-			Thoroughness:                 20,
+			Thoroughness:                 8,
 			EdgeEdgeBetweenLayersSpacing: 50,
 			HierarchyHandling:            "INCLUDE_CHILDREN",
 			ConsiderModelOrder:           "NODES_AND_EDGES",
@@ -188,7 +188,7 @@ func Layout(ctx context.Context, g *d2graph.Graph, opts *ConfigurableOpts) (err
 		if len(obj.ChildrenArray) > 0 {
 			n.LayoutOptions = &elkOpts{
 				ForceNodeModelOrder:          true,
-				Thoroughness:                 20,
+				Thoroughness:                 8,
 				EdgeEdgeBetweenLayersSpacing: 50,
 				HierarchyHandling:            "INCLUDE_CHILDREN",
 				ConsiderModelOrder:           "NODES_AND_EDGES",
diff --git a/d2layouts/d2sequence/constants.go b/d2layouts/d2sequence/constants.go
index 95de80681..690c54ecc 100644
--- a/d2layouts/d2sequence/constants.go
+++ b/d2layouts/d2sequence/constants.go
@@ -1,21 +1,21 @@
 package d2sequence
 
-// leaves at least 25 units of space on the left/right when computing the space required between actors
-const HORIZONTAL_PAD = 50.
+const HORIZONTAL_PAD = 40.
 
-// leaves at least 25 units of space on the top/bottom when computing the space required between messages
-const VERTICAL_PAD = 50.
+const VERTICAL_PAD = 20.
 
-const MIN_ACTOR_DISTANCE = 250.
+const MIN_ACTOR_DISTANCE = 150.
 
-const MIN_ACTOR_WIDTH = 150.
+const MIN_ACTOR_WIDTH = 100.
 
-const SELF_MESSAGE_HORIZONTAL_TRAVEL = 100.
+const SELF_MESSAGE_HORIZONTAL_TRAVEL = 74
 
 const GROUP_CONTAINER_PADDING = 24.
 
+const GROUP_LABEL_PADDING = 20
+
 // min vertical distance between messages
-const MIN_MESSAGE_DISTANCE = 80.
+const MIN_MESSAGE_DISTANCE = 40.
 
 // default size
 const SPAN_BASE_WIDTH = 12.
@@ -24,13 +24,13 @@ const SPAN_BASE_WIDTH = 12.
 const SPAN_DEPTH_GROWTH_FACTOR = 8.
 
 // when a span has a single messages
-const MIN_SPAN_HEIGHT = 80.
+const MIN_SPAN_HEIGHT = 60.
 
 const SPAN_MESSAGE_PAD = 16.
 
 const LIFELINE_STROKE_WIDTH int = 2
 
-const LIFELINE_STROKE_DASH int = 6
+const LIFELINE_STROKE_DASH int = 4
 
 // pad when the actor has the label placed OutsideMiddleBottom so that the lifeline is not so close to the text
 const LIFELINE_LABEL_PAD = 5.
diff --git a/d2layouts/d2sequence/sequence_diagram.go b/d2layouts/d2sequence/sequence_diagram.go
index b2cbc5481..46e978cab 100644
--- a/d2layouts/d2sequence/sequence_diagram.go
+++ b/d2layouts/d2sequence/sequence_diagram.go
@@ -217,11 +217,55 @@ func (sd *sequenceDiagram) placeGroup(group *d2graph.Object) {
 	maxX := math.Inf(-1)
 	maxY := math.Inf(-1)
 
+	labelHeight := 0
+	if group.LabelHeight != nil {
+		labelHeight = *group.LabelHeight
+	}
+	padBelow := float64(labelHeight + GROUP_LABEL_PADDING)
+
+	// Make sure the label height fits
+	line := getObjEarliestLineNum(group)
+	for _, m := range sd.messages {
+		if getEdgeEarliestLineNum(m) > line {
+			for _, p := range m.Route {
+				p.Y += padBelow
+			}
+			for _, s := range sd.spans {
+				if getObjEarliestLineNum(s) >= line {
+					continue
+				}
+				if m.Src == s || m.Dst == s {
+					s.Height += padBelow
+					break
+				}
+			}
+		}
+	}
+	for _, n := range sd.notes {
+		if getObjEarliestLineNum(n) > line {
+			n.TopLeft.Y += padBelow
+		}
+	}
+	for _, s := range sd.spans {
+		if getObjEarliestLineNum(s) > line {
+			s.TopLeft.Y += padBelow
+		}
+	}
+
+	for _, g := range sd.groups {
+		if g.Box == nil || g.Box.TopLeft == nil {
+			continue
+		}
+		if getObjEarliestLineNum(g) > line {
+			g.TopLeft.Y += padBelow
+		}
+	}
+
 	for _, m := range sd.messages {
 		if m.ContainedBy(group) {
 			for _, p := range m.Route {
 				minX = math.Min(minX, p.X-HORIZONTAL_PAD)
-				minY = math.Min(minY, p.Y-MIN_MESSAGE_DISTANCE/2.)
+				minY = math.Min(minY, p.Y-math.Max(MIN_MESSAGE_DISTANCE/2., float64(labelHeight+GROUP_LABEL_PADDING)))
 				maxX = math.Max(maxX, p.X+HORIZONTAL_PAD)
 				maxY = math.Max(maxY, p.Y+MIN_MESSAGE_DISTANCE/2.)
 			}
@@ -245,9 +289,9 @@ func (sd *sequenceDiagram) placeGroup(group *d2graph.Object) {
 		}
 		if inGroup {
 			minX = math.Min(minX, n.TopLeft.X-HORIZONTAL_PAD)
-			minY = math.Min(minY, n.TopLeft.Y-MIN_MESSAGE_DISTANCE/2.)
-			maxY = math.Max(maxY, n.TopLeft.Y+n.Height+HORIZONTAL_PAD)
-			maxX = math.Max(maxX, n.TopLeft.X+n.Width+MIN_MESSAGE_DISTANCE/2.)
+			minY = math.Min(minY, n.TopLeft.Y-math.Max(MIN_MESSAGE_DISTANCE/2., float64(labelHeight+GROUP_LABEL_PADDING)))
+			maxX = math.Max(maxX, n.TopLeft.X+n.Width+HORIZONTAL_PAD)
+			maxY = math.Max(maxY, n.TopLeft.Y+n.Height+MIN_MESSAGE_DISTANCE/2.)
 		}
 	}
 
@@ -255,7 +299,7 @@ func (sd *sequenceDiagram) placeGroup(group *d2graph.Object) {
 		for _, g := range sd.groups {
 			if ch == g {
 				minX = math.Min(minX, ch.TopLeft.X-GROUP_CONTAINER_PADDING)
-				minY = math.Min(minY, ch.TopLeft.Y-GROUP_CONTAINER_PADDING)
+				minY = math.Min(minY, ch.TopLeft.Y-math.Max(GROUP_CONTAINER_PADDING, float64(labelHeight+GROUP_LABEL_PADDING)))
 				maxX = math.Max(maxX, ch.TopLeft.X+ch.Width+GROUP_CONTAINER_PADDING)
 				maxY = math.Max(maxY, ch.TopLeft.Y+ch.Height+GROUP_CONTAINER_PADDING)
 				break
@@ -263,6 +307,17 @@ func (sd *sequenceDiagram) placeGroup(group *d2graph.Object) {
 		}
 	}
 
+	// for _, g := range sd.groups {
+	//   if g.Box == nil || g.TopLeft == nil {
+	//     continue
+	//   }
+	//
+	//   if g.Parent != group.Parent {
+	//     continue
+	//   }
+	//   minY = math.Max(minY, g.TopLeft.Y+g.Height+GROUP_CONTAINER_PADDING)
+	// }
+
 	group.Box = geo.NewBox(
 		geo.NewPoint(
 			minX,