diff --git a/classes/deck/deck.gd b/classes/deck/deck.gd
index 73933b4..2ebbb8b 100644
--- a/classes/deck/deck.gd
+++ b/classes/deck/deck.gd
@@ -251,17 +251,17 @@ static func from_dict(data: Dictionary, path: String = "") -> Deck:
 
 		node._pre_connection()
 
-		for connection_id in nodes_data[node_id].outgoing_connections:
-			var connection_data = nodes_data[node_id].outgoing_connections[connection_id]
-			for connection in connection_data:
-				connection[connection.keys()[0]] = int(connection.values()[0])
-			node.outgoing_connections[int(connection_id)] = connection_data
-
-		for connection_id in nodes_data[node_id].incoming_connections:
-			var connection_data = nodes_data[node_id].incoming_connections[connection_id]
+		for from_port: String in nodes_data[node_id].outgoing_connections:
+			var connection_data = nodes_data[node_id].outgoing_connections[from_port]
 			for connection in connection_data:
 				connection_data[connection] = int(connection_data[connection])
-			node.incoming_connections[int(connection_id)] = connection_data
+			node.outgoing_connections[int(from_port)] = connection_data
+
+		for to_port: String in nodes_data[node_id].incoming_connections:
+			var connection_data = nodes_data[node_id].incoming_connections[to_port]
+			for connection in connection_data:
+				connection_data[connection] = int(connection_data[connection])
+			node.incoming_connections[int(to_port)] = connection_data
 
 		for i in node.ports.size():
 			var port_value: Variant
diff --git a/classes/deck/deck_node.gd b/classes/deck/deck_node.gd
index 6c01732..b503474 100644
--- a/classes/deck/deck_node.gd
+++ b/classes/deck/deck_node.gd
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ class_name DeckNode
 var name: String
 
 ## A map of outgoing connections from this node, in the format[br]
-## [code]Dictionary[int -> output port, Array[Dictionary[String -> DeckNode#_id, int -> input port]]][/code]
+## [code]Dictionary[int -> output port, Dictionary[String -> DeckNode#_id, int -> input port]][/code]
 var outgoing_connections: Dictionary
 ## A map of incoming connections to this node, in the format[br]
 ## [code]Dictionary[int -> input port, [Dictionary[String -> DeckNode#_id, int -> output port]][/code]
@@ -101,12 +101,8 @@ func send(from_output_port: int, data: Variant, extra_data: Array = []) -> void:
 	if outgoing_connections.get(from_output_port) == null:
 		return
 
-	for connection in outgoing_connections[from_output_port]:
-		connection = connection as Dictionary
-		# key is node uuid
-		# value is input port on destination node
-		for node in connection:
-			get_node(node)._receive(connection[node], data, extra_data)
+	for node: String in outgoing_connections[from_output_port]:
+		get_node(node)._receive(outgoing_connections[from_output_port][node], data, extra_data)
 
 
 ## Virtual function that's called when this node receives data from another node's [method send] call.
@@ -117,11 +113,11 @@ func _receive(to_input_port: int, data: Variant, extra_data: Array = []) -> void
 ## Add a connection from the output port at [param from_port] to [param to_node]'s input port
 ## at [param to_port].
 func add_outgoing_connection(from_port: int, to_node: String, to_port: int) -> void:
-	var port_connections: Array = outgoing_connections.get(from_port, [])
-	port_connections.append({to_node: to_port})
-	outgoing_connections[from_port] = port_connections
+	var connection := {to_node: to_port}
+	var inner: Dictionary = outgoing_connections.get(from_port, {}) as Dictionary
+	inner.merge(connection)
+	outgoing_connections[from_port] = inner
 	get_node(to_node).add_incoming_connection(to_port, _id, from_port)
-	outgoing_connection_added.emit(from_port)
 
 
 ## Add an incoming connection from [param from_node]'s output port at [param from_port] to this node's
@@ -153,24 +149,15 @@ func _value_request(from_port: int) -> Variant:
 ## Remove an outgoing connection from this node.
 ## Does [b]not[/b] remove the other node's incoming connection equivalent.
 func remove_outgoing_connection(from_port: int, connection_hash: int) -> void:
-	var port_connections: Array = (outgoing_connections.get(from_port, []) as Array).duplicate(true)
-	if port_connections.is_empty():
+	var connections: Dictionary = outgoing_connections.duplicate(true).get(from_port, {}) as Dictionary
+	if connections.is_empty():
 		return
 
-	var incoming_connection := {}
+	for to_node: String in connections:
+		if {to_node: connections[to_node]}.hash() == connection_hash:
+			(outgoing_connections[from_port] as Dictionary).erase(to_node)
+			break
 
-	var to_remove: int = -1
-	for i in port_connections.size():
-		if port_connections[i].hash() == connection_hash:
-
-			to_remove = i
-
-	if to_remove == -1:
-		print('nothing to remove')
-		return
-
-	port_connections.remove_at(to_remove)
-	outgoing_connections[from_port] = port_connections
 	outgoing_connection_removed.emit(from_port)
 
 
diff --git a/graph_node_renderer/deck_renderer_graph_edit.gd b/graph_node_renderer/deck_renderer_graph_edit.gd
index e2eb6a9..628a692 100644
--- a/graph_node_renderer/deck_renderer_graph_edit.gd
+++ b/graph_node_renderer/deck_renderer_graph_edit.gd
@@ -128,20 +128,12 @@ func refresh_connections() -> void:
 		)[0]
 
 		for from_port in node.outgoing_connections:
-			for connection in node.outgoing_connections[from_port]:
-				var to_node_id = connection.keys()[0]
-				var to_node_port = connection.values()[0]
+			for to_node_id: String in node.outgoing_connections[from_port]:
+				var to_node_port = node.outgoing_connections[from_port][to_node_id]
 				var to_node: DeckNodeRendererGraphNode = get_children().filter(
 					func(c: DeckNodeRendererGraphNode):
 						return c.node._id == to_node_id
 				)[0]
-				#print("***")
-				#print("calling connect_node with:")
-				#print(from_node.node.name)
-				#print(from_node.node.get_port_type_idx_from_global(from_port))
-				#print(to_node.node.name)
-				#print(to_node.node.get_port_type_idx_from_global(to_node_port))
-				#print("***")
 				connect_node(
 					from_node.name,
 					from_port,