diff --git a/src/cli.js b/src/cli.js
index bdaeac0..fe0615b 100755
--- a/src/cli.js
+++ b/src/cli.js
@@ -132,12 +132,14 @@ try {
 
 // output helpers
 
+const yamldump = data => yaml.dump(data, {indent: 4, noRefs: true})
+
 const single = (data, rel) => {
     if (!data) return
     const abs = path.join(args.o, rel)
     fs.mkdirpSync(path.dirname(abs))
     if (abs.endsWith('.yaml')) {
-        fs.writeFileSync(abs, yaml.dump(data, {indent: 4}))
+        fs.writeFileSync(abs, yamldump(data))
     } else {
         fs.writeFileSync(abs, data)
     }
@@ -148,7 +150,7 @@ const composite = (data, rel) => {
     const abs = path.join(args.o, rel)
     if (data.yaml) {
         fs.mkdirpSync(path.dirname(abs))
-        fs.writeFileSync(abs + '.yaml', yaml.dump(data.yaml, {indent: 4}))
+        fs.writeFileSync(abs + '.yaml', yamldump(data.yaml))
     }
     for (const format of ['svg', 'dxf', 'jscad']) {
         if (data[format]) {
diff --git a/src/points.js b/src/points.js
index 72eecc8..8f50904 100644
--- a/src/points.js
+++ b/src/points.js
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ const render_zone = exports._render_zone = (zone_name, zone, anchor, global_key,
 
     a.unexpected(zone, `points.zones.${zone_name}`, ['columns', 'rows', 'key'])
     // the anchor comes from "above", because it needs other zones too (for references)
-    const cols = a.sane(zone.columns || {}, `points.zones.${zone_name}.columns`, 'object')()
+    const cols = zone.columns = a.sane(zone.columns || {}, `points.zones.${zone_name}.columns`, 'object')()
     const zone_wide_rows = a.sane(zone.rows || {}, `points.zones.${zone_name}.rows`, 'object')()
     for (const [key, val] of Object.entries(zone_wide_rows)) {
         zone_wide_rows[key] = val || {} // no check yet, as it will be extended later
@@ -43,7 +43,6 @@ const render_zone = exports._render_zone = (zone_name, zone, anchor, global_key,
 
     // column layout
 
-    const col_minmax = {}
     if (!Object.keys(cols).length) {
         cols.default = {}
     }
@@ -53,7 +52,6 @@ const render_zone = exports._render_zone = (zone_name, zone, anchor, global_key,
         // column-level sanitization
 
         col = col || {}
-        col_minmax[col_name] = {min: Infinity, max: -Infinity}
 
         a.unexpected(
             col,
@@ -184,10 +182,6 @@ const render_zone = exports._render_zone = (zone_name, zone, anchor, global_key,
             point.meta = key
             points[key.name] = point
 
-            // collect minmax stats for autobind
-            col_minmax[col_name].min = Math.min(col_minmax[col_name].min, point.y)
-            col_minmax[col_name].max = Math.max(col_minmax[col_name].max, point.y)
-
             // advance the running anchor to the next position
             running_anchor.shift([0, key.padding])
         }
@@ -195,56 +189,6 @@ const render_zone = exports._render_zone = (zone_name, zone, anchor, global_key,
         first_col = false
     }
 
-    // autobind
-
-    let col_names = Object.keys(col_minmax)
-    let col_index = 0
-    for (const [col_name, bounds] of Object.entries(col_minmax)) {
-        for (const point of Object.values(points)) {
-            if (point.meta.col.name != col_name) continue
-            if (!point.meta.autobind) continue
-            const autobind = a.sane(point.meta.autobind, `${point.meta.name}.autobind`, 'number')(units)
-            // specify default as -1, so we can recognize where it was left undefined even after number-ification
-            const bind = point.meta.bind = a.trbl(point.meta.bind, `${point.meta.name}.bind`, -1)(units)
-
-            // up
-            if (bind[0] == -1) {
-                if (point.y < bounds.max) bind[0] = autobind
-                else bind[0] = 0
-                
-            }
-
-            // right
-            if (bind[1] == -1) {
-                bind[1] = 0
-                if (col_index < col_names.length - 1) {
-                    const right = col_minmax[col_names[col_index + 1]]
-                    if (point.y >= right.min && point.y <= right.max) {
-                        bind[1] = autobind
-                    }
-                }
-            }
-
-            // down
-            if (bind[2] == -1) {
-                if (point.y > bounds.min) bind[2] = autobind
-                else bind[2] = 0
-            }
-
-            // left
-            if (bind[3] == -1) {
-                bind[3] = 0
-                if (col_index > 0) {
-                    const left = col_minmax[col_names[col_index - 1]]
-                    if (point.y >= left.min && point.y <= left.max) {
-                        bind[3] = autobind
-                    }
-                }
-            }
-        }
-        col_index++
-    }
-
     return points
 }
 
@@ -274,6 +218,79 @@ const perform_mirror = exports._perform_mirror = (point, axis) => {
     return [mirrored_name, mp]
 }
 
+const perform_autobind = exports._perform_autobind = (points, units) => {
+
+    const bounds = {}
+    const col_lists = {}
+    const mirrorzone = p => (p.meta.mirrored ? 'mirror_' : '') + p.meta.zone.name
+
+    // round one: get column upper/lower bounds and per-zone column lists
+    for (const p of Object.values(points)) {
+
+        const zone = mirrorzone(p)
+        const col = p.meta.col.name
+
+        if (!bounds[zone]) bounds[zone] = {}
+        if (!bounds[zone][col]) bounds[zone][col] = {min: Infinity, max: -Infinity}
+        if (!col_lists[zone]) col_lists[zone] = Object.keys(p.meta.zone.columns)
+
+        bounds[zone][col].min = Math.min(bounds[zone][col].min, p.y)
+        bounds[zone][col].max = Math.max(bounds[zone][col].max, p.y)
+    }
+
+    // round two: apply autobind as appropriate
+    for (const p of Object.values(points)) {
+
+        const autobind = a.sane(p.meta.autobind, `${p.meta.name}.autobind`, 'number')(units)
+        if (!autobind) continue
+
+        const zone = mirrorzone(p)
+        const col = p.meta.col.name
+        const col_list = col_lists[zone]
+        const col_bounds = bounds[zone][col]
+
+        
+        // specify default as -1, so we can recognize where it was left undefined even after number-ification
+        const bind = p.meta.bind = a.trbl(p.meta.bind, `${p.meta.name}.bind`, -1)(units)
+
+        // up
+        if (bind[0] == -1) {
+            if (p.y < col_bounds.max) bind[0] = autobind
+            else bind[0] = 0
+        }
+
+        // down
+        if (bind[2] == -1) {
+            if (p.y > col_bounds.min) bind[2] = autobind
+            else bind[2] = 0
+        }
+
+        // left
+        if (bind[3] == -1) {
+            bind[3] = 0
+            const col_index = col_list.indexOf(col)
+            if (col_index > 0) {
+                const left = bounds[zone][col_list[col_index - 1]]
+                if (left && p.y >= left.min && p.y <= left.max) {
+                    bind[3] = autobind
+                }
+            }
+        }
+
+        // right
+        if (bind[1] == -1) {
+            bind[1] = 0
+            const col_index = col_list.indexOf(col)
+            if (col_index < col_list.length - 1) {
+                const right = bounds[zone][col_list[col_index + 1]]
+                if (right && p.y >= right.min && p.y <= right.max) {
+                    bind[1] = autobind
+                }
+            }
+        }
+    }
+}
+
 exports.parse = (config, units) => {
 
     // config sanitization
@@ -369,6 +386,9 @@ exports.parse = (config, units) => {
         filtered[k] = p
     }
 
+    // apply autobind
+    perform_autobind(filtered, units)
+
     // done
     return filtered
 }
diff --git a/test/cli/big/reference/points/points.yaml b/test/cli/big/reference/points/points.yaml
index 79b590d..fc6b036 100644
--- a/test/cli/big/reference/points/points.yaml
+++ b/test/cli/big/reference/points/points.yaml
@@ -24,6 +24,11 @@ matrix:
         colrow: default_default
         name: matrix
         zone:
+            columns:
+                default:
+                    rows: {}
+                    key: {}
+                    name: default
             name: matrix
         col:
             rows: {}
diff --git a/test/cli/minimal/reference/points/points.yaml b/test/cli/minimal/reference/points/points.yaml
index 9728c56..a2c7bb5 100644
--- a/test/cli/minimal/reference/points/points.yaml
+++ b/test/cli/minimal/reference/points/points.yaml
@@ -25,14 +25,17 @@ matrix_col_row:
         name: matrix_col_row
         zone:
             columns:
-                col: &ref_0
+                col:
                     rows: {}
                     key: {}
                     name: col
             rows:
                 row: {}
             name: matrix
-        col: *ref_0
+        col:
+            rows: {}
+            key: {}
+            name: col
         row: row
         bind:
             - 0
diff --git a/test/points/default___points.json b/test/points/default___points.json
index cc98b68..4536086 100644
--- a/test/points/default___points.json
+++ b/test/points/default___points.json
@@ -27,6 +27,13 @@
             "colrow": "default_default",
             "name": "matrix",
             "zone": {
+                "columns": {
+                    "default": {
+                        "rows": {},
+                        "key": {},
+                        "name": "default"
+                    }
+                },
                 "name": "matrix"
             },
             "col": {
diff --git a/test/points/mirrors___points.json b/test/points/mirrors___points.json
index 51aafec..96b7841 100644
--- a/test/points/mirrors___points.json
+++ b/test/points/mirrors___points.json
@@ -61,13 +61,13 @@
                 "name": "left"
             },
             "row": "bottom",
+            "mirrored": false,
             "bind": [
-                10,
+                0,
                 10,
                 0,
                 0
-            ],
-            "mirrored": false
+            ]
         }
     },
     "matrix_right_bottom": {
@@ -125,13 +125,13 @@
                 "name": "right"
             },
             "row": "bottom",
+            "mirrored": false,
             "bind": [
                 10,
                 0,
                 0,
                 10
-            ],
-            "mirrored": false
+            ]
         }
     },
     "matrix_right_top": {
@@ -189,13 +189,13 @@
                 "name": "right"
             },
             "row": "top",
+            "mirrored": false,
             "bind": [
                 0,
                 0,
                 10,
-                10
-            ],
-            "mirrored": false
+                0
+            ]
         }
     },
     "other_left_bottom": {
@@ -260,13 +260,13 @@
                 "name": "left"
             },
             "row": "bottom",
+            "mirrored": false,
             "bind": [
-                10,
+                0,
                 10,
                 0,
                 0
-            ],
-            "mirrored": false
+            ]
         }
     },
     "other_right_bottom": {
@@ -324,13 +324,13 @@
                 "name": "right"
             },
             "row": "bottom",
+            "mirrored": false,
             "bind": [
                 10,
                 0,
                 0,
                 10
-            ],
-            "mirrored": false
+            ]
         }
     },
     "other_right_top": {
@@ -388,13 +388,13 @@
                 "name": "right"
             },
             "row": "top",
+            "mirrored": false,
             "bind": [
                 0,
                 0,
                 10,
-                10
-            ],
-            "mirrored": false
+                0
+            ]
         }
     },
     "mirror_other_left_top": {
@@ -459,13 +459,13 @@
                 "name": "left"
             },
             "row": "top",
+            "mirrored": true,
             "bind": [
                 0,
                 10,
-                10,
+                0,
                 0
-            ],
-            "mirrored": true
+            ]
         }
     },
     "mirror_other_right_bottom": {
@@ -523,13 +523,13 @@
                 "name": "right"
             },
             "row": "bottom",
+            "mirrored": true,
             "bind": [
                 10,
                 0,
                 0,
-                10
-            ],
-            "mirrored": true
+                0
+            ]
         }
     },
     "mirror_other_right_top": {
@@ -587,13 +587,13 @@
                 "name": "right"
             },
             "row": "top",
+            "mirrored": true,
             "bind": [
                 0,
                 0,
                 10,
                 10
-            ],
-            "mirrored": true
+            ]
         }
     },
     "mirror_matrix_left_top": {
@@ -658,13 +658,13 @@
                 "name": "left"
             },
             "row": "top",
+            "mirrored": true,
             "bind": [
                 0,
                 10,
-                10,
+                0,
                 0
-            ],
-            "mirrored": true
+            ]
         }
     },
     "mirror_matrix_right_bottom": {
@@ -722,13 +722,13 @@
                 "name": "right"
             },
             "row": "bottom",
+            "mirrored": true,
             "bind": [
                 10,
                 0,
                 0,
-                10
-            ],
-            "mirrored": true
+                0
+            ]
         }
     },
     "mirror_matrix_right_top": {
@@ -786,13 +786,13 @@
                 "name": "right"
             },
             "row": "top",
+            "mirrored": true,
             "bind": [
                 0,
                 0,
                 10,
                 10
-            ],
-            "mirrored": true
+            ]
         }
     }
 }