diff --git a/extensions/botbox3000/placements.py b/extensions/botbox3000/placements.py
index 4cb56b9..e850688 100644
--- a/extensions/botbox3000/placements.py
+++ b/extensions/botbox3000/placements.py
@@ -82,6 +82,16 @@ def point_at_length(path, target_length):
     return (last_point[0], last_point[1]), (1.0, 0.0)
 
 
+def _apply_placement(item, x, y, angle):
+    # Bake placement into the path data; leaving it as a transform attr lets
+    # Inkscape shift the shape on ungroup (near-identity matrices lose the X translate).
+    transform = Transform()
+    transform.add_translate(x, y)
+    transform.add_rotate(angle)
+    item.path = item.path.transform(transform)
+    return item
+
+
 def pattern_along_path(path, num_items, item_width, start_offset, spacing, create_shape_fn):
 
     if isinstance(path, str):
@@ -104,12 +114,7 @@ def pattern_along_path(path, num_items, item_width, start_offset, spacing, creat
             angle = math.degrees(math.atan2(tangent[1], tangent[0]))
 
             item = create_shape_fn(i)
-
-            transform = Transform()
-            transform.add_translate(point[0], point[1])
-            transform.add_rotate(angle)
-
-            item.transform = transform
+            _apply_placement(item, point[0], point[1], angle)
             items.append(item)
 
     elif spacing == "endpoints":
@@ -120,12 +125,7 @@ def pattern_along_path(path, num_items, item_width, start_offset, spacing, creat
             angle = math.degrees(math.atan2(tangent[1], tangent[0]))
 
             item = create_shape_fn(i)
-
-            transform = Transform()
-            transform.add_translate(point[0], point[1])
-            transform.add_rotate(angle)
-
-            item.transform = transform
+            _apply_placement(item, point[0], point[1], angle)
             items.append(item)
 
     elif spacing == "simple":
@@ -138,12 +138,7 @@ def pattern_along_path(path, num_items, item_width, start_offset, spacing, creat
             angle = math.degrees(math.atan2(tangent[1], tangent[0]))
 
             item = create_shape_fn(i)
-
-            transform = Transform()
-            transform.add_translate(point[0], point[1])
-            transform.add_rotate(angle)
-
-            item.transform = transform
+            _apply_placement(item, point[0], point[1], angle)
             items.append(item)
 
     return items