diff --git a/manuskript/data/labels.py b/manuskript/data/labels.py
index 1267365..80d3995 100644
--- a/manuskript/data/labels.py
+++ b/manuskript/data/labels.py
@@ -10,8 +10,9 @@ from manuskript.io.mmdFile import MmdFile
 
 class Label:
 
-    def __init__(self, host, name: str, color: Color):
+    def __init__(self, host, index: int, name: str, color: Color):
         self.host = host
+        self.ID = index
 
         self.name = name
         self.color = color
@@ -36,7 +37,7 @@ class LabelHost:
         if name is None:
             name = "New Label"
 
-        label = Label(self, name, color)
+        label = Label(self, 1+len(self.labels), name, color)
         self.labels[name] = label
         return label
 
@@ -67,11 +68,14 @@ class LabelHost:
     def getLabel(self, name: str) -> Label:
         return self.labels.get(name)
 
-    def getLabelByID(self, id: int) -> Label | None:
-        index = 0
+    def getLabelByID(self, ID: int | None) -> Label | None:
+        if ID is None:
+            return None
 
+        index = 1
         for label in self.labels.values():
-            if index == id:
+            if index == ID:
+                assert label.ID == ID
                 return label
 
             index += 1
diff --git a/manuskript/data/outline.py b/manuskript/data/outline.py
index 3c3a976..6de7c55 100644
--- a/manuskript/data/outline.py
+++ b/manuskript/data/outline.py
@@ -6,12 +6,12 @@ import os
 from collections import OrderedDict
 from enum import Enum, unique
 from manuskript.data.goal import Goal
-from manuskript.data.labels import LabelHost
+from manuskript.data.labels import LabelHost, Label
 from manuskript.data.plots import Plots
-from manuskript.data.status import StatusHost
+from manuskript.data.status import StatusHost, Status
 from manuskript.data.unique_id import UniqueIDHost
 from manuskript.io.mmdFile import MmdFile
-from manuskript.util import CounterKind, countText, validString
+from manuskript.util import CounterKind, countText, safeInt
 
 
 @unique
@@ -50,14 +50,20 @@ class OutlineItem:
         if (item.UID is None) or (item.UID.value != int(ID)):
             item.UID = item.outline.host.loadID(int(ID))
 
+        def loadLabelByID(outline, labelID: str) -> Label:
+            return outline.labels.getLabelByID(safeInt(labelID, 0))
+
+        def loadStatusByID(outline, statusID: str) -> Label:
+            return outline.statuses.getStatusByID(safeInt(statusID, 0))
+
         item.title = metadata.get("title", None)
         item.type = metadata.get("type", "md")
         item.summarySentence = metadata.get("summarySentence", None)
         item.summaryFull = metadata.get("summaryFull", None)
         item.POV = metadata.get("POV", None)
         item.notes = metadata.get("notes", None)
-        item.label = metadata.get("label", None)
-        item.status = metadata.get("status", None)
+        item.label = loadLabelByID(item.outline, metadata.get("label", None))
+        item.status = loadStatusByID(item.outline, metadata.get("status", None))
         item.compile = metadata.get("compile")
         item.goal = Goal.parse(metadata.get("setGoal", None))
 
@@ -75,8 +81,8 @@ class OutlineItem:
         metadata["summaryFull"] = item.summaryFull
         metadata["POV"] = item.POV
         metadata["notes"] = item.notes
-        metadata["label"] = item.label
-        metadata["status"] = item.status
+        metadata["label"] = None if item is None else item.label.ID
+        metadata["status"] = None if item is None else item.status.ID
         metadata["compile"] = item.compile
         metadata["setGoal"] = item.goal
 
diff --git a/manuskript/data/status.py b/manuskript/data/status.py
index ccf8d8b..941f6af 100644
--- a/manuskript/data/status.py
+++ b/manuskript/data/status.py
@@ -9,8 +9,9 @@ from manuskript.io.textFile import TextFile
 
 class Status:
 
-    def __init__(self, host, name: str):
+    def __init__(self, host, index: int, name: str):
         self.host = host
+        self.ID = index
 
         self.name = name
 
@@ -34,7 +35,7 @@ class StatusHost:
         if name is None:
             name = "New Status"
 
-        status = Status(self, name)
+        status = Status(self, 1+len(self.statuses), name)
         self.statuses[name] = status
         return status
 
@@ -65,11 +66,14 @@ class StatusHost:
     def getStatus(self, name: str) -> Status:
         return self.statuses.get(name)
 
-    def getStatusByID(self, id: int) -> Status | None:
-        index = 0
+    def getStatusByID(self, ID: int | None) -> Status | None:
+        if ID is None:
+            return None
 
+        index = 1
         for status in self.statuses.values():
-            if index == id:
+            if index == ID:
+                assert status.ID == ID
                 return status
 
             index += 1