diff --git a/src/bonsai/bonsai/bim/export_ifc.py b/src/bonsai/bonsai/bim/export_ifc.py
index 993622ff1c..715f092ac4 100644
--- a/src/bonsai/bonsai/bim/export_ifc.py
+++ b/src/bonsai/bonsai/bim/export_ifc.py
@@ -120,10 +120,10 @@ class IfcExporter:
                 # updata_representation will run edit_object_placement if object is scaled
                 # and had no openings.
                 return element
-        if not tool.Ifc.is_moved(obj):
-            return
         if element.is_a("IfcGridAxis"):
             return self.sync_grid_axis_object_placement(obj, element)
+        if not tool.Ifc.is_moved(obj):
+            return
         if not hasattr(element, "ObjectPlacement"):
             return
         bonsai.core.geometry.edit_object_placement(tool.Ifc, tool.Geometry, tool.Surveyor, obj=obj)
diff --git a/src/bonsai/bonsai/tool/geometry.py b/src/bonsai/bonsai/tool/geometry.py
index c4b7cd0ef6..4ba6a8b6b9 100644
--- a/src/bonsai/bonsai/tool/geometry.py
+++ b/src/bonsai/bonsai/tool/geometry.py
@@ -2670,6 +2670,11 @@ class Geometry(bonsai.core.tool.Geometry):
         # copy the actual class
         new = bonsai.core.root.copy_class(tool.Ifc, tool.Collector, tool.Geometry, tool.Root, obj=new_obj)
 
+        # Give each duplicated IfcGridAxis its own AxisCurve so it doesn't
+        # share geometry with the source axis.
+        if new and new.is_a("IfcGridAxis"):
+            tool.Model.create_axis_curve(new_obj, new)
+
         # clean up the orphaned mesh with ifc id of the original object to avoid confusion
         # IfcGridAxis keeps the same mesh data (it's pointing to ifc id 0, so it's not a problem)
         if new and temp_data and not new.is_a("IfcGridAxis"):
diff --git a/src/ifcopenshell-python/ifcopenshell/api/grid/create_axis_curve.py b/src/ifcopenshell-python/ifcopenshell/api/grid/create_axis_curve.py
index 9c4a9aa1c8..e6c1362d76 100644
--- a/src/ifcopenshell-python/ifcopenshell/api/grid/create_axis_curve.py
+++ b/src/ifcopenshell-python/ifcopenshell/api/grid/create_axis_curve.py
@@ -89,5 +89,5 @@ def create_axis_curve(
         ),
     )
 
-    if existing_curve:
+    if existing_curve and file.get_total_inverses(existing_curve) == 0:
         ifcopenshell.util.element.remove_deep2(file, existing_curve)