diff --git a/filters/private/hexer/BaseGrid.hpp b/filters/private/hexer/BaseGrid.hpp
index 556dd954da..2bac9a1998 100644
--- a/filters/private/hexer/BaseGrid.hpp
+++ b/filters/private/hexer/BaseGrid.hpp
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@ class PDAL_DLL BaseGrid
     // returns a single point from a segment to be used as the vertex of a hexagon
     virtual Point findPoint(Segment& s) = 0;
     virtual bool sampling() const = 0;
-    virtual uint64_t getID(int& n, const HexId& ij) = 0;
+    virtual uint64_t getID(HexId ij) = 0;
     virtual double height() = 0;
 
     virtual H3Index ij2h3(HexId ij)
diff --git a/filters/private/hexer/H3grid.hpp b/filters/private/hexer/H3grid.hpp
index 3944b0aa03..79fcc7d64a 100644
--- a/filters/private/hexer/H3grid.hpp
+++ b/filters/private/hexer/H3grid.hpp
@@ -73,7 +73,7 @@ class PDAL_DLL H3Grid : public BaseGrid
         }
     bool sampling() const
         { return m_res < 0; }
-    uint64_t getID(int& n, const HexId& ij)
+    uint64_t getID(HexId ij)
         { return ij2h3(ij); }
 
     // test function: used when inserting pre-defined grids in tests, 
diff --git a/filters/private/hexer/HexGrid.hpp b/filters/private/hexer/HexGrid.hpp
index 8243661bdb..9bff30caf2 100644
--- a/filters/private/hexer/HexGrid.hpp
+++ b/filters/private/hexer/HexGrid.hpp
@@ -28,8 +28,8 @@ class PDAL_DLL HexGrid : public BaseGrid
         { return m_height; }
     bool sampling() const
         { return m_width < 0; }
-    uint64_t getID(int& n, const HexId& ij)
-        { return n; }
+    uint64_t getID(HexId ij)
+        { return (((uint64_t)ij.i << 32) | (uint64_t)ij.j); }
     Point findPoint(Segment& s);
 
 private:
diff --git a/kernels/private/density/OGR.cpp b/kernels/private/density/OGR.cpp
index 1311d65c09..7fbecf2841 100644
--- a/kernels/private/density/OGR.cpp
+++ b/kernels/private/density/OGR.cpp
@@ -208,7 +208,6 @@ void OGR::writeBoundary(hexer::BaseGrid& grid)
 
 void OGR::writeDensity(hexer::BaseGrid& grid)
 {
-    int counter(0);
     for (auto& [coord, count] : grid.getHexes()) {
         if (grid.isDense(coord))
         {
@@ -216,8 +215,8 @@ void OGR::writeDensity(hexer::BaseGrid& grid)
             OGRFeatureH hFeature;
 
             hFeature = OGR_F_Create(OGR_L_GetLayerDefn(m_layer));
-            OGR_F_SetFieldInteger( hFeature, OGR_F_GetFieldIndex(hFeature, "ID"),
-                grid.getID(counter, coord));
+            OGR_F_SetFieldInteger64( hFeature, OGR_F_GetFieldIndex(hFeature, "ID"),
+                grid.getID(coord));
             OGR_F_SetFieldInteger( hFeature, OGR_F_GetFieldIndex(hFeature, "COUNT"),
                 count);
 
@@ -232,7 +231,6 @@ void OGR::writeDensity(hexer::BaseGrid& grid)
                 throw pdal::pdal_error(oss.str());
             }
             OGR_F_Destroy( hFeature );
-            counter++;
         }
     }
 }