diff --git a/.changeset/spicy-ties-see.md b/.changeset/spicy-ties-see.md
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..25fc643e0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changeset/spicy-ties-see.md
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+---
+'@mermaid-js/layout-elk': patch
+---
+
+Make elk not force node model order, but strongly consider it instead
diff --git a/cypress/integration/rendering/flowchart-elk.spec.js b/cypress/integration/rendering/flowchart-elk.spec.js
index 27af2c40c..312e1d5b4 100644
--- a/cypress/integration/rendering/flowchart-elk.spec.js
+++ b/cypress/integration/rendering/flowchart-elk.spec.js
@@ -1053,6 +1053,21 @@ flowchart LR
       });
     });
   });
+
+  it('6647-elk: should keep node order when using elk layout unless it would add crossings', () => {
+    imgSnapshotTest(
+      `---
+config:
+  layout: elk
+---
+      flowchart TB
+        a --> a1 & a2 & a3 & a4
+        b --> b1 & b2
+        b2 --> b3
+        b1 --> b4
+      `
+    );
+  });
 });
 
 describe('Title and arrow styling #4813', () => {
diff --git a/packages/mermaid-layout-elk/src/render.ts b/packages/mermaid-layout-elk/src/render.ts
index 9f361bf7b..c3799fedd 100644
--- a/packages/mermaid-layout-elk/src/render.ts
+++ b/packages/mermaid-layout-elk/src/render.ts
@@ -766,7 +766,7 @@ export const render = async (
     id: 'root',
     layoutOptions: {
       'elk.hierarchyHandling': 'INCLUDE_CHILDREN',
-      'elk.layered.crossingMinimization.forceNodeModelOrder': true,
+      'elk.layered.considerModelOrder.strategy': 'NODES_AND_EDGES',
       'elk.algorithm': algorithm,
       'nodePlacement.strategy': data4Layout.config.elk?.nodePlacementStrategy,
       'elk.layered.mergeEdges': data4Layout.config.elk?.mergeEdges,