diff --git a/client/src/components/Markdown/Sections/Elements/DatasetCollectionElementPicker.vue b/client/src/components/Markdown/Sections/Elements/DatasetCollectionElementPicker.vue
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..5403d0b4b78
--- /dev/null
+++ b/client/src/components/Markdown/Sections/Elements/DatasetCollectionElementPicker.vue
@@ -0,0 +1,58 @@
+<script setup lang="ts">
+import { computed, ref, watch } from "vue";
+
+import { fetchCollectionElements, fetchCollectionSummary } from "@/api/datasetCollections";
+
+interface CollectionElementPickerProps {
+    hdcaId: string;
+}
+const props = defineProps<CollectionElementPickerProps>();
+const dceToId = ref<{
+    [k: string]: string | undefined;
+}>();
+const selectedValue = ref<string>();
+
+watch(
+    () => props.hdcaId,
+    async () => {
+        const collectionSummary = await fetchCollectionSummary({ hdca_id: props.hdcaId });
+        const collectionElements = await fetchCollectionElements({
+            hdcaId: props.hdcaId,
+            collectionId: collectionSummary.collection_id,
+            limit: 10,
+        });
+        const identifierAndIds = Object.fromEntries(
+            collectionElements.map((element) => {
+                return [element.object?.id, element.element_identifier];
+            })
+        );
+        dceToId.value = identifierAndIds;
+    },
+    { immediate: true }
+);
+const value = computed(() => selectedValue.value || Object.keys(dceToId.value || {}).at(0));
+
+function handleInput(value: string) {
+    selectedValue.value = value;
+}
+</script>
+
+<template>
+    <div>
+        <b-navbar class="align-items-center">
+            <b-collapse id="nav-text-collapse" is-nav>
+                <b-navbar-nav>
+                    <b-nav-text class="mr-3">Select Element</b-nav-text>
+                </b-navbar-nav>
+                <b-nav-form>
+                    <b-form-select
+                        class="form-control-sm"
+                        :value="value"
+                        :options="dceToId"
+                        @input="handleInput"></b-form-select>
+                </b-nav-form>
+            </b-collapse>
+        </b-navbar>
+        <slot name="element" :element="value"></slot>
+    </div>
+</template>
diff --git a/client/src/components/Markdown/Sections/MarkdownGalaxy.vue b/client/src/components/Markdown/Sections/MarkdownGalaxy.vue
index a62fb8d9b85..78ac3194e73 100644
--- a/client/src/components/Markdown/Sections/MarkdownGalaxy.vue
+++ b/client/src/components/Markdown/Sections/MarkdownGalaxy.vue
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ import { useConfig } from "@/composables/config";
 import { useInvocationStore } from "@/stores/invocationStore";
 import { useWorkflowStore } from "@/stores/workflowStore";
 
+import DatasetCollectionElementPicker from "./Elements/DatasetCollectionElementPicker.vue";
 import HistoryDatasetAsImage from "./Elements/HistoryDatasetAsImage.vue";
 import HistoryDatasetAsTable from "./Elements/HistoryDatasetAsTable.vue";
 import HistoryDatasetCollectionDisplay from "./Elements/HistoryDatasetCollection/CollectionDisplay.vue";
@@ -240,10 +241,22 @@ watch(
                 :implicit-collection-jobs-id="args.implicit_collection_jobs_id"
                 :name="name" />
             <VisualizationWrapper
-                v-else-if="name == 'visualization'"
+                v-else-if="name == 'visualization' && !args.history_dataset_collection_id"
                 :name="args.visualization_id"
                 :config="{ dataset_id: args.history_dataset_id }"
                 :height="args.height && parseInt(args.height)" />
+            <DatasetCollectionElementPicker
+                v-else-if="name == 'visualization'"
+                :hdca-id="args.history_dataset_collection_id">
+                <template v-slot:element="{ element }">
+                    <VisualizationWrapper
+                        v-if="element"
+                        :key="element"
+                        :name="args.visualization_id"
+                        :config="{ dataset_id: element }"
+                        :height="args.height && parseInt(args.height)" />
+                </template>
+            </DatasetCollectionElementPicker>
             <WorkflowDisplay
                 v-else-if="name == 'workflow_display'"
                 :workflow-id="args.workflow_id"
diff --git a/client/src/components/Markdown/Utilities/parseInvocation.test.js b/client/src/components/Markdown/Utilities/parseInvocation.test.js
index 7dbd1be6820..d185bb99513 100644
--- a/client/src/components/Markdown/Utilities/parseInvocation.test.js
+++ b/client/src/components/Markdown/Utilities/parseInvocation.test.js
@@ -21,6 +21,8 @@ const INVOCATION = {
         output_1: {
             id: "output_id_1",
         },
+    },
+    output_collections: {
         output_2: {
             id: "output_id_2",
         },
diff --git a/client/src/components/Markdown/Utilities/parseInvocation.ts b/client/src/components/Markdown/Utilities/parseInvocation.ts
index 2f097589aef..17dca5e1e45 100644
--- a/client/src/components/Markdown/Utilities/parseInvocation.ts
+++ b/client/src/components/Markdown/Utilities/parseInvocation.ts
@@ -27,9 +27,16 @@ export function parseInput(invocation: Invocation, name: string | undefined) {
 
 export function parseOutput(invocation: Invocation, name: string | undefined) {
     if (!name) {
-        return undefined
+        return undefined;
     }
-    return invocation.outputs[name]?.id || invocation.output_collections[name]?.id
+    return invocation.outputs[name]?.id;
+}
+
+export function parseOutputCollection(invocation: Invocation, name: string | undefined) {
+    if (!name) {
+        return undefined;
+    }
+    return invocation.output_collections[name]?.id;
 }
 
 export function parseStep(invocation: Invocation, name: string | undefined) {
@@ -53,6 +60,7 @@ export function parseInvocation(
     const result: ParsedAttributes = { ...attributes, invocation };
     const inputId = parseInput(invocation, result.input);
     const outputId = parseOutput(invocation, result.output);
+    const outputCollectionId = parseOutputCollection(invocation, result.output);
     const step = parseStep(invocation, result.step);
     const requiredObject = getRequiredObject(name);
     if (name === "history_link") {
@@ -65,8 +73,12 @@ export function parseInvocation(
         result.history_dataset_collection_id = inputId;
     } else if (outputId && "history_dataset_id" === requiredObject) {
         result.history_dataset_id = outputId;
-    } else if (outputId && "history_dataset_collection_id" === requiredObject) {
-        result.history_dataset_collection_id = outputId;
+    } else if (outputCollectionId && "history_dataset_id" === requiredObject) {
+        // asked for a history_dataset_id but it's a collection, this can always happen
+        // because we map over the workflow
+        result.history_dataset_collection_id = outputCollectionId;
+    } else if (outputCollectionId && "history_dataset_collection_id" === requiredObject) {
+        result.history_dataset_collection_id = outputCollectionId;
     } else if (step) {
         result.job_id = step.job_id;
         result.implicit_collection_jobs_id = step.implicit_collection_jobs_id;
diff --git a/client/src/components/Markdown/Utilities/requirements.ts b/client/src/components/Markdown/Utilities/requirements.ts
index 37f28a839f5..782e7f48119 100644
--- a/client/src/components/Markdown/Utilities/requirements.ts
+++ b/client/src/components/Markdown/Utilities/requirements.ts
@@ -61,5 +61,10 @@ export function hasValidName(name: string | undefined) {
 
 export function hasValidObject(name: string | undefined, args: Record<string, string>): boolean {
     const requiredObject = getRequiredObject(name);
+    if (requiredObject === "history_dataset_id" && args.history_dataset_collection_id) {
+        // accept a collection where a dataset is expected.
+        // we don't control this anyway
+        return true;
+    }
     return !requiredObject || !!args[requiredObject];
 }