diff --git a/CHANGES b/CHANGES
index 3e36bbdf99..c585334ded 100644
--- a/CHANGES
+++ b/CHANGES
@@ -1,3 +1,7 @@
+8.1.0-dev.544 | 2025-09-16 11:02:35 -0700
+
+  * fix for associating attributes with globals for -O gen-standalone-C++ (Vern Paxson, Corelight)
+
 8.1.0-dev.542 | 2025-09-16 10:53:04 -0700
 
   * fix for tracking identifiers and aggregates when compiling to standalone-C++ (Vern Paxson, Corelight)
diff --git a/VERSION b/VERSION
index a658c02256..f1dd204f23 100644
--- a/VERSION
+++ b/VERSION
@@ -1 +1 @@
-8.1.0-dev.542
+8.1.0-dev.544
diff --git a/src/script_opt/CPP/Inits.cc b/src/script_opt/CPP/Inits.cc
index a73b96a379..b286ef14de 100644
--- a/src/script_opt/CPP/Inits.cc
+++ b/src/script_opt/CPP/Inits.cc
@@ -225,10 +225,9 @@ void CPPCompile::InitializeGlobals() {
 
         const auto& attrs = g->GetAttrs();
         if ( attrs ) {
-            string attr_tags;
-            string attr_vals;
-            BuildAttrs(attrs, attr_tags, attr_vals);
-            Emit("assign_attrs__CPP(%s, %s, %s);", globals[g->Name()], attr_tags, attr_vals);
+            auto attrs_offset = AttributesOffset(attrs);
+            auto attrs_str = "CPP__Attributes__[" + Fmt(attrs_offset) + "]";
+            Emit("%s->SetAttrs(%s);", globals[g->Name()], attrs_str);
         }
     }
 
diff --git a/src/script_opt/CPP/RuntimeOps.cc b/src/script_opt/CPP/RuntimeOps.cc
index 03973a2e74..47d0585e6d 100644
--- a/src/script_opt/CPP/RuntimeOps.cc
+++ b/src/script_opt/CPP/RuntimeOps.cc
@@ -239,10 +239,6 @@ TableValPtr table_constructor__CPP(vector<ValPtr> indices, vector<ValPtr> vals,
     return aggr;
 }
 
-void assign_attrs__CPP(IDPtr id, IntVec attr_tags, ValVec attr_vals) {
-    id->SetAttrs(build_attrs__CPP(std::move(attr_tags), std::move(attr_vals)));
-}
-
 RecordValPtr record_constructor__CPP(vector<ValPtr> vals, RecordTypePtr t) {
     auto rv = make_intrusive<RecordVal>(t);
     auto n = vals.size();
diff --git a/src/script_opt/CPP/RuntimeOps.h b/src/script_opt/CPP/RuntimeOps.h
index 6a31f8c1a7..2f7eef45b1 100644
--- a/src/script_opt/CPP/RuntimeOps.h
+++ b/src/script_opt/CPP/RuntimeOps.h
@@ -229,9 +229,6 @@ extern TableValPtr set_constructor__CPP(ValVec elements, TableTypePtr t, IntVec
 extern TableValPtr table_constructor__CPP(ValVec indices, ValVec vals, TableTypePtr t, IntVec attr_tags,
                                           ValVec attr_vals);
 
-// Assigns a set of attributes to an identifier.
-extern void assign_attrs__CPP(IDPtr id, IntVec attr_tags, ValVec attr_vals);
-
 // Constructs a record of the given type, whose (ordered) fields are
 // assigned to the corresponding elements of the given vector of values.
 extern RecordValPtr record_constructor__CPP(ValVec vals, RecordTypePtr t);