diff --git a/src/components/annotations/convert_coords.js b/src/components/annotations/convert_coords.js
index ba3441f0b2f..22b258c3d3d 100644
--- a/src/components/annotations/convert_coords.js
+++ b/src/components/annotations/convert_coords.js
@@ -26,6 +26,8 @@ var toLogRange = require('../../lib/to_log_range');
  *     same relayout call should override this conversion.
  */
 module.exports = function convertCoords(gd, ax, newType, doExtra) {
+    ax = ax || {};
+
     var toLog = (newType === 'log') && (ax.type === 'linear'),
         fromLog = (newType === 'linear') && (ax.type === 'log');
 
diff --git a/src/components/images/convert_coords.js b/src/components/images/convert_coords.js
index a2dd2a8608e..d35c6c0b694 100644
--- a/src/components/images/convert_coords.js
+++ b/src/components/images/convert_coords.js
@@ -31,6 +31,8 @@ var toLogRange = require('../../lib/to_log_range');
  *     same relayout call should override this conversion.
  */
 module.exports = function convertCoords(gd, ax, newType, doExtra) {
+    ax = ax || {};
+
     var toLog = (newType === 'log') && (ax.type === 'linear'),
         fromLog = (newType === 'linear') && (ax.type === 'log');
 
diff --git a/src/plots/gl3d/scene.js b/src/plots/gl3d/scene.js
index 0d05b8813ca..bf35acc3902 100644
--- a/src/plots/gl3d/scene.js
+++ b/src/plots/gl3d/scene.js
@@ -714,6 +714,7 @@ proto.setConvert = function() {
     for(var i = 0; i < 3; ++i) {
         var ax = this.fullSceneLayout[axisProperties[i]];
         Axes.setConvert(ax, this.fullLayout);
+        ax.setScale = Lib.noop;
     }
 };
 
diff --git a/test/jasmine/tests/gl_plot_interact_test.js b/test/jasmine/tests/gl_plot_interact_test.js
index e09bfb84c60..c9f4f0ae299 100644
--- a/test/jasmine/tests/gl_plot_interact_test.js
+++ b/test/jasmine/tests/gl_plot_interact_test.js
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ var Drawing = require('@src/components/drawing');
 
 var createGraphDiv = require('../assets/create_graph_div');
 var destroyGraphDiv = require('../assets/destroy_graph_div');
+var fail = require('../assets/fail_test');
 var mouseEvent = require('../assets/mouse_event');
 var selectButton = require('../assets/modebar_button');
 var customMatchers = require('../assets/custom_matchers');
@@ -631,6 +632,72 @@ describe('Test gl3d drag and wheel interactions', function() {
     });
 });
 
+describe('Test gl3d relayout calls', function() {
+    var gd;
+
+    beforeEach(function() {
+        gd = createGraphDiv();
+    });
+
+    afterEach(function() {
+        Plotly.purge(gd);
+        destroyGraphDiv();
+    });
+
+    it('should be able to adjust margins', function(done) {
+        var w = 500;
+        var h = 500;
+
+        function assertMargins(t, l, b, r) {
+            var div3d = document.getElementById('scene');
+            expect(parseFloat(div3d.style.top)).toEqual(t, 'top');
+            expect(parseFloat(div3d.style.left)).toEqual(l, 'left');
+            expect(h - parseFloat(div3d.style.height) - t).toEqual(b, 'bottom');
+            expect(w - parseFloat(div3d.style.width) - l).toEqual(r, 'right');
+        }
+
+        Plotly.newPlot(gd, [{
+            type: 'scatter3d',
+            x: [1, 2, 3],
+            y: [1, 2, 3],
+            z: [1, 2, 1]
+        }], {
+            width: w,
+            height: h
+        })
+        .then(function() {
+            assertMargins(100, 80, 80, 80);
+
+            return Plotly.relayout(gd, 'margin', {
+                l: 0, t: 0, r: 0, b: 0
+            });
+        })
+        .then(function() {
+            assertMargins(0, 0, 0, 0);
+        })
+        .catch(fail)
+        .then(done);
+    });
+
+    it('should skip root-level axis objects', function(done) {
+        Plotly.newPlot(gd, [{
+            type: 'scatter3d',
+            x: [1, 2, 3],
+            y: [1, 2, 3],
+            z: [1, 2, 1]
+        }])
+        .then(function() {
+            return Plotly.relayout(gd, {
+                xaxis: {},
+                yaxis: {},
+                zaxis: {}
+            });
+        })
+        .catch(fail)
+        .then(done);
+    });
+});
+
 describe('Test gl2d plots', function() {
     var gd;
 
diff --git a/test/jasmine/tests/plot_api_test.js b/test/jasmine/tests/plot_api_test.js
index beb2805dc99..d768f3b99b4 100644
--- a/test/jasmine/tests/plot_api_test.js
+++ b/test/jasmine/tests/plot_api_test.js
@@ -237,6 +237,21 @@ describe('Test plot api', function() {
                 })
                 .then(done);
         });
+
+        it('should skip empty axis objects', function(done) {
+            Plotly.plot(gd, [{
+                x: [1, 2, 3],
+                y: [1, 2, 1]
+            }], {
+                xaxis: { title: 'x title' },
+                yaxis: { title: 'y title' }
+            })
+            .then(function() {
+                return Plotly.relayout(gd, { zaxis: {} });
+            })
+            .catch(fail)
+            .then(done);
+        });
     });
 
     describe('Plotly.restyle', function() {