diff --git a/src/lib/coerce.js b/src/lib/coerce.js
index 7f7e65a5900..ec6eeeef47c 100644
--- a/src/lib/coerce.js
+++ b/src/lib/coerce.js
@@ -222,7 +222,7 @@ exports.valObjects = {
     any: {
         description: 'Any type.',
         requiredOpts: [],
-        otherOpts: ['dflt'],
+        otherOpts: ['dflt', 'values'],
         coerceFunction: function(v, propOut, dflt) {
             if(v === undefined) propOut.set(dflt);
             else propOut.set(v);
diff --git a/src/plots/mapbox/layout_attributes.js b/src/plots/mapbox/layout_attributes.js
index fdf9d97fe07..3aa94e890f4 100644
--- a/src/plots/mapbox/layout_attributes.js
+++ b/src/plots/mapbox/layout_attributes.js
@@ -57,13 +57,14 @@ module.exports = {
         ].join(' ')
     },
     style: {
-        valType: 'string',
+        valType: 'any',
         values: ['basic', 'streets', 'outdoors', 'light', 'dark', 'satellite', 'satellite-streets'],
         dflt: 'basic',
         role: 'style',
         description: [
             'Sets the Mapbox map style.',
-            'Either input the defaults Mapbox names or the URL to a custom style.'
+            'Either input one of the default Mapbox style names or the URL to a custom style',
+            'or a valid Mapbox style JSON.'
         ].join(' ')
     },
 
diff --git a/src/plots/mapbox/mapbox.js b/src/plots/mapbox/mapbox.js
index 6d53104d8f4..803f77b66b7 100644
--- a/src/plots/mapbox/mapbox.js
+++ b/src/plots/mapbox/mapbox.js
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@ function Mapbox(opts) {
     // state variables used to infer how and what to update
     this.map = null;
     this.accessToken = null;
-    this.styleUrl = null;
+    this.styleObj = null;
     this.traceHash = {};
     this.layerList = [];
 }
@@ -64,7 +64,7 @@ proto.plot = function(calcData, fullLayout, promises) {
     if(self.map && (opts.accesstoken !== self.accessToken)) {
         self.map.remove();
         self.map = null;
-        self.styleUrl = null;
+        self.styleObj = null;
         self.traceHash = [];
         self.layerList = {};
     }
@@ -90,16 +90,17 @@ proto.createMap = function(calcData, fullLayout, resolve, reject) {
         gd = self.gd,
         opts = self.opts;
 
-    // mapbox doesn't have a way to get the current style URL; do it ourselves
-    var styleUrl = self.styleUrl = convertStyleUrl(opts.style);
+    // store style id and URL or object
+    var styleObj = self.styleObj = getStyleObj(opts.style);
 
     // store access token associated with this map
     self.accessToken = opts.accesstoken;
 
+    // create the map!
     var map = self.map = new mapboxgl.Map({
         container: self.div,
 
-        style: styleUrl,
+        style: styleObj.style,
         center: convertCenter(opts.center),
         zoom: opts.zoom,
         bearing: opts.bearing,
@@ -172,11 +173,11 @@ proto.updateMap = function(calcData, fullLayout, resolve, reject) {
 
     self.rejectOnError(reject);
 
-    var styleUrl = convertStyleUrl(self.opts.style);
+    var styleObj = getStyleObj(self.opts.style);
 
-    if(self.styleUrl !== styleUrl) {
-        self.styleUrl = styleUrl;
-        map.setStyle(styleUrl);
+    if(self.styleObj.id !== styleObj.id) {
+        self.styleObj = styleObj;
+        map.setStyle(styleObj.style);
 
         map.style.once('load', function() {
 
@@ -402,16 +403,32 @@ proto.getView = function() {
     };
 };
 
-function convertStyleUrl(style) {
-    var styleValues = layoutAttributes.style.values;
+function getStyleObj(val) {
+    var styleValues = layoutAttributes.style.values,
+        styleDflt = layoutAttributes.style.dflt,
+        styleObj = {};
 
-    // if style is part of the 'official' mapbox values,
-    // add URL prefix and suffix
-    if(styleValues.indexOf(style) !== -1) {
-        return constants.styleUrlPrefix + style + '-' + constants.styleUrlSuffix;
+    if(Lib.isPlainObject(val)) {
+        styleObj.id = val.id;
+        styleObj.style = val;
     }
+    else if(typeof val === 'string') {
+        styleObj.id = val;
+        styleObj.style = (styleValues.indexOf(val) !== -1) ?
+             convertStyleVal(val) :
+             val;
+    }
+    else {
+        styleObj.id = styleDflt;
+        styleObj.style = convertStyleVal(styleDflt);
+    }
+
+    return styleObj;
+}
 
-    return style;
+// if style is part of the 'official' mapbox values, add URL prefix and suffix
+function convertStyleVal(val) {
+    return constants.styleUrlPrefix + val + '-' + constants.styleUrlSuffix;
 }
 
 function convertCenter(center) {
diff --git a/test/jasmine/tests/mapbox_test.js b/test/jasmine/tests/mapbox_test.js
index 1adad1f9f10..eff986c26c0 100644
--- a/test/jasmine/tests/mapbox_test.js
+++ b/test/jasmine/tests/mapbox_test.js
@@ -55,6 +55,24 @@ describe('mapbox defaults', function() {
         expect(layoutOut.mapbox._input).toBe(mapbox);
     });
 
+    it('should accept both string and object style', function() {
+        var mapboxStyleJSON = {
+            id: 'cdsa213wqdsa',
+            owner: 'johnny'
+        };
+
+        layoutIn = {
+            mapbox: { style: 'light' },
+            mapbox2: { style: mapboxStyleJSON }
+        };
+
+        fullData.push({ type: 'scattermapbox', subplot: 'mapbox2' });
+
+        supplyLayoutDefaults(layoutIn, layoutOut, fullData);
+        expect(layoutOut.mapbox.style).toEqual('light');
+        expect(layoutOut.mapbox2.style).toBe(mapboxStyleJSON);
+    });
+
     it('should fill layer containers', function() {
         layoutIn = {
             mapbox: {