diff --git a/chartkick.js b/chartkick.js
index c048cdfa..67d9ae21 100644
--- a/chartkick.js
+++ b/chartkick.js
@@ -96,7 +96,8 @@
       var options = clone(defaultOptions);
 
       // hide legend
-      if (series.length === 1) {
+      // this is *not* an external option!
+      if (opts.hideLegend) {
         hideLegend(options);
       }
 
@@ -469,12 +470,16 @@
     return a[0].getTime() - b[0].getTime();
   }
 
-  function processSeries(series, time) {
+  function processSeries(series, opts, time) {
     var i, j, data, r, key;
 
     // see if one series or multiple
     if (!isArray(series) || typeof series[0] !== "object" || isArray(series[0])) {
       series = [{name: "Value", data: series}];
+      opts.hideLegend = true;
+    }
+    else {
+      opts.hideLegend = false;
     }
 
     // right format
@@ -496,11 +501,11 @@
   }
 
   function processLineData(element, data, opts) {
-    renderLineChart(element, processSeries(data, true), opts);
+    renderLineChart(element, processSeries(data, opts, true), opts);
   }
 
   function processColumnData(element, data, opts) {
-    renderColumnChart(element, processSeries(data, false), opts);
+    renderColumnChart(element, processSeries(data, opts, false), opts);
   }
 
   function processPieData(element, data, opts) {
@@ -515,7 +520,7 @@
     if (typeof element === "string") {
       element = document.getElementById(element);
     }
-    fetchDataSource(element, data, opts || {}, callback);
+    fetchDataSource(element, data, clone(opts || {}), callback);
   }
 
   // define classes
diff --git a/examples/index.html b/examples/index.html
index b2fc6467..020d3afb 100644
--- a/examples/index.html
+++ b/examples/index.html
@@ -49,5 +49,11 @@ <h1>Remote</h1>
     <script>
       new Chartkick.LineChart("chart-5", "remote.json");
     </script>
+
+    <h1>One Series</h1>
+    <div id="chart-6" style="height: 300px;"></div>
+    <script>
+      new Chartkick.LineChart("chart-6", [{name: "Series A", data: {"2013-02-10 00:00:00 -0800":11,"2013-02-11 00:00:00 -0800":6,"2013-02-12 00:00:00 -0800":3,"2013-02-13 00:00:00 -0800":2,"2013-02-14 00:00:00 -0800":5,"2013-02-15 00:00:00 -0800":3,"2013-02-16 00:00:00 -0800":8,"2013-02-17 00:00:00 -0800":6,"2013-02-18 00:00:00 -0800":6,"2013-02-19 00:00:00 -0800":12,"2013-02-20 00:00:00 -0800":5,"2013-02-21 00:00:00 -0800":5,"2013-02-22 00:00:00 -0800":3,"2013-02-23 00:00:00 -0800":1,"2013-02-24 00:00:00 -0800":10,"2013-02-25 00:00:00 -0800":1,"2013-02-26 00:00:00 -0800":3,"2013-02-27 00:00:00 -0800":2,"2013-02-28 00:00:00 -0800":3,"2013-03-01 00:00:00 -0800":2,"2013-03-02 00:00:00 -0800":8}}]);
+    </script>
   </body>
 </html>