diff --git a/dev/App.js b/dev/App.js
index 9fc68eff0..8c8e38b79 100644
--- a/dev/App.js
+++ b/dev/App.js
@@ -157,7 +157,7 @@ class App extends Component {
           advancedTraceTypeSelector
           showFieldTooltips
           // traceTypesConfig={traceTypesConfig}
-          // useAsDefaultTrace={{type: 'scattergl', mode: 'markers'}}
+          // makeDefaultTrace={() => ({type: 'scattergl', mode: 'markers'})}
         >
           <DefaultEditor>
             <GraphTransformsPanel group="Dev" name="Transforms" />
diff --git a/src/EditorControls.js b/src/EditorControls.js
index aaf291d57..f831882c1 100644
--- a/src/EditorControls.js
+++ b/src/EditorControls.js
@@ -119,7 +119,9 @@ class EditorControls extends Component {
           this.props.beforeAddTrace(payload);
         }
 
-        graphDiv.data.push(this.props.useAsDefaultTrace);
+        // can't use default prop because plotly.js mutates it:
+        // https://github.com/plotly/react-chart-editor/issues/509
+        graphDiv.data.push(this.props.makeDefaultTrace());
 
         if (this.props.afterAddTrace) {
           this.props.afterAddTrace(payload);
@@ -300,18 +302,18 @@ EditorControls.propTypes = {
   plotly: PropTypes.object,
   showFieldTooltips: PropTypes.bool,
   traceTypesConfig: PropTypes.object,
-  useAsDefaultTrace: PropTypes.object,
+  makeDefaultTrace: PropTypes.func,
 };
 
 EditorControls.defaultProps = {
   showFieldTooltips: false,
   locale: 'en',
+  makeDefaultTrace: () => ({type: 'scatter', mode: 'markers'}),
   traceTypesConfig: {
     categories: _ => categoryLayout(_),
     traces: _ => traceTypes(_),
     complex: true,
   },
-  useAsDefaultTrace: {type: 'scatter', mode: 'markers'},
 };
 
 EditorControls.childContextTypes = {
diff --git a/src/PlotlyEditor.js b/src/PlotlyEditor.js
index 39bf3b308..0bddbf082 100644
--- a/src/PlotlyEditor.js
+++ b/src/PlotlyEditor.js
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ class PlotlyEditor extends Component {
             dictionaries={this.props.dictionaries}
             showFieldTooltips={this.props.showFieldTooltips}
             srcConverters={this.props.srcConverters}
-            useAsDefaultTrace={this.props.useAsDefaultTrace}
+            makeDefaultTrace={this.props.makeDefaultTrace}
           >
             {this.props.children}
           </EditorControls>
@@ -76,7 +76,7 @@ PlotlyEditor.propTypes = {
     toSrc: PropTypes.func.isRequired,
     fromSrc: PropTypes.func.isRequired,
   }),
-  useAsDefaultTrace: PropTypes.object,
+  makeDefaultTrace: PropTypes.func,
 };
 
 PlotlyEditor.defaultProps = {