diff --git a/plotly/matplotlylib/renderer.py b/plotly/matplotlylib/renderer.py
index c95de52247..63a5fda17f 100644
--- a/plotly/matplotlylib/renderer.py
+++ b/plotly/matplotlylib/renderer.py
@@ -153,10 +153,16 @@ def open_axes(self, ax, props):
         self.axis_ct += 1
         # set defaults in axes
         xaxis = go.layout.XAxis(
-            anchor="y{0}".format(self.axis_ct), zeroline=False, ticks="inside"
+            anchor="y{0}".format(self.axis_ct),
+            zeroline=False,
+            ticks="inside",
+            linecolor="black",
         )
         yaxis = go.layout.YAxis(
-            anchor="x{0}".format(self.axis_ct), zeroline=False, ticks="inside"
+            anchor="x{0}".format(self.axis_ct),
+            zeroline=False,
+            ticks="inside",
+            linecolor="black",
         )
         # update defaults with things set in mpl
         mpl_xaxis, mpl_yaxis = mpltools.prep_xy_axis(
@@ -299,7 +305,7 @@ def draw_bar(self, coll):
         )  # TODO ditto
         if len(bar["x"]) > 1:
             self.msg += "    Heck yeah, I drew that bar chart\n"
-            (self.plotly_fig.add_trace(bar),)
+            self.plotly_fig.add_trace(bar)
             if bar_gap is not None:
                 self.plotly_fig["layout"]["bargap"] = bar_gap
         else:
@@ -497,7 +503,7 @@ def draw_marked_line(self, **props):
                 marked_line["x"] = mpltools.mpl_dates_to_datestrings(
                     marked_line["x"], formatter
                 )
-            (self.plotly_fig.add_trace(marked_line),)
+            self.plotly_fig.add_trace(marked_line)
             self.msg += "    Heck yeah, I drew that line\n"
         elif props["coordinates"] == "axes":
             # dealing with legend graphical elements
diff --git a/plotly/matplotlylib/tests/__init__.py b/plotly/matplotlylib/tests/__init__.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..c29e9896d6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/plotly/matplotlylib/tests/__init__.py
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+import matplotlib
+
+matplotlib.use("Agg")
+import matplotlib.pyplot as plt
diff --git a/plotly/matplotlylib/tests/test_renderer.py b/plotly/matplotlylib/tests/test_renderer.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..fe0ebae919
--- /dev/null
+++ b/plotly/matplotlylib/tests/test_renderer.py
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+import plotly.tools as tls
+
+from . import plt
+
+
+def test_axis_linecolor_defaults_to_black():
+    fig, ax = plt.subplots()
+    ax.plot([0, 1], [0, 1])
+
+    plotly_fig = tls.mpl_to_plotly(fig)
+
+    assert plotly_fig.layout.xaxis.linecolor == "black"
+    assert plotly_fig.layout.yaxis.linecolor == "black"