diff --git a/src/plot_api/plot_api.js b/src/plot_api/plot_api.js
index 55c98d78910..8f6e6803d3b 100644
--- a/src/plot_api/plot_api.js
+++ b/src/plot_api/plot_api.js
@@ -1183,7 +1183,7 @@ Plotly.restyle = function restyle(gd, astr, val, traces) {
     if(typeof astr === 'string') aobj[astr] = val;
     else if(Lib.isPlainObject(astr)) {
         // the 3-arg form
-        aobj = astr;
+        aobj = Lib.extendFlat({}, astr);
         if(traces === undefined) traces = val;
     }
     else {
@@ -1702,7 +1702,7 @@ Plotly.relayout = function relayout(gd, astr, val) {
     if(typeof astr === 'string') {
         aobj[astr] = val;
     } else if(Lib.isPlainObject(astr)) {
-        aobj = astr;
+        aobj = Lib.extendFlat({}, astr);
     } else {
         Lib.warn('Relayout fail.', astr, val);
         return Promise.reject();
@@ -2092,10 +2092,10 @@ Plotly.update = function update(gd, traceUpdate, layoutUpdate, traces) {
     if(Object.keys(traceUpdate).length) gd.changed = true;
     if(Object.keys(layoutUpdate).length) gd.changed = true;
 
-    var restyleSpecs = _restyle(gd, traceUpdate, traces),
+    var restyleSpecs = _restyle(gd, Lib.extendFlat({}, traceUpdate), traces),
         restyleFlags = restyleSpecs.flags;
 
-    var relayoutSpecs = _relayout(gd, layoutUpdate),
+    var relayoutSpecs = _relayout(gd, Lib.extendFlat({}, layoutUpdate)),
         relayoutFlags = relayoutSpecs.flags;
 
     // clear calcdata if required
diff --git a/test/jasmine/tests/annotations_test.js b/test/jasmine/tests/annotations_test.js
index 880f273ed70..ee155f9cf0d 100644
--- a/test/jasmine/tests/annotations_test.js
+++ b/test/jasmine/tests/annotations_test.js
@@ -185,6 +185,7 @@ describe('annotations relayout', function() {
     });
 
     it('should be able update annotations', function(done) {
+        var updateObj = { 'annotations[0].text': 'hello' };
 
         function assertText(index, expected) {
             var query = '.annotation[data-index="' + index + '"]',
@@ -193,6 +194,12 @@ describe('annotations relayout', function() {
             expect(actual).toEqual(expected);
         }
 
+        function assertUpdateObj() {
+            // w/o mutating relayout update object
+            expect(Object.keys(updateObj)).toEqual(['annotations[0].text']);
+            expect(updateObj['annotations[0].text']).toEqual('hello');
+        }
+
         assertText(0, 'left top');
 
         Plotly.relayout(gd, 'annotations[0].text', 'hello').then(function() {
@@ -202,9 +209,25 @@ describe('annotations relayout', function() {
         })
         .then(function() {
             assertText(0, 'new text');
+
+            return Plotly.relayout(gd, updateObj);
         })
-        .then(done);
+        .then(function() {
+            assertText(0, 'hello');
+            assertUpdateObj();
+
+            return Plotly.relayout(gd, 'annotations[0].text', null);
+        })
+        .then(function() {
+            assertText(0, 'new text');
 
+            return Plotly.update(gd, {}, updateObj);
+        })
+        .then(function() {
+            assertText(0, 'hello');
+            assertUpdateObj();
+        })
+        .then(done);
     });
 });