diff --git a/src/components/shapes/index.js b/src/components/shapes/index.js
index b0097ac5665..79bb28fd0e5 100644
--- a/src/components/shapes/index.js
+++ b/src/components/shapes/index.js
@@ -94,6 +94,12 @@ function linearToData(ax) { return ax.type === 'category' ? ax.l2c : ax.l2d; }
 
 shapes.drawAll = function(gd) {
     var fullLayout = gd._fullLayout;
+
+    // Remove previous shapes before drawing new in shapes in fullLayout.shapes
+    fullLayout._shapeUpperLayer.selectAll('path').remove();
+    fullLayout._shapeLowerLayer.selectAll('path').remove();
+    fullLayout._subplotShapeLayer.selectAll('path').remove();
+
     for(var i = 0; i < fullLayout.shapes.length; i++) {
         shapes.draw(gd, i);
     }
diff --git a/src/plot_api/plot_api.js b/src/plot_api/plot_api.js
index 69c11bf277e..cc42a7e39c4 100644
--- a/src/plot_api/plot_api.js
+++ b/src/plot_api/plot_api.js
@@ -2630,6 +2630,10 @@ function makePlotFramework(gd) {
     // single ternary layer for the whole plot
     fullLayout._ternarylayer = fullLayout._paper.append('g').classed('ternarylayer', true);
 
+    // shape layers in subplots
+    fullLayout._subplotShapeLayer = fullLayout._paper
+        .selectAll('.shapelayer-subplot');
+
     // upper shape layer
     // (only for shapes to be drawn above the whole plot, including subplots)
     fullLayout._shapeUpperLayer = fullLayout._paper.append('g')
@@ -2815,10 +2819,6 @@ function makeCartesianPlotFramwork(gd, subplots) {
             .style('fill', 'none')
             .classed('crisp', true);
     });
-
-    // shape layers in subplots
-    fullLayout._subplotShapeLayer = fullLayout._paper
-        .selectAll('.shapelayer-subplot');
 }
 
 // layoutStyles: styling for plot layout elements
diff --git a/test/jasmine/tests/shapes_test.js b/test/jasmine/tests/shapes_test.js
index 13511fb3699..8447c94e772 100644
--- a/test/jasmine/tests/shapes_test.js
+++ b/test/jasmine/tests/shapes_test.js
@@ -187,6 +187,14 @@ describe('Test shapes:', function() {
             }).then(done);
         });
 
+        it('should be able to remove all shapes', function(done) {
+            Plotly.relayout(gd, { shapes: [] }).then(function() {
+                expect(countShapePathsInUpperLayer()).toEqual(0);
+                expect(countShapePathsInLowerLayer()).toEqual(0);
+                expect(countShapePathsInSubplots()).toEqual(0);
+            }).then(done);
+        });
+
         it('should be able to update a shape layer', function(done) {
             var index = countShapes(gd),
                 astr = 'shapes[' + index + ']',