diff --git a/src/components/colorbar/defaults.js b/src/components/colorbar/defaults.js
index 666fcfe7ca1..b8878e099cb 100644
--- a/src/components/colorbar/defaults.js
+++ b/src/components/colorbar/defaults.js
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ var Template = require('../../plot_api/plot_template');
 var handleTickValueDefaults = require('../../plots/cartesian/tick_value_defaults');
 var handleTickMarkDefaults = require('../../plots/cartesian/tick_mark_defaults');
 var handleTickLabelDefaults = require('../../plots/cartesian/tick_label_defaults');
+var handlePrefixSuffixDefaults = require('../../plots/cartesian/prefix_suffix_defaults');
 
 var attributes = require('./attributes');
 
@@ -53,6 +54,7 @@ module.exports = function colorbarDefaults(containerIn, containerOut, layout) {
     if(ticklabelposition.indexOf('inside') !== -1) {
         opts.bgColor = 'black'; // could we instead use the average of colors in the scale?
     }
+    handlePrefixSuffixDefaults(colorbarIn, colorbarOut, coerce, 'linear', opts);
     handleTickLabelDefaults(colorbarIn, colorbarOut, coerce, 'linear', opts);
     handleTickMarkDefaults(colorbarIn, colorbarOut, coerce, 'linear', opts);
 
diff --git a/src/plots/cartesian/axis_defaults.js b/src/plots/cartesian/axis_defaults.js
index 2b67a5162cf..434b076a845 100644
--- a/src/plots/cartesian/axis_defaults.js
+++ b/src/plots/cartesian/axis_defaults.js
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ var layoutAttributes = require('./layout_attributes');
 var handleTickValueDefaults = require('./tick_value_defaults');
 var handleTickMarkDefaults = require('./tick_mark_defaults');
 var handleTickLabelDefaults = require('./tick_label_defaults');
+var handlePrefixSuffixDefaults = require('./prefix_suffix_defaults');
 var handleCategoryOrderDefaults = require('./category_order_defaults');
 var handleLineGridDefaults = require('./line_grid_defaults');
 var setConvert = require('./set_convert');
@@ -110,7 +111,7 @@ module.exports = function handleAxisDefaults(containerIn, containerOut, coerce,
     // try to get default title from splom trace, fallback to graph-wide value
     var dfltTitle = splomStash.label || layoutOut._dfltTitle[letter];
 
-    handleTickLabelDefaults(containerIn, containerOut, coerce, axType, options, {pass: 1});
+    handlePrefixSuffixDefaults(containerIn, containerOut, coerce, axType, options);
     if(!visible) return containerOut;
 
     coerce('title.text', dfltTitle);
@@ -121,7 +122,7 @@ module.exports = function handleAxisDefaults(containerIn, containerOut, coerce,
     });
 
     handleTickValueDefaults(containerIn, containerOut, coerce, axType);
-    handleTickLabelDefaults(containerIn, containerOut, coerce, axType, options, {pass: 2});
+    handleTickLabelDefaults(containerIn, containerOut, coerce, axType, options);
     handleTickMarkDefaults(containerIn, containerOut, coerce, options);
     handleLineGridDefaults(containerIn, containerOut, coerce, {
         dfltColor: dfltColor,
diff --git a/src/plots/cartesian/prefix_suffix_defaults.js b/src/plots/cartesian/prefix_suffix_defaults.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..c645e58d5ad
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/plots/cartesian/prefix_suffix_defaults.js
@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+'use strict';
+
+var getShowAttrDflt = require('./show_dflt');
+
+module.exports = function handlePrefixSuffixDefaults(containerIn, containerOut, coerce, axType, options) {
+    if(!options) options = {};
+    var tickSuffixDflt = options.tickSuffixDflt;
+
+    var showAttrDflt = getShowAttrDflt(containerIn);
+
+    var tickPrefix = coerce('tickprefix');
+    if(tickPrefix) coerce('showtickprefix', showAttrDflt);
+
+    var tickSuffix = coerce('ticksuffix', tickSuffixDflt);
+    if(tickSuffix) coerce('showticksuffix', showAttrDflt);
+};
diff --git a/src/plots/cartesian/show_dflt.js b/src/plots/cartesian/show_dflt.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..7b486211807
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/plots/cartesian/show_dflt.js
@@ -0,0 +1,29 @@
+'use strict';
+
+/*
+ * Attributes 'showexponent', 'showtickprefix' and 'showticksuffix'
+ * share values.
+ *
+ * If only 1 attribute is set,
+ * the remaining attributes inherit that value.
+ *
+ * If 2 attributes are set to the same value,
+ * the remaining attribute inherits that value.
+ *
+ * If 2 attributes are set to different values,
+ * the remaining is set to its dflt value.
+ *
+ */
+module.exports = function getShowAttrDflt(containerIn) {
+    var showAttrsAll = ['showexponent', 'showtickprefix', 'showticksuffix'];
+    var showAttrs = showAttrsAll.filter(function(a) {
+        return containerIn[a] !== undefined;
+    });
+    var sameVal = function(a) {
+        return containerIn[a] === containerIn[showAttrs[0]];
+    };
+
+    if(showAttrs.every(sameVal) || showAttrs.length === 1) {
+        return containerIn[showAttrs[0]];
+    }
+};
diff --git a/src/plots/cartesian/tick_label_defaults.js b/src/plots/cartesian/tick_label_defaults.js
index 9b4b9089641..ce09aba6a04 100644
--- a/src/plots/cartesian/tick_label_defaults.js
+++ b/src/plots/cartesian/tick_label_defaults.js
@@ -3,29 +3,11 @@
 var Lib = require('../../lib');
 var contrast = require('../../components/color').contrast;
 var layoutAttributes = require('./layout_attributes');
+var getShowAttrDflt = require('./show_dflt');
 var handleArrayContainerDefaults = require('../array_container_defaults');
 
-module.exports = function handleTickLabelDefaults(containerIn, containerOut, coerce, axType, options, config) {
-    if(!config || config.pass === 1) {
-        handlePrefixSuffix(containerIn, containerOut, coerce, axType, options);
-    }
-
-    if(!config || config.pass === 2) {
-        handleOtherDefaults(containerIn, containerOut, coerce, axType, options);
-    }
-};
-
-function handlePrefixSuffix(containerIn, containerOut, coerce, axType, options) {
-    var showAttrDflt = getShowAttrDflt(containerIn);
-
-    var tickPrefix = coerce('tickprefix');
-    if(tickPrefix) coerce('showtickprefix', showAttrDflt);
-
-    var tickSuffix = coerce('ticksuffix', options.tickSuffixDflt);
-    if(tickSuffix) coerce('showticksuffix', showAttrDflt);
-}
-
-function handleOtherDefaults(containerIn, containerOut, coerce, axType, options) {
+module.exports = function handleTickLabelDefaults(containerIn, containerOut, coerce, axType, options) {
+    if(!options) options = {};
     var showAttrDflt = getShowAttrDflt(containerIn);
 
     var showTickLabels = coerce('showticklabels');
@@ -67,35 +49,7 @@ function handleOtherDefaults(containerIn, containerOut, coerce, axType, options)
             }
         }
     }
-}
-
-/*
- * Attributes 'showexponent', 'showtickprefix' and 'showticksuffix'
- * share values.
- *
- * If only 1 attribute is set,
- * the remaining attributes inherit that value.
- *
- * If 2 attributes are set to the same value,
- * the remaining attribute inherits that value.
- *
- * If 2 attributes are set to different values,
- * the remaining is set to its dflt value.
- *
- */
-function getShowAttrDflt(containerIn) {
-    var showAttrsAll = ['showexponent', 'showtickprefix', 'showticksuffix'];
-    var showAttrs = showAttrsAll.filter(function(a) {
-        return containerIn[a] !== undefined;
-    });
-    var sameVal = function(a) {
-        return containerIn[a] === containerIn[showAttrs[0]];
-    };
-
-    if(showAttrs.every(sameVal) || showAttrs.length === 1) {
-        return containerIn[showAttrs[0]];
-    }
-}
+};
 
 function tickformatstopDefaults(valueIn, valueOut) {
     function coerce(attr, dflt) {
diff --git a/src/plots/polar/layout_defaults.js b/src/plots/polar/layout_defaults.js
index a3ad091932e..9a7c609ed2b 100644
--- a/src/plots/polar/layout_defaults.js
+++ b/src/plots/polar/layout_defaults.js
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ var getSubplotData = require('../get_data').getSubplotData;
 var handleTickValueDefaults = require('../cartesian/tick_value_defaults');
 var handleTickMarkDefaults = require('../cartesian/tick_mark_defaults');
 var handleTickLabelDefaults = require('../cartesian/tick_label_defaults');
+var handlePrefixSuffixDefaults = require('../cartesian/prefix_suffix_defaults');
 var handleCategoryOrderDefaults = require('../cartesian/category_order_defaults');
 var handleLineGridDefaults = require('../cartesian/line_grid_defaults');
 var autoType = require('../cartesian/axis_autotype');
@@ -138,9 +139,10 @@ function handleDefaults(contIn, contOut, coerce, opts) {
 
         if(visible) {
             handleTickValueDefaults(axIn, axOut, coerceAxis, axOut.type);
-            handleTickLabelDefaults(axIn, axOut, coerceAxis, axOut.type, {
+            handlePrefixSuffixDefaults(axIn, axOut, coerceAxis, axOut.type, {
                 tickSuffixDflt: axOut.thetaunit === 'degrees' ? '°' : undefined
             });
+            handleTickLabelDefaults(axIn, axOut, coerceAxis, axOut.type);
             handleTickMarkDefaults(axIn, axOut, coerceAxis, {outerTicks: true});
 
             var showTickLabels = coerceAxis('showticklabels');
diff --git a/src/plots/ternary/layout_defaults.js b/src/plots/ternary/layout_defaults.js
index 0223bc79be9..7994b04da00 100644
--- a/src/plots/ternary/layout_defaults.js
+++ b/src/plots/ternary/layout_defaults.js
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ var Lib = require('../../lib');
 
 var handleSubplotDefaults = require('../subplot_defaults');
 var handleTickLabelDefaults = require('../cartesian/tick_label_defaults');
+var handlePrefixSuffixDefaults = require('../cartesian/prefix_suffix_defaults');
 var handleTickMarkDefaults = require('../cartesian/tick_mark_defaults');
 var handleTickValueDefaults = require('../cartesian/tick_value_defaults');
 var handleLineGridDefaults = require('../cartesian/line_grid_defaults');
@@ -90,7 +91,8 @@ function handleAxisDefaults(containerIn, containerOut, options, ternaryLayoutOut
     coerce('min');
 
     handleTickValueDefaults(containerIn, containerOut, coerce, 'linear');
-    handleTickLabelDefaults(containerIn, containerOut, coerce, 'linear', {});
+    handlePrefixSuffixDefaults(containerIn, containerOut, coerce, 'linear');
+    handleTickLabelDefaults(containerIn, containerOut, coerce, 'linear');
     handleTickMarkDefaults(containerIn, containerOut, coerce,
         { outerTicks: true });
 
diff --git a/src/traces/carpet/axis_defaults.js b/src/traces/carpet/axis_defaults.js
index 3572d9a5f8d..f58bb3786e2 100644
--- a/src/traces/carpet/axis_defaults.js
+++ b/src/traces/carpet/axis_defaults.js
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ var Registry = require('../../registry');
 var Lib = require('../../lib');
 var handleTickValueDefaults = require('../../plots/cartesian/tick_value_defaults');
 var handleTickLabelDefaults = require('../../plots/cartesian/tick_label_defaults');
+var handlePrefixSuffixDefaults = require('../../plots/cartesian/prefix_suffix_defaults');
 var handleCategoryOrderDefaults = require('../../plots/cartesian/category_order_defaults');
 var setConvert = require('../../plots/cartesian/set_convert');
 var autoType = require('../../plots/cartesian/axis_autotype');
@@ -128,6 +129,7 @@ module.exports = function handleAxisDefaults(containerIn, containerOut, options)
     coerce('fixedrange');
 
     handleTickValueDefaults(containerIn, containerOut, coerce, axType);
+    handlePrefixSuffixDefaults(containerIn, containerOut, coerce, axType, options);
     handleTickLabelDefaults(containerIn, containerOut, coerce, axType, options);
     handleCategoryOrderDefaults(containerIn, containerOut, coerce, {
         data: options.data,
diff --git a/src/traces/indicator/defaults.js b/src/traces/indicator/defaults.js
index 2b664ff3914..3d93848af32 100644
--- a/src/traces/indicator/defaults.js
+++ b/src/traces/indicator/defaults.js
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ var cn = require('./constants.js');
 var handleTickValueDefaults = require('../../plots/cartesian/tick_value_defaults');
 var handleTickMarkDefaults = require('../../plots/cartesian/tick_mark_defaults');
 var handleTickLabelDefaults = require('../../plots/cartesian/tick_label_defaults');
+var handlePrefixSuffixDefaults = require('../../plots/cartesian/prefix_suffix_defaults');
 
 function supplyDefaults(traceIn, traceOut, defaultColor, layout) {
     function coerce(attr, dflt) {
@@ -128,6 +129,7 @@ function supplyDefaults(traceIn, traceOut, defaultColor, layout) {
 
         var opts = {outerTicks: true};
         handleTickValueDefaults(axisIn, axisOut, coerceGaugeAxis, 'linear');
+        handlePrefixSuffixDefaults(axisIn, axisOut, coerceGaugeAxis, 'linear', opts);
         handleTickLabelDefaults(axisIn, axisOut, coerceGaugeAxis, 'linear', opts);
         handleTickMarkDefaults(axisIn, axisOut, coerceGaugeAxis, opts);
     } else {