diff --git a/src/backends/pyplot.jl b/src/backends/pyplot.jl
index c4a664a4..58491f75 100644
--- a/src/backends/pyplot.jl
+++ b/src/backends/pyplot.jl
@@ -458,7 +458,7 @@ function _add_series(pkg::PyPlotBackend, plt::Plot; kw...)
     handle
 
   elseif lt in (:surface,:wireframe)
-    x, y, z = d[:x], d[:y], Array(d[:z])
+    x, y, z = Array(d[:x]), Array(d[:y]), Array(d[:z])
     if !ismatrix(x) || !ismatrix(y)
       x = repmat(x', length(y), 1)
       y = repmat(y, 1, length(d[:x]))
diff --git a/src/series_args.jl b/src/series_args.jl
index 9c923893..296c88d3 100644
--- a/src/series_args.jl
+++ b/src/series_args.jl
@@ -310,7 +310,8 @@ end
 # surfaces-like... general x, y grid
 function process_inputs{T<:Number}(plt::AbstractPlot, d::KW, x::AMat{T}, y::AMat{T}, zmat::AMat{T})
     @assert size(zmat) == size(x) == size(y)
-    d[:x], d[:y], d[:z] = Any[x], Any[y], Surface{Matrix{Float64}}(zmat)
+    # d[:x], d[:y], d[:z] = Any[x], Any[y], Surface{Matrix{Float64}}(zmat)
+    d[:x], d[:y], d[:z] = map(Surface{Matrix{Float64}}, (x, y, zmat))
     if !like_surface(get(d, :linetype, :none))
         d[:linetype] = :contour
     end