diff --git a/src/args.jl b/src/args.jl
index dca2fd0f..8a3e92b1 100644
--- a/src/args.jl
+++ b/src/args.jl
@@ -466,7 +466,7 @@ autopick_ignore_none_auto(notarr, idx::Integer) = notarr
 function aliasesAndAutopick(plotattributes::KW, sym::Symbol, aliases::Dict{Symbol,Symbol}, options::AVec, plotIndex::Int)
     if plotattributes[sym] == :auto
         plotattributes[sym] = autopick_ignore_none_auto(options, plotIndex)
-    elseif haskey(aliases, [sym])
+    elseif haskey(aliases, plotattributes[sym])
         plotattributes[sym] = aliases[plotattributes[sym]]
     end
 end
diff --git a/src/backends/glvisualize.jl b/src/backends/glvisualize.jl
index 296b79e2..72288380 100644
--- a/src/backends/glvisualize.jl
+++ b/src/backends/glvisualize.jl
@@ -1144,11 +1144,11 @@ function _display(plt::Plot{GLVisualizeBackend}, visible = true)
                  vis = gl_boxplot(plotattributes, kw_args)
              elseif st == :volume
                   volume = plotattributes[:y]
-                  _d = copy(plotattributes)
-                  _d[:y] = 0:1
-                  _d[:x] = 0:1
+                  _plotattributes = copy(plotattributes)
+                  _plotattributes[:y] = 0:1
+                  _plotattributes[:x] = 0:1
                   kw_args = KW()
-                  extract_gradient(_d, kw_args, :fill)
+                  extract_gradient(_plotattributes, kw_args, :fill)
                   vis = visualize(volume.v, Style(:default), kw_args)
              else
                 error("failed to display plot type $st")
diff --git a/src/backends/plotly.jl b/src/backends/plotly.jl
index 6036767a..3e525b5b 100644
--- a/src/backends/plotly.jl
+++ b/src/backends/plotly.jl
@@ -573,7 +573,7 @@ function plotly_series(plt::Plot, series::Series)
 
     # set the "type"
     if st in (:path, :scatter, :scattergl, :straightline, :path3d, :scatter3d)
-        return plotly_series_segments(series, plotattributes, x, y, z, clims)
+        return plotly_series_segments(series, plotattributes_out, x, y, z, clims)
 
     elseif st == :heatmap
         x = heatmap_edges(x, sp[:xaxis][:scale])
@@ -678,7 +678,7 @@ function plotly_series_shapes(plt::Plot, series::Series, clims)
             :fillcolor => rgba_string(plot_color(get_fillcolor(series, clims, i), get_fillalpha(series, i))),
         ))
         if series[:markerstrokewidth] > 0
-            plotattributes[:line] = KW(
+            plotattributes_out[:line] = KW(
                 :color => rgba_string(plot_color(get_linecolor(series, clims, i), get_linealpha(series, i))),
                 :width => get_linewidth(series, i),
                 :dash => string(get_linestyle(series, i)),
@@ -699,7 +699,7 @@ function plotly_series_shapes(plt::Plot, series::Series, clims)
     plotattributes_outs
 end
 
-function plotly_series_segments(series::Series, ploattributes_base::KW, x, y, z, clims)
+function plotly_series_segments(series::Series, plotattributes_base::KW, x, y, z, clims)
     st = series[:seriestype]
     sp = series[:subplot]
     isscatter = st in (:scatter, :scatter3d, :scattergl)
@@ -727,11 +727,11 @@ function plotly_series_segments(series::Series, ploattributes_base::KW, x, y, z,
                 hasline ? "lines" : "none"
             end
             if series[:fillrange] == true || series[:fillrange] == 0 || isa(series[:fillrange], Tuple)
-                plotattributes[:fill] = "tozeroy"
-                plotattributes[:fillcolor] = rgba_string(plot_color(get_fillcolor(series, clims, i), get_fillalpha(series, i)))
+                plotattributes_out[:fill] = "tozeroy"
+                plotattributes_out[:fillcolor] = rgba_string(plot_color(get_fillcolor(series, clims, i), get_fillalpha(series, i)))
             elseif typeof(series[:fillrange]) <: Union{AbstractVector{<:Real}, Real}
-                plotattributes[:fill] = "tonexty"
-                plotattributes[:fillcolor] = rgba_string(plot_color(get_fillcolor(series, clims, i), get_fillalpha(series, i)))
+                plotattributes_out[:fill] = "tonexty"
+                plotattributes_out[:fillcolor] = rgba_string(plot_color(get_fillcolor(series, clims, i), get_fillalpha(series, i)))
             elseif !(series[:fillrange] in (false, nothing))
                 @warn("fillrange ignored... plotly only supports filling to zero and to a vector of values. fillrange: $(series[:fillrange])")
             end
@@ -763,7 +763,7 @@ function plotly_series_segments(series::Series, ploattributes_base::KW, x, y, z,
 
         # add "line"
         if hasline
-            plotattributes[:line] = KW(
+            plotattributes_out[:line] = KW(
                 :color => rgba_string(plot_color(get_linecolor(series, clims, i), get_linealpha(series, i))),
                 :width => get_linewidth(series, i),
                 :shape => if st == :steppre
diff --git a/src/recipes.jl b/src/recipes.jl
index 972328ea..6ac0d11d 100644
--- a/src/recipes.jl
+++ b/src/recipes.jl
@@ -1024,10 +1024,6 @@ end
     @assert length(g.args) == 1 && typeof(g.args[1]) <: AbstractMatrix
     seriestype := :spy
     mat = g.args[1]
-    if length(unique(mat[mat .!= 0])) < 2
-        legend --> nothing
-        seriescolor --> cgrad([invisible(), fg_color(plotattributes)])
-    end
     n,m = size(mat)
     Plots.SliceIt, 1:m, 1:n, Surface(mat)
 end
@@ -1035,21 +1031,23 @@ end
 @recipe function f(::Type{Val{:spy}}, x,y,z)
     yflip := true
     aspect_ratio := 1
-
     rs, cs, zs = findnz(z.surf)
-    newz = fill(NaN, size(z)...)
-
-    for i in eachindex(zs)
-        newz[rs[i],cs[i]] = zs[i]
+    xlim := ignorenan_extrema(cs)
+    ylim := ignorenan_extrema(rs)
+    if plotattributes[:markershape] == :none
+        markershape := :circle
     end
-
-    seriestype := :heatmap
+    if plotattributes[:markersize] == default(:markersize)
+        markersize := 1
+    end
+    markerstrokewidth := 0
+    marker_z := zs
+    label := ""
+    x := cs
+    y := rs
+    z := nothing
+    seriestype := :scatter
     grid --> false
-    framestyle --> :box
-
-    x := x
-    y := y
-    z := Surface(newz)
     ()
 end