diff --git a/src/plot.jl b/src/plot.jl
index 5f8f69d9..2b7ab389 100644
--- a/src/plot.jl
+++ b/src/plot.jl
@@ -102,8 +102,13 @@ function plot(plt1::Plot, plts_tail::Plot...; kw...)
         end
     end
 
-    # create the layout and initialize the subplots
+    # create the layout
     plt.layout, plt.subplots, plt.spmap = build_layout(layout, num_sp, copy(plts))
+
+    # do we need to link any axes together?
+    link_axes!(plt.layout, plt[:link])
+
+    # initialize the subplots
     cmdidx = 1
     for (idx, sp) in enumerate(plt.subplots)
         _initialize_subplot(plt, sp)
@@ -127,9 +132,6 @@ function plot(plt1::Plot, plts_tail::Plot...; kw...)
         _update_subplot_args(plt, sp, d, idx, false)
     end
 
-    # do we need to link any axes together?
-    link_axes!(plt.layout, plt[:link])
-
     # finish up
     current(plt)
     _do_plot_show(plt, get(d, :show, default(:show)))