diff --git a/src/args.jl b/src/args.jl
index a2b70326..cebc5344 100644
--- a/src/args.jl
+++ b/src/args.jl
@@ -466,12 +466,17 @@ const _magic_axis_args = [:axis, :tickfont, :guidefont]
 const _magic_subplot_args = [:titlefont, :legendfont, :legendtitlefont, ]
 const _magic_series_args = [:line, :marker, :fill]
 
-function is_default_attribute(k::Symbol)
+function is_noletter_attribute(k)
+    is_axis_attr_noletter(k) && return true
+    k in _magic_axis_args && return true
+    return false
+end
+
+function is_default_attribute(k)
     k in _internal_args && return true
     k in _all_args && return true
     is_axis_attr(k) && return true
-    is_axis_attr_noletter(k) && return true
-    k in _magic_axis_args && return true
+    is_noletter_attribute(k) && return true
     k in _magic_subplot_args && return true
     k in _magic_series_args && return true
     Symbol(chop(string(k); head = 1, tail = 0)) in _magic_axis_args && return true
diff --git a/src/series.jl b/src/series.jl
index 5df68409..43cedc8b 100644
--- a/src/series.jl
+++ b/src/series.jl
@@ -231,7 +231,7 @@ _apply_type_recipe(plotattributes, v::AbstractArray{<:DataPoint}, letter) = v
 # axis args before type recipes should still be mapped to all axes
 function _preprocess_axis_args!(plotattributes)
     for (k, v) in plotattributes
-        if haskey(_axis_defaults, k)
+        if is_noletter_attribute(k)
             pop!(plotattributes, k)
             for l in (:x, :y, :z)
                 lk = Symbol(l, k)
@@ -250,7 +250,7 @@ function _postprocess_axis_args!(plotattributes, letter)
     pop!(plotattributes, :letter)
     if letter in (:x, :y, :z)
         for (k, v) in plotattributes
-            if haskey(_axis_defaults, k)
+            if is_noletter_attribute(k)
                 pop!(plotattributes, k)
                 lk = Symbol(letter, k)
                 haskey(plotattributes, lk) || (plotattributes[lk] = v)