diff --git a/R/ggplotly.R b/R/ggplotly.R
index eaded05881..0e467732cf 100644
--- a/R/ggplotly.R
+++ b/R/ggplotly.R
@@ -335,6 +335,9 @@ gg2list <- function(p, width = NULL, height = NULL, tooltip = "all", source = "A
       }
       # type of unit conversion
       type <- if (xy == "x") "height" else "width"
+      # get axis title
+      axisTitleText <- sc$name %||% p$labels[[xy]] %||% ""
+      if (is_blank(axisTitle)) axisTitleText <- ""
       # https://plot.ly/r/reference/#layout-xaxis
       axisObj <- list(
         type = "linear",
@@ -360,7 +363,10 @@ gg2list <- function(p, width = NULL, height = NULL, tooltip = "all", source = "A
         gridcolor = toRGB(panelGrid$colour),
         gridwidth = unitConvert(panelGrid, "pixels", type),
         zeroline = FALSE,
-        anchor = anchor
+        anchor = anchor,
+        #  if not facets then use Plotly axis titling mechanism
+        #   see https://github.com/ropensci/plotly/issues/510
+        title = axisTitleText
       )
       # convert dates to milliseconds (86400000 = 24 * 60 * 60 * 1000)
       # this way both dates/datetimes are on same scale
@@ -380,18 +386,6 @@ gg2list <- function(p, width = NULL, height = NULL, tooltip = "all", source = "A
 
       # do some stuff that should be done once for the entire plot
       if (i == 1) {
-        # add space for exterior facet strips in `layout.margin`
-        if (has_facet(p)) {
-          stripSize <- unitConvert(stripText, "pixels", type)
-          if (xy == "x") {
-            gglayout$margin$t <- gglayout$margin$t + stripSize
-          }
-          if (xy == "y" && inherits(p$facet, "grid")) {
-            gglayout$margin$r <- gglayout$margin$r + stripSize
-          }
-        }
-        axisTitleText <- sc$name %||% p$labels[[xy]] %||% ""
-        if (is_blank(axisTitle)) axisTitleText <- ""
         axisTickText <- axisObj$ticktext[which.max(nchar(axisObj$ticktext))]
         side <- if (xy == "x") "b" else "l"
         # account for axis ticks, ticks text, and titles in plot margins
@@ -399,8 +393,7 @@ gg2list <- function(p, width = NULL, height = NULL, tooltip = "all", source = "A
         gglayout$margin[[side]] <- gglayout$margin[[side]] + axisObj$ticklen +
           bbox(axisTickText, axisObj$tickangle, axisObj$tickfont$size)[[type]] +
           bbox(axisTitleText, axisTitle$angle, unitConvert(axisTitle, "pixels", type))[[type]]
-        # draw axis titles as annotations
-        # (plotly.js axis titles aren't smart enough to dodge ticks & text)
+        
         if (nchar(axisTitleText) > 0) {
           axisTextSize <- unitConvert(axisText, "npc", type)
           axisTitleSize <- unitConvert(axisTitle, "npc", type)
@@ -409,21 +402,42 @@ gg2list <- function(p, width = NULL, height = NULL, tooltip = "all", source = "A
                bbox(axisTickText, axisText$angle, axisTextSize)[[type]] -
                bbox(axisTitleText, axisTitle$angle, axisTitleSize)[[type]] / 2 -
                unitConvert(theme$axis.ticks.length, "npc", type))
-          # npc is on a 0-1 scale of the _entire_ device,
-          # but these units _should_ be wrt to the plotting region
-          # multiplying the offset by 2 seems to work, but this is a terrible hack
-          offset <- 1.75 * offset
-          x <- if (xy == "x") 0.5 else offset
-          y <- if (xy == "x") offset else 0.5
-          gglayout$annotations <- c(
-            gglayout$annotations,
-            make_label(
-              faced(axisTitleText, axisTitle$face), x, y, el = axisTitle,
-              xanchor = "center", yanchor = "middle"
+        }
+        
+        # add space for exterior facet strips in `layout.margin`
+        if (has_facet(p)) {
+          stripSize <- unitConvert(stripText, "pixels", type)
+          if (xy == "x") {
+            gglayout$margin$t <- gglayout$margin$t + stripSize
+          }
+          if (xy == "y" && inherits(p$facet, "grid")) {
+            gglayout$margin$r <- gglayout$margin$r + stripSize
+          }
+          # draw axis titles as annotations
+          # (plotly.js axis titles aren't smart enough to dodge ticks & text)
+          if (nchar(axisTitleText) > 0) {
+            # npc is on a 0-1 scale of the _entire_ device,
+            # but these units _should_ be wrt to the plotting region
+            # multiplying the offset by 2 seems to work, but this is a terrible hack
+            offset <- 1.75 * offset
+            x <- if (xy == "x") 0.5 else offset
+            y <- if (xy == "x") offset else 0.5
+            gglayout$annotations <- c(
+              gglayout$annotations,
+              make_label(
+                faced(axisTitleText, axisTitle$face), x, y, el = axisTitle,
+                xanchor = "center", yanchor = "middle"
+              )
             )
-          )
+          }
         }
       }
+      
+      if (has_facet(p)) {
+        # turn off plotly axis titles
+        #  since we need special treatment for facets
+        gglayout[[axisName]]$title <- ""
+      }
 
     } # end of axis loop