diff --git a/plotly/grid_objs/grid_objs.py b/plotly/grid_objs/grid_objs.py
index 128d3bf90a1..d373d39d2e2 100644
--- a/plotly/grid_objs/grid_objs.py
+++ b/plotly/grid_objs/grid_objs.py
@@ -9,7 +9,9 @@
 
 from requests.compat import json as _json
 
-from plotly import exceptions, utils
+from plotly import exceptions, optional_imports, utils
+
+pd = optional_imports.get_module('pandas')
 
 __all__ = None
 
@@ -148,7 +150,20 @@ def __init__(self, columns_or_json, fid=None):
         ```
         """
         # TODO: verify that columns are actually columns
-        if isinstance(columns_or_json, dict):
+        if pd and isinstance(columns_or_json, pd.DataFrame):
+            duplicate_name = utils.get_first_duplicate(columns_or_json.columns)
+            if duplicate_name:
+                err = exceptions.NON_UNIQUE_COLUMN_MESSAGE.format(duplicate_name)
+                raise exceptions.InputError(err)
+
+            # create columns from dataframe
+            all_columns = []
+            for name in columns_or_json.columns:
+                all_columns.append(Column(columns_or_json[name].tolist(), name))
+            self._columns = all_columns
+            self.id = ''
+
+        elif isinstance(columns_or_json, dict):
             # check that fid is entered
             if fid is None:
                 raise exceptions.PlotlyError(
diff --git a/plotly/tests/test_optional/test_grid/__init__.py b/plotly/tests/test_optional/test_grid/__init__.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..e69de29bb2d
diff --git a/plotly/tests/test_optional/test_grid/test_grid.py b/plotly/tests/test_optional/test_grid/test_grid.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..dcac3211a05
--- /dev/null
+++ b/plotly/tests/test_optional/test_grid/test_grid.py
@@ -0,0 +1,32 @@
+"""
+test_grid:
+==========
+
+A module intended for use with Nose.
+
+"""
+from __future__ import absolute_import
+
+from unittest import TestCase
+
+from plotly.exceptions import InputError
+from plotly.grid_objs import Grid
+
+import pandas as pd
+
+
+class TestDataframeToGrid(TestCase):
+
+    # Test duplicate columns
+    def test_duplicate_columns(self):
+        df = pd.DataFrame([[1, 'a'], [2, 'b']],
+                          columns=['col_1', 'col_1'])
+
+        expected_message = (
+            "Yikes, plotly grids currently "
+            "can't have duplicate column names. Rename "
+            "the column \"{}\" and try again.".format('col_1')
+        )
+
+        with self.assertRaisesRegexp(InputError, expected_message):
+            Grid(df)