diff --git a/R/guide-bins.R b/R/guide-bins.R
index 2395595ce0..09a7e835ba 100644
--- a/R/guide-bins.R
+++ b/R/guide-bins.R
@@ -194,7 +194,7 @@ guide_merge.bins <- function(guide, new_guide) {
 guide_geom.bins <- function(guide, layers, default_mapping) {
   # arrange common data for vertical and horizontal guide
   guide$geoms <- lapply(layers, function(layer) {
-    matched <- matched_aes(layer, guide, default_mapping)
+    matched <- matched_aes(layer, guide)
 
     # check if this layer should be included
     include <- include_layer_in_guide(layer, matched)
@@ -208,7 +208,7 @@ guide_geom.bins <- function(guide, layers, default_mapping) {
       n <- vapply(layer$aes_params, length, integer(1))
       params <- layer$aes_params[n == 1]
 
-      aesthetics <- layer$mapping
+      aesthetics <- layer$computed_mapping
       modifiers <- aesthetics[is_scaled_aes(aesthetics) | is_staged_aes(aesthetics)]
 
       data <- tryCatch(
diff --git a/R/guide-colorbar.r b/R/guide-colorbar.r
index fd352fd789..5c933fa5f0 100644
--- a/R/guide-colorbar.r
+++ b/R/guide-colorbar.r
@@ -248,7 +248,7 @@ guide_merge.colorbar <- function(guide, new_guide) {
 guide_geom.colorbar <- function(guide, layers, default_mapping) {
   # Layers that use this guide
   guide_layers <- lapply(layers, function(layer) {
-    matched <- matched_aes(layer, guide, default_mapping)
+    matched <- matched_aes(layer, guide)
 
     if (length(matched) == 0) {
       # This layer does not use this guide
diff --git a/R/guide-legend.r b/R/guide-legend.r
index 6aa593342c..4393a69345 100644
--- a/R/guide-legend.r
+++ b/R/guide-legend.r
@@ -247,7 +247,7 @@ guide_merge.legend <- function(guide, new_guide) {
 guide_geom.legend <- function(guide, layers, default_mapping) {
   # arrange common data for vertical and horizontal guide
   guide$geoms <- lapply(layers, function(layer) {
-    matched <- matched_aes(layer, guide, default_mapping)
+    matched <- matched_aes(layer, guide)
 
     # check if this layer should be included
     include <- include_layer_in_guide(layer, matched)
@@ -261,7 +261,7 @@ guide_geom.legend <- function(guide, layers, default_mapping) {
       n <- vapply(layer$aes_params, length, integer(1))
       params <- layer$aes_params[n == 1]
 
-      aesthetics <- layer$mapping
+      aesthetics <- layer$computed_mapping
       modifiers <- aesthetics[is_scaled_aes(aesthetics) | is_staged_aes(aesthetics)]
 
       data <- tryCatch(
diff --git a/R/guides-.r b/R/guides-.r
index 8ab257857e..2bc6cc611d 100644
--- a/R/guides-.r
+++ b/R/guides-.r
@@ -244,6 +244,7 @@ guides_merge <- function(gdefs) {
 }
 
 # process layer information
+# TODO: `default_mapping` is unused internally but kept for backwards compitability until guide rewrite
 guides_geom <- function(gdefs, layers, default_mapping) {
   compact(lapply(gdefs, guide_geom, layers, default_mapping))
 }
@@ -372,8 +373,8 @@ guide_gengrob <- function(guide, theme) UseMethod("guide_gengrob")
 
 # Helpers -----------------------------------------------------------------
 
-matched_aes <- function(layer, guide, defaults) {
-  all <- names(c(layer$mapping, if (layer$inherit.aes) defaults, layer$stat$default_aes))
+matched_aes <- function(layer, guide) {
+  all <- names(c(layer$computed_mapping, layer$stat$default_aes))
   geom <- c(layer$geom$required_aes, names(layer$geom$default_aes))
   matched <- intersect(intersect(all, geom), names(guide$key))
   matched <- setdiff(matched, names(layer$geom_params))
diff --git a/R/layer-sf.R b/R/layer-sf.R
index b5634ce4e3..2ad59f535b 100644
--- a/R/layer-sf.R
+++ b/R/layer-sf.R
@@ -38,11 +38,12 @@ LayerSf <- ggproto("LayerSf", Layer,
 
     # automatically determine the name of the geometry column
     # and add the mapping if it doesn't exist
-    if ((isTRUE(self$inherit.aes) && is.null(self$mapping$geometry) && is.null(plot$mapping$geometry)) ||
-        (!isTRUE(self$inherit.aes) && is.null(self$mapping$geometry))) {
+    if ((isTRUE(self$inherit.aes) && is.null(self$computed_mapping$geometry) &&
+         is.null(plot$computed_mapping$geometry)) ||
+        (!isTRUE(self$inherit.aes) && is.null(self$computed_mapping$geometry))) {
       if (is_sf(data)) {
         geometry_col <- attr(data, "sf_column")
-        self$mapping$geometry <- sym(geometry_col)
+        self$computed_mapping$geometry <- sym(geometry_col)
       }
     }
 
@@ -52,8 +53,8 @@ LayerSf <- ggproto("LayerSf", Layer,
       self$geom_params$legend <- "polygon"
 
       # now check if the type should not be polygon
-      if (!is.null(self$mapping$geometry) && quo_is_symbol(self$mapping$geometry)) {
-        geometry_column <- as_name(self$mapping$geometry)
+      if (!is.null(self$computed_mapping$geometry) && quo_is_symbol(self$computed_mapping$geometry)) {
+        geometry_column <- as_name(self$computed_mapping$geometry)
         if (inherits(data[[geometry_column]], "sfc")) {
           sf_type <- detect_sf_type(data[[geometry_column]])
           if (sf_type == "point") {
diff --git a/R/layer.r b/R/layer.r
index facd74a1d3..197d32549d 100644
--- a/R/layer.r
+++ b/R/layer.r
@@ -174,6 +174,7 @@ Layer <- ggproto("Layer", NULL,
   # calculated before use
   computed_geom_params = NULL,
   computed_stat_params = NULL,
+  computed_mapping = NULL,
 
   data = NULL,
   aes_params = NULL,
@@ -211,16 +212,18 @@ Layer <- ggproto("Layer", NULL,
   setup_layer = function(self, data, plot) {
     # For annotation geoms, it is useful to be able to ignore the default aes
     if (isTRUE(self$inherit.aes)) {
-      self$mapping <- defaults(self$mapping, plot$mapping)
+      self$computed_mapping <- defaults(self$mapping, plot$mapping)
       # defaults() strips class, but it needs to be preserved for now
-      class(self$mapping) <- "uneval"
+      class(self$computed_mapping) <- "uneval"
+    } else {
+      self$computed_mapping <- self$mapping
     }
 
     data
   },
 
   compute_aesthetics = function(self, data, plot) {
-    aesthetics <- self$mapping
+    aesthetics <- self$computed_mapping
 
     # Drop aesthetics that are set or calculated
     set <- names(aesthetics) %in% names(self$aes_params)
@@ -296,7 +299,7 @@ Layer <- ggproto("Layer", NULL,
     data <- rename_aes(data)
 
     # Assemble aesthetics from layer, plot and stat mappings
-    aesthetics <- self$mapping
+    aesthetics <- self$computed_mapping
     aesthetics <- defaults(aesthetics, self$stat$default_aes)
     aesthetics <- compact(aesthetics)
 
@@ -362,7 +365,7 @@ Layer <- ggproto("Layer", NULL,
     # Combine aesthetics, defaults, & params
     if (empty(data)) return(data)
 
-    aesthetics <- self$mapping
+    aesthetics <- self$computed_mapping
     modifiers <- aesthetics[is_scaled_aes(aesthetics) | is_staged_aes(aesthetics)]
 
     self$geom$use_defaults(data, self$aes_params, modifiers)
diff --git a/tests/testthat/test-layer.r b/tests/testthat/test-layer.r
index 50b95c72e2..e5b70eff29 100644
--- a/tests/testthat/test-layer.r
+++ b/tests/testthat/test-layer.r
@@ -68,11 +68,22 @@ test_that("layers are stateless except for the computed params", {
   p <- ggplot(df) +
     geom_col(aes(x = x, y = y), width = 0.8, fill = "red")
   col_layer <- as.list(p$layers[[1]])
-  stateless_names <- setdiff(names(col_layer), c("computed_geom_params", "computed_stat_params"))
+  stateless_names <- setdiff(names(col_layer), c("computed_geom_params", "computed_stat_params", "computed_mapping"))
   invisible(ggplotGrob(p))
   expect_identical(as.list(p$layers[[1]])[stateless_names], col_layer[stateless_names])
 })
 
+test_that("inherit.aes works", {
+  df <- data.frame(x = 1:10, y = 1:10)
+  p1 <- ggplot(df, aes(y = y)) +
+    geom_col(aes(x = x), inherit.aes = TRUE)
+  p2 <- ggplot(df, aes(colour = y)) +
+    geom_col(aes(x = x, y = y), inherit.aes = FALSE)
+  invisible(ggplotGrob(p1))
+  invisible(ggplotGrob(p2))
+  expect_identical(p1$layers[[1]]$computed_mapping, p2$layers[[1]]$computed_mapping)
+})
+
 # Data extraction ---------------------------------------------------------
 
 test_that("layer_data returns a data.frame", {