diff --git a/src/plot_api/plot_api.js b/src/plot_api/plot_api.js
index 76d051c5a23..61e26cd5ff0 100644
--- a/src/plot_api/plot_api.js
+++ b/src/plot_api/plot_api.js
@@ -1580,6 +1580,12 @@ function _restyle(gd, aobj, _traces) {
                 var moduleAttrs = (contFull._module || {}).attributes || {};
                 var valObject = Lib.nestedProperty(moduleAttrs, ai).get() || {};
 
+                // if restyling entire attribute container, assume worse case
+                if(!valObject.valType) {
+                    flags.docalc = true;
+                }
+
+                // must redo calcdata when restyling array values of arrayOk attributes
                 if(valObject.arrayOk && (Array.isArray(newVal) || Array.isArray(oldVal))) {
                     flags.docalc = true;
                 }
diff --git a/test/jasmine/tests/plot_api_test.js b/test/jasmine/tests/plot_api_test.js
index d768f3b99b4..eee008c4a4f 100644
--- a/test/jasmine/tests/plot_api_test.js
+++ b/test/jasmine/tests/plot_api_test.js
@@ -330,6 +330,25 @@ describe('Test plot api', function() {
             expect(PlotlyInternal.plot).toHaveBeenCalled();
         });
 
+        it('should do full replot when attribute container are updated', function() {
+            var gd = {
+                data: [{x: [1, 2, 3], y: [1, 2, 3]}],
+                layout: {
+                    xaxis: { range: [0, 4] },
+                    yaxis: { range: [0, 4] }
+                }
+            };
+
+            mockDefaultsAndCalc(gd);
+            Plotly.restyle(gd, {
+                marker: {
+                    color: ['red', 'blue', 'green']
+                }
+            });
+            expect(gd.calcdata).toBeUndefined();
+            expect(PlotlyInternal.plot).toHaveBeenCalled();
+        });
+
         it('calls plot on xgap and ygap styling', function() {
             var gd = {
                 data: [{z: [[1, 2, 3], [4, 5, 6], [7, 8, 9]], showscale: false, type: 'heatmap'}],