diff --git a/src/kibana/components/vislib/lib/data.js b/src/kibana/components/vislib/lib/data.js
index e08d544b71c356..79e65013df6097 100644
--- a/src/kibana/components/vislib/lib/data.js
+++ b/src/kibana/components/vislib/lib/data.js
@@ -218,15 +218,10 @@ define(function (require) {
       var grouped = (this._attr.mode === 'grouped');
 
       if (this._attr.mode === 'percentage' || this._attr.mode === 'wiggle' ||
-        this._attr.mode === 'silhouette' || this._attr.defaultYMin) {
+        this._attr.mode === 'silhouette') {
         return 0;
       }
 
-      // User defined y axis min value
-      if (this._attr.userDefinedYMin) {
-        return this.validateUserDefinedYMin(this._attr.userDefinedYMin);
-      }
-
       // When there is only one data point,
       // the yMin should default to zero.
       if (this.flatten()[0][0].length === 1 && this.flatten()[0][0][0].y > 0) {
@@ -264,11 +259,6 @@ define(function (require) {
         return 1;
       }
 
-      // User defined y axis min value
-      if (this._attr.userDefinedYMin) {
-        return this.validateUserDefinedYMin(this._attr.userDefinedYMin);
-      }
-
       // if there is only one data point and its less than zero,
       // return 0 as the yMax value.
       if (this.flatten()[0][0].length === 1 && this.flatten()[0][0][0].y < 0) {
diff --git a/src/kibana/components/vislib/lib/y_axis.js b/src/kibana/components/vislib/lib/y_axis.js
index 9f8053d0316c3f..556877c9c26471 100644
--- a/src/kibana/components/vislib/lib/y_axis.js
+++ b/src/kibana/components/vislib/lib/y_axis.js
@@ -56,6 +56,18 @@ define(function (require) {
         }
       }
 
+      if (!this._attr.defaultYExtents) {
+        // if yMin and yMax are both positive, then yMin should be zero
+        if (this.yMin > 0 && this.yMax > 0) {
+          this.yMin = 0;
+        }
+
+        // if yMin and yMax are both negative, then yMax should be zero
+        if (this.yMin < 0 && this.yMax < 0) {
+          this.yMax = 0;
+        }
+      }
+
       // save reference to y scale
       this.yScale = d3.scale.linear()
       .domain([this.yMin, this.yMax])
diff --git a/src/kibana/components/vislib/vis.js b/src/kibana/components/vislib/vis.js
index 05aa71a1b404d2..9435d414c5c7ac 100644
--- a/src/kibana/components/vislib/vis.js
+++ b/src/kibana/components/vislib/vis.js
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ define(function (require) {
       this.el = $el.get ? $el.get(0) : $el;
       this.ChartClass = chartTypes[config.type];
       this._attr = _.defaults({}, config || {}, {
-        defaultYMin: true
+        defaultYExtents: true
       });
       this.eventTypes = {
         enabled: []
diff --git a/src/kibana/components/vislib/visualizations/area_chart.js b/src/kibana/components/vislib/visualizations/area_chart.js
index 07780b7063fd3c..055df1802b4903 100644
--- a/src/kibana/components/vislib/visualizations/area_chart.js
+++ b/src/kibana/components/vislib/visualizations/area_chart.js
@@ -83,7 +83,6 @@ define(function (require) {
       var color = this.handler.data.getColorFunc();
       var xScale = this.handler.xAxis.xScale;
       var yScale = this.handler.yAxis.yScale;
-      var height = yScale.range()[0];
       var defaultOpacity = this._attr.defaultOpacity;
 
       var area = d3.svg.area()
@@ -95,10 +94,7 @@ define(function (require) {
       })
       .y0(function (d) {
         if (isOverlapping) {
-          if (!self._attr.defaultYMin) {
-            return yScale(0);
-          }
-          return height;
+          return yScale(0);
         }
 
         return yScale(d.y0);
diff --git a/src/kibana/components/vislib/visualizations/column_chart.js b/src/kibana/components/vislib/visualizations/column_chart.js
index 6dc13b587106ef..18d408f00ab03d 100644
--- a/src/kibana/components/vislib/visualizations/column_chart.js
+++ b/src/kibana/components/vislib/visualizations/column_chart.js
@@ -158,14 +158,14 @@ define(function (require) {
         return xScale.rangeBand();
       })
       .attr('y', function (d) {
-        if (d.y < 0 && !self._attr.defaultYMin) {
+        if (d.y < 0) {
           return yScale(d.y0);
         }
 
         return yScale(d.y0 + d.y);
       })
       .attr('height', function (d) {
-        if (d.y < 0 && !self._attr.defaultYMin) {
+        if (d.y < 0) {
           return Math.abs(yScale(d.y0 + d.y) - yScale(d.y0));
         }
 
@@ -198,7 +198,6 @@ define(function (require) {
       var groupSpacingPercentage = 0.15;
       var isTimeScale = (data.ordered && data.ordered.date);
       var minWidth = 1;
-      var self = this;
       var barWidth;
 
       // update
@@ -226,14 +225,14 @@ define(function (require) {
         return xScale.rangeBand() / n;
       })
       .attr('y', function (d) {
-        if (d.y < 0 && !self._attr.defaultYMin) {
+        if (d.y < 0) {
           return yScale(0);
         }
 
         return yScale(d.y);
       })
       .attr('height', function (d) {
-        if (d.y < 0 && !self._attr.defaultYMin) {
+        if (d.y < 0) {
           return Math.abs(yScale(0) - yScale(d.y));
         }