diff --git a/glue_jupyter/__init__.py b/glue_jupyter/__init__.py
index cf8acb99..699e1317 100755
--- a/glue_jupyter/__init__.py
+++ b/glue_jupyter/__init__.py
@@ -75,7 +75,7 @@ def jglue(*args, settings=None, show=False, links=None, **kwargs):
     return japp
 
 
-def example_data_xyz(seed=42, N=500, loc=0, scale=1, label='xyz'):
+def example_data_xyz(seed=42, N=500, loc=0, scale=1, label='xyz', log=False):
     """
     Create an example dataset with three attributes x, y, and z set to random
     values.
@@ -87,6 +87,13 @@ def example_data_xyz(seed=42, N=500, loc=0, scale=1, label='xyz'):
     vx = x - x.mean()
     vy = y - y.mean()
     vz = z - z.mean()
+    if log:
+        x = 10**x
+        y = 10**y
+        z = 10**z
+        vx = 10**vx
+        vy = 10**vy
+        vz = 10**vz
     speed = np.sqrt(vx**2 + vy**2 + vz**2)
     data_xyz = Data(x=x, y=y, z=z, vx=vx, vy=vy, vz=vz, speed=speed, label=label)
     return data_xyz
diff --git a/glue_jupyter/bqplot/common/viewer.py b/glue_jupyter/bqplot/common/viewer.py
index 92bbed58..6a9bd8be 100644
--- a/glue_jupyter/bqplot/common/viewer.py
+++ b/glue_jupyter/bqplot/common/viewer.py
@@ -24,10 +24,57 @@ class BqplotBaseView(IPyWidgetView):
     _default_mouse_mode_cls = ROIClickAndDrag
 
     def __init__(self, session, state=None):
+        super(BqplotBaseView, self).__init__(session, state=state)
+
 
+    def initialize_figure(self):
         # if we allow padding, we sometimes get odd behaviour with the interacts
         self.scale_x = bqplot.LinearScale(min=0, max=1, allow_padding=False)
-        self.scale_y = bqplot.LinearScale(min=0, max=1)
+
+        # lazily create widgets
+        self.scale_y_log = None
+        self.scale_y_linear = None
+        self.scale_x_log = None
+        self.scale_x_linear = None
+
+        if self.state.y_log:
+            self.scale_y_log = bqplot.LogScale()
+            self.scale_y = self.scale_y_log
+        else:
+            self.scale_y_linear = bqplot.LinearScale(min=0, max=1)
+            self.scale_y = self.scale_y_linear
+
+        if self.state.x_log:
+            self.scale_x_log = bqplot.LogScale()
+            self.scale_x = self.scale_x_log
+        else:
+            self.scale_x_linear = bqplot.LinearScale(min=0, max=1)
+            self.scale_x = self.scale_x_linear
+
+        def update_scale_type_y(_ignore):
+            if self.state.y_log:
+                if self.scale_y_log is None:
+                    self.scale_y_log = bqplot.LogScale()
+                scale = self.scale_y_log
+            else:
+                if self.scale_y_linear is None:
+                    self.scale_y_linear = bqplot.LinearScale()
+                scale = self.scale_y_linear
+            self.scale_y = scale
+        self.state.add_callback('y_log', update_scale_type_y, priority=-1)
+
+        def update_scale_type_x(_ignore):
+            if self.state.x_log:
+                if self.scale_x_log is None:
+                    self.scale_x_log = bqplot.LogScale()
+                scale = self.scale_x_log
+            else:
+                if self.scale_x_linear is None:
+                    self.scale_x_linear = bqplot.LinearScale()
+                scale = self.scale_x_linear
+            self.scale_y = scale
+        self.state.add_callback('x_log', update_scale_type_x, priority=-1)
+
 
         self.scales = {'x': self.scale_x, 'y': self.scale_y}
         self.axis_x = bqplot.Axis(
@@ -58,7 +105,7 @@ def __init__(self, session, state=None):
         self.figure.interaction = self._mouse_interact
         self._events_for_callback = {}
 
-        super(BqplotBaseView, self).__init__(session, state=state)
+    def create_layout(self):
 
         # Remove the following two lines once glue v0.16 is required - see
         # https://github.com/glue-viz/glue/pull/2099/files for more information.
@@ -99,7 +146,7 @@ def update_axes(*ignore):
 
         on_change([(self.state, 'show_axes')])(self._sync_show_axes)
 
-        self.create_layout()
+        super().create_layout()
 
     def _update_bqplot_limits(self, *args):
 
diff --git a/glue_jupyter/bqplot/tests/test_bqplot.py b/glue_jupyter/bqplot/tests/test_bqplot.py
index e9f8435f..87a05880 100644
--- a/glue_jupyter/bqplot/tests/test_bqplot.py
+++ b/glue_jupyter/bqplot/tests/test_bqplot.py
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@
 from nbconvert.preprocessors import ExecutePreprocessor
 from glue.core import Data
 from glue.core.roi import EllipticalROI
+import bqplot
 
 DATA = os.path.join(os.path.dirname(__file__), 'data')
 
@@ -41,6 +42,17 @@ def test_histogram1d(app, dataxyz):
     # assert s.layers[2].hist.tolist() == [0, 1, 0, 0, 0, 0]
 
 
+def test_histogram1d_log(app, dataxyz):
+    s = app.histogram1d(x='y', data=dataxyz)
+    assert s.state.y_log is False
+    prev_scale = s.scale_y
+    assert isinstance(s.scale_y, bqplot.LinearScale)
+    s.state.y_log = True
+    assert isinstance(s.scale_y, bqplot.LogScale)
+    s.state.y_log = False
+    assert s.scale_y is prev_scale
+
+
 def test_histogram1d_multiple_subsets(app, data_unlinked, datax):
     # Make sure that things work fine if an incompatible subset is added
     viewer = app.histogram1d(x='x', data=datax)
diff --git a/glue_jupyter/view.py b/glue_jupyter/view.py
index f4c0ea89..0541369b 100644
--- a/glue_jupyter/view.py
+++ b/glue_jupyter/view.py
@@ -34,9 +34,11 @@ class IPyWidgetView(Viewer):
 
     def __init__(self, *args, **kwargs):
         super().__init__(*args, **kwargs)
+        self.initialize_figure()
         self._output_widget = Output()
         self.initialize_layer_options()
         self.initialize_toolbar()
+        self.create_layout()
 
     @property
     def toolbar_selection_tools(self):