diff --git a/glue_jupyter/__init__.py b/glue_jupyter/__init__.py
index 25f19039..cdaf6acc 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 410555e5..e519b20a 100644
--- a/glue_jupyter/bqplot/common/viewer.py
+++ b/glue_jupyter/bqplot/common/viewer.py
@@ -25,10 +25,68 @@ class BqplotBaseView(IPyWidgetView):
     _default_mouse_mode_cls = ROIClickAndDrag
 
     def __init__(self, session, state=None):
+        super(BqplotBaseView, self).__init__(session, state=state)
+        self.create_layout()
+
+    def initialize_layer_options(self):
+        self.initialize_main()
+        super().initialize_layer_options()
 
+    def initialize_main(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 = bqplot.LogScale()
+        else:
+            self.scale_y = bqplot.LinearScale(min=0, max=1)
+
+        if self.state.x_log:
+            self.scale_x = bqplot.LogScale()
+        else:
+            self.scale_x = bqplot.LinearScale(min=0, max=1)
+
+        def update_scale_type_y(_ignore):
+            prev = self.scale_y
+            if self.state.y_log:
+                self.scale_y = bqplot.LogScale()
+            else:
+                self.scale_y = bqplot.LinearScale()
+            self._mouse_interact.y_scale = self.scale_y
+            prev.close()
+            prev.unobserve(self.update_glue_scales, names=['min', 'max'])
+            self.scale_x.observe(self.update_glue_scales, names=['min', 'max'])
+            update_scales()
+        self.state.add_callback('y_log', update_scale_type_y, priority=-1)
+
+        def update_scale_type_x(_ignore):
+            prev = self.scale_x
+            if self.state.x_log:
+                self.scale_x = bqplot.LogScale()
+            else:
+                self.scale_x_linear = bqplot.LinearScale()
+                scale = self.scale_x_linear
+            self.scale_y = scale
+            prev.unobserve(self.update_glue_scales, names=['min', 'max'])
+            self.scale_x.observe(self.update_glue_scales, names=['min', 'max'])
+            update_scales()
+        self.state.add_callback('x_log', update_scale_type_x, priority=-1)
+
+        def update_scales():
+            self.scales = {'x': self.scale_x, 'y': self.scale_y}
+            self.axis_x.scale = self.scale_x
+            self.axis_y.scale = self.scale_y
+            self.figure.axes = [self.axis_x, self.axis_y]
+            self.figure.scale_x = self.scale_x
+            self.figure.scale_y = self.scale_y
+            self._mouse_interact.x_scale = self.scale_x
+            self._mouse_interact.y_scale = self.scale_y
 
         self.scales = {'x': self.scale_x, 'y': self.scale_y}
         self.axis_x = bqplot.Axis(
@@ -59,7 +117,7 @@ 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.
@@ -87,7 +145,7 @@ def __init__(self, session, state=None):
 
         on_change([(self.state, 'show_axes')])(self._sync_show_axes)
 
-        self.create_layout()
+        super().create_layout()
 
     def update_x_axislabel(self, *event):
         self.axis_x.label = self.state.x_axislabel
diff --git a/glue_jupyter/bqplot/tests/test_bqplot.py b/glue_jupyter/bqplot/tests/test_bqplot.py
index d282df53..da3f3b9a 100644
--- a/glue_jupyter/bqplot/tests/test_bqplot.py
+++ b/glue_jupyter/bqplot/tests/test_bqplot.py
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@
 from glue.core import Data
 from glue.core.roi import CircularAnnulusROI, EllipticalROI
 from ..common.tools import TrueCircularROI
+import bqplot
 
 DATA = os.path.join(os.path.dirname(__file__), 'data')
 
@@ -43,6 +44,16 @@ 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
+    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 isinstance(s.scale_y, bqplot.LinearScale)
+
+
 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)