diff --git a/src/components/images/draw.js b/src/components/images/draw.js
index cd6dfeb698b..c0d82c9494d 100644
--- a/src/components/images/draw.js
+++ b/src/components/images/draw.js
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ var Drawing = require('../drawing');
 var Axes = require('../../plots/cartesian/axes');
 var axisIds = require('../../plots/cartesian/axis_ids');
 var xmlnsNamespaces = require('../../constants/xmlns_namespaces');
+var zindexSeparator = require('../../plots/cartesian/constants').zindexSeparator;
 
 module.exports = function draw(gd) {
     var fullLayout = gd._fullLayout;
@@ -226,6 +227,9 @@ module.exports = function draw(gd) {
     var allSubplots = Object.keys(fullLayout._plots);
     for(i = 0; i < allSubplots.length; i++) {
         subplot = allSubplots[i];
+        if (subplot.indexOf(zindexSeparator) !== -1) {
+            continue;
+        }
         var subplotObj = fullLayout._plots[subplot];
 
         // filter out overlaid plots (which have their images on the main plot)
diff --git a/src/plot_api/subroutines.js b/src/plot_api/subroutines.js
index f7fc8850c23..a50ab1746f3 100644
--- a/src/plot_api/subroutines.js
+++ b/src/plot_api/subroutines.js
@@ -137,7 +137,10 @@ function lsInner(gd) {
             var yDomain = plotinfo.yaxis.domain;
             var plotgroup = plotinfo.plotgroup;
 
-            if(overlappingDomain(xDomain, yDomain, lowerDomains) && subplot.indexOf(zindexSeparator) === -1) {
+            if(overlappingDomain(xDomain, yDomain, lowerDomains) &&
+                subplot.indexOf(zindexSeparator) === -1 &&
+                subplot !== xDomain + yDomain + zindexSeparator + 1
+            ) {
                 var pgNode = plotgroup.node();
                 var plotgroupBg = plotinfo.bg = Lib.ensureSingle(plotgroup, 'rect', 'bg');
                 pgNode.insertBefore(plotgroupBg.node(), pgNode.childNodes[0]);
@@ -258,6 +261,9 @@ function lsInner(gd) {
     }
 
     for(subplot in fullLayout._plots) {
+        if (subplot.indexOf(zindexSeparator) !== -1) {
+            continue;
+        }
         plotinfo = fullLayout._plots[subplot];
         xa = plotinfo.xaxis;
         ya = plotinfo.yaxis;
diff --git a/src/plots/cartesian/index.js b/src/plots/cartesian/index.js
index b8f28c6ba6f..b06a82c5206 100644
--- a/src/plots/cartesian/index.js
+++ b/src/plots/cartesian/index.js
@@ -153,7 +153,7 @@ exports.plot = function(gd, traces, transitionOpts, makeOnCompleteCallback) {
             var subplot = subplots[i];
             var subplotInfo = fullLayout._plots[subplot];
 
-            if(z > 0) {
+            if(zindices.length > 1) {
                 var idWithZ = subplotInfo.id;
                 if(idWithZ.indexOf(zindexSeparator) !== -1) continue;
                 idWithZ += zindexSeparator + (z + 1);
@@ -418,7 +418,7 @@ exports.drawFramework = function(gd) {
         subplotData[i] = initialSubplotData[i].slice();
     }
 
-    for(var z = 1; z < zindices.length; z++) {
+    for(var z = 0; z < zindices.length; z++) {
         var newSubplotData = [];
         for(i = 0; i < len; i++) {
             newSubplotData[i] = initialSubplotData[i].slice();
@@ -532,9 +532,9 @@ function makeSubplotData(gd) {
 
         var d = [];
 
-        for(var z = 1; z <= numZ; z++) {
+        for(var z = 0; z <= numZ; z++) {
             var zStr = '';
-            if(z > 1) zStr += zindexSeparator + z;
+            if(z > 0) zStr += zindexSeparator + z;
 
             // use info about axis layer and overlaying pattern
             // to clean what need to be cleaned up in exit selection
diff --git a/test/image/baselines/zorder-overlayed-subplots-multiple-traces-main-subplot.png b/test/image/baselines/zorder-overlayed-subplots-multiple-traces-main-subplot.png
index 5cb4ebb5b11..388bd44ec30 100644
Binary files a/test/image/baselines/zorder-overlayed-subplots-multiple-traces-main-subplot.png and b/test/image/baselines/zorder-overlayed-subplots-multiple-traces-main-subplot.png differ