diff --git a/src/components/colorscale/calc.js b/src/components/colorscale/calc.js
index e887b6820cd..9b3b9de15e3 100644
--- a/src/components/colorscale/calc.js
+++ b/src/components/colorscale/calc.js
@@ -48,6 +48,8 @@ module.exports = function calc(gd, trace, opts) {
     }
 
     if(containerStr) {
+        if(inputContainer[containerStr] === undefined) return;
+
         container = Lib.nestedProperty(container, containerStr).get();
         inputContainer = Lib.nestedProperty(inputContainer, containerStr).get();
         fullInputContainer = Lib.nestedProperty(fullInputContainer, containerStr).get() || {};