diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index d494630f..2b6a92cd 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -45,4 +45,7 @@ iterate.dat
 
 # git merge files #
 ###################
-*.orig
\ No newline at end of file
+*.orig
+
+# pycharm IDE stuff
+.idea/
diff --git a/GPy/plotting/__init__.py b/GPy/plotting/__init__.py
index 359a841a..00c4fa82 100644
--- a/GPy/plotting/__init__.py
+++ b/GPy/plotting/__init__.py
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ current_lib = [None]
 supported_libraries = ['matplotlib', 'plotly', 'none']
 error_suggestion = "Please make sure you specify your plotting library in your configuration file (<User>/.config/GPy/user.cfg).\n\n[plotting]\nlibrary = <library>\n\nCurrently supported libraries: {}".format(", ".join(supported_libraries))
 
-def change_plotting_library(lib):
+def change_plotting_library(lib, **kwargs):
     try:
         #===========================================================================
         # Load in your plotting library here and
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ def change_plotting_library(lib):
         if lib == 'plotly':
             import plotly
             from .plotly_dep.plot_definitions import PlotlyPlots
-            current_lib[0] = PlotlyPlots()
+            current_lib[0] = PlotlyPlots(**kwargs)
         if lib == 'none':
             current_lib[0] = None
         inject_plotting()
diff --git a/GPy/plotting/matplot_dep/plot_definitions.py b/GPy/plotting/matplot_dep/plot_definitions.py
index 0e3bc32d..9aa72583 100644
--- a/GPy/plotting/matplot_dep/plot_definitions.py
+++ b/GPy/plotting/matplot_dep/plot_definitions.py
@@ -92,7 +92,7 @@ class MatplotlibPlots(AbstractPlottingLibrary):
         if title is not None: ax.figure.suptitle(title)
         return ax
 
-    def show_canvas(self, ax):
+    def show_canvas(self, ax, **kwargs):
         ax.figure.canvas.draw()
         return ax.figure
 
diff --git a/GPy/plotting/plotly_dep/plot_definitions.py b/GPy/plotting/plotly_dep/plot_definitions.py
index 9e021fd8..f7fa2054 100644
--- a/GPy/plotting/plotly_dep/plot_definitions.py
+++ b/GPy/plotting/plotly_dep/plot_definitions.py
@@ -31,8 +31,9 @@ import numpy as np
 from ..abstract_plotting_library import AbstractPlottingLibrary
 from .. import Tango
 from . import defaults
+OFFLINE=False
+import plotly
 from plotly import tools
-from plotly import plotly as py
 from plotly.graph_objs import Scatter, Scatter3d, Line,\
     Marker, ErrorX, ErrorY, Bar, Heatmap, Trace,\
     Annotations, Annotation, Contour, Font, Surface
@@ -53,10 +54,12 @@ SYMBOL_MAP = {
 }
 
 class PlotlyPlots(AbstractPlottingLibrary):
-    def __init__(self):
+    def __init__(self, offline=False):
         super(PlotlyPlots, self).__init__()
         self._defaults = defaults.__dict__
         self.current_states = dict()
+        global OFFLINE
+        OFFLINE=offline
 
     def figure(self, rows=1, cols=1, specs=None, is_3d=False, **kwargs):
         if specs is None:
@@ -96,7 +99,10 @@ class PlotlyPlots(AbstractPlottingLibrary):
                 xref, yref = figure._grid_ref[row-1][col-1]
                 for a in traces:
                     append_annotation(a, xref, yref)
-            elif isinstance(traces, (Trace)):
+            # elif isinstance(traces, (Trace)):  # doesn't work
+            # elif type(traces) in [v for k,v in go.__dict__.iteritems()]:
+            elif isinstance(traces, (Scatter, Scatter3d, Line, Marker, ErrorX,
+                        ErrorY, Bar, Heatmap, Trace, Contour, Font, Surface)):
                 try:
                     append_trace(traces, row, col)
                 except PlotlyDictKeyError:
@@ -120,9 +126,16 @@ class PlotlyPlots(AbstractPlottingLibrary):
             figure.append_trace(Scatter(x=[], y=[], name='', showlegend=False), 1, 1)
         from ..gpy_plot.plot_util import in_ipynb
         if in_ipynb():
-            return py.iplot(figure, filename=filename)#self.current_states[hex(id(figure))]['filename'])
+            if OFFLINE:
+                plotly.offline.init_notebook_mode(connected=True)
+                return plotly.offline.iplot(figure, filename=filename, **kwargs)#self.current_states[hex(id(figure))]['filename'])
+            else:
+                return plotly.plotly.iplot(figure, filename=filename, **kwargs)
         else:
-            return py.plot(figure, filename=filename)#self.current_states[hex(id(figure))]['filename'])
+            if OFFLINE:
+                return plotly.offline.plot(figure, filename=filename, **kwargs)
+            else:
+                return plotly.plotly.plot(figure, filename=filename, **kwargs)#self.current_states[hex(id(figure))]['filename'])
 
     def scatter(self, ax, X, Y, Z=None, color=Tango.colorsHex['mediumBlue'], cmap=None, label=None, marker='o', marker_kwargs=None, **kwargs):
         try: