diff --git a/GPy/plotting/gpy_plot/latent_plots.py b/GPy/plotting/gpy_plot/latent_plots.py
index 976641b2..85a98f49 100644
--- a/GPy/plotting/gpy_plot/latent_plots.py
+++ b/GPy/plotting/gpy_plot/latent_plots.py
@@ -229,7 +229,7 @@ def plot_latent(self, labels=None, which_indices=None,
                 plot_limits=None,
                 updates=False,
                 kern=None, marker='<>^vsd',
-                num_samples=1000,
+                num_samples=1000, projection='2d',
                 scatter_kwargs=None, **imshow_kwargs):
     """
     Plot the latent space of the GP on the inputs. This is the
@@ -249,6 +249,8 @@ def plot_latent(self, labels=None, which_indices=None,
     :param imshow_kwargs: the kwargs for the imshow (magnification factor)
     :param scatter_kwargs: the kwargs for the scatter plots
     """
+    if projection != '2d':
+        raise ValueError('Cannot plot latent in other then 2 dimensions, consider plot_scatter')
     input_1, input_2 = which_indices = self.get_most_significant_input_dimensions(which_indices)[:2]
     X = get_x_y_var(self)[0]
     _, _, Xgrid, _, _, xmin, xmax, resolution = helper_for_plot_data(self, X, plot_limits, which_indices, None, resolution)