diff --git a/pygmt/clib/session.py b/pygmt/clib/session.py
index 64bcd55cf4e..3e79f558a8a 100644
--- a/pygmt/clib/session.py
+++ b/pygmt/clib/session.py
@@ -1360,7 +1360,9 @@ def virtualfile_from_grid(self, grid):
         with self.open_virtual_file(*args) as vfile:
             yield vfile
 
-    def virtualfile_from_data(self, check_kind=None, data=None, x=None, y=None, z=None):
+    def virtualfile_from_data(
+        self, check_kind=None, data=None, x=None, y=None, z=None, extra_arrays=None
+    ):
         """
         Store any data inside a virtual file.
 
@@ -1378,6 +1380,9 @@ def virtualfile_from_data(self, check_kind=None, data=None, x=None, y=None, z=No
             raster grid, a vector matrix/arrays, or other supported data input.
         x/y/z : 1d arrays or None
             x, y and z columns as numpy arrays.
+        extra_arrays : list of 1d arrays
+            Optional. A list of numpy arrays in addition to x, y and z. All
+            of these arrays must be of the same size as the x/y/z arrays.
 
         Returns
         -------
@@ -1430,14 +1435,26 @@ def virtualfile_from_data(self, check_kind=None, data=None, x=None, y=None, z=No
         if kind in ("file", "grid"):
             _data = (data,)
         elif kind == "vectors":
-            _data = (x, y, z)
+            _data = [np.atleast_1d(x), np.atleast_1d(y)]
+            if z is not None:
+                _data.append(np.atleast_1d(z))
+            if extra_arrays:
+                _data.extend(extra_arrays)
         elif kind == "matrix":  # turn 2D arrays into list of vectors
             try:
                 # pandas.DataFrame and xarray.Dataset types
                 _data = [array for _, array in data.items()]
             except AttributeError:
-                # Python lists, tuples, and numpy ndarray types
-                _data = np.atleast_2d(np.asanyarray(data).T)
+                try:
+                    # Just use virtualfile_from_matrix for 2D numpy.ndarray
+                    # which are signed integer (i), unsigned integer (u) or
+                    # floating point (f) types
+                    assert data.ndim == 2 and data.dtype.kind in "iuf"
+                    _virtualfile_from = self.virtualfile_from_matrix
+                    _data = (data,)
+                except (AssertionError, AttributeError):
+                    # Python lists, tuples, and numpy ndarray types
+                    _data = np.atleast_2d(np.asanyarray(data).T)
 
         # Finally create the virtualfile from the data, to be passed into GMT
         file_context = _virtualfile_from(*_data)
diff --git a/pygmt/src/plot.py b/pygmt/src/plot.py
index f367d816562..1d50bb4e416 100644
--- a/pygmt/src/plot.py
+++ b/pygmt/src/plot.py
@@ -1,13 +1,11 @@
 """
 plot - Plot in two dimensions.
 """
-import numpy as np
 from pygmt.clib import Session
 from pygmt.exceptions import GMTInvalidInput
 from pygmt.helpers import (
     build_arg_string,
     data_kind,
-    dummy_context,
     fmt_docstring,
     is_nonstr_iter,
     kwargs_to_strings,
@@ -226,14 +224,9 @@ def plot(self, x=None, y=None, data=None, sizes=None, direction=None, **kwargs):
 
     with Session() as lib:
         # Choose how data will be passed in to the module
-        if kind == "file":
-            file_context = dummy_context(data)
-        elif kind == "matrix":
-            file_context = lib.virtualfile_from_matrix(data)
-        elif kind == "vectors":
-            file_context = lib.virtualfile_from_vectors(
-                np.atleast_1d(x), np.atleast_1d(y), *extra_arrays
-            )
+        file_context = lib.virtualfile_from_data(
+            check_kind="vector", data=data, x=x, y=y, extra_arrays=extra_arrays
+        )
 
         with file_context as fname:
             arg_str = " ".join([fname, build_arg_string(kwargs)])
diff --git a/pygmt/src/plot3d.py b/pygmt/src/plot3d.py
index 3b7ad917bdb..52b925fcaea 100644
--- a/pygmt/src/plot3d.py
+++ b/pygmt/src/plot3d.py
@@ -1,13 +1,11 @@
 """
 plot3d - Plot in three dimensions.
 """
-import numpy as np
 from pygmt.clib import Session
 from pygmt.exceptions import GMTInvalidInput
 from pygmt.helpers import (
     build_arg_string,
     data_kind,
-    dummy_context,
     fmt_docstring,
     is_nonstr_iter,
     kwargs_to_strings,
@@ -189,14 +187,9 @@ def plot3d(
 
     with Session() as lib:
         # Choose how data will be passed in to the module
-        if kind == "file":
-            file_context = dummy_context(data)
-        elif kind == "matrix":
-            file_context = lib.virtualfile_from_matrix(data)
-        elif kind == "vectors":
-            file_context = lib.virtualfile_from_vectors(
-                np.atleast_1d(x), np.atleast_1d(y), np.atleast_1d(z), *extra_arrays
-            )
+        file_context = lib.virtualfile_from_data(
+            check_kind="vector", data=data, x=x, y=y, z=z, extra_arrays=extra_arrays
+        )
 
         with file_context as fname:
             arg_str = " ".join([fname, build_arg_string(kwargs)])
diff --git a/pygmt/tests/test_info.py b/pygmt/tests/test_info.py
index 1c40657ea1d..ab1093b29d2 100644
--- a/pygmt/tests/test_info.py
+++ b/pygmt/tests/test_info.py
@@ -29,6 +29,15 @@ def test_info():
     assert output == expected_output
 
 
+def test_info_2d_list():
+    """
+    Make sure info works on a 2d list.
+    """
+    output = info(table=[[0, 8], [3, 5], [6, 2]])
+    expected_output = "<vector memory>: N = 3 <0/6> <2/8>\n"
+    assert output == expected_output
+
+
 def test_info_dataframe():
     """
     Make sure info works on pandas.DataFrame inputs.
@@ -105,7 +114,7 @@ def test_info_2d_array():
     table = np.loadtxt(POINTS_DATA)
     output = info(table=table)
     expected_output = (
-        "<vector memory>: N = 20 <11.5309/61.7074> <-2.9289/7.8648> <0.1412/0.9338>\n"
+        "<matrix memory>: N = 20 <11.5309/61.7074> <-2.9289/7.8648> <0.1412/0.9338>\n"
     )
     assert output == expected_output