diff --git a/src/plot_api/plot_api.js b/src/plot_api/plot_api.js
index fb95d1be99c..828797411f2 100644
--- a/src/plot_api/plot_api.js
+++ b/src/plot_api/plot_api.js
@@ -2427,7 +2427,7 @@ exports._guiUpdate = guiEdit(update);
 // Ordered by most common edits first, to minimize our search time
 var layoutUIControlPatterns = [
     {pattern: /^hiddenlabels/, attr: 'legend.uirevision'},
-    {pattern: /^((x|y)axis\d*)\.((auto)?range|title)/},
+    {pattern: /^((x|y)axis\d*)\.((auto)?range|title\.text)/},
 
     // showspikes and modes include those nested inside scenes
     {pattern: /axis\d*\.showspikes$/, attr: 'modebar.uirevision'},
@@ -2435,14 +2435,14 @@ var layoutUIControlPatterns = [
 
     {pattern: /^(scene\d*)\.camera/},
     {pattern: /^(geo\d*)\.(projection|center)/},
-    {pattern: /^(ternary\d*\.[abc]axis)\.(min|title)$/},
-    {pattern: /^(polar\d*\.radialaxis)\.((auto)?range|angle|title)/},
+    {pattern: /^(ternary\d*\.[abc]axis)\.(min|title\.text)$/},
+    {pattern: /^(polar\d*\.radialaxis)\.((auto)?range|angle|title\.text)/},
     {pattern: /^(polar\d*\.angularaxis)\.rotation/},
     {pattern: /^(mapbox\d*)\.(center|zoom|bearing|pitch)/},
 
     {pattern: /^legend\.(x|y)$/, attr: 'editrevision'},
     {pattern: /^(shapes|annotations)/, attr: 'editrevision'},
-    {pattern: /^title$/, attr: 'editrevision'}
+    {pattern: /^title\.text$/, attr: 'editrevision'}
 ];
 
 // same for trace attributes: if `attr` is given it's in layout,
@@ -2461,7 +2461,7 @@ var traceUIControlPatterns = [
     // "name" also includes transform.styles
     {pattern: /(^|value\.)name$/},
     // including nested colorbar attributes (ie marker.colorbar)
-    {pattern: /colorbar\.title$/},
+    {pattern: /colorbar\.title\.text$/},
     {pattern: /colorbar\.(x|y)$/, attr: 'editrevision'}
 ];
 
diff --git a/src/plots/polar/layout_attributes.js b/src/plots/polar/layout_attributes.js
index aa7ab38909c..4d878a9fd43 100644
--- a/src/plots/polar/layout_attributes.js
+++ b/src/plots/polar/layout_attributes.js
@@ -136,6 +136,9 @@ var radialAxisAttrs = {
     }
 };
 
+// radial title is not gui-editable, so it needs dflt: '', similar to carpet axes.
+radialAxisAttrs.title.text.dflt = '';
+
 extendFlat(
     radialAxisAttrs,
 
diff --git a/test/jasmine/tests/plot_api_react_test.js b/test/jasmine/tests/plot_api_react_test.js
index 838f29ecb4c..812eb6f63e5 100644
--- a/test/jasmine/tests/plot_api_react_test.js
+++ b/test/jasmine/tests/plot_api_react_test.js
@@ -1643,7 +1643,7 @@ describe('Plotly.react and uirevision attributes', function() {
         function editEditable() {
             return Registry.call('_guiUpdate', gd,
                 {'colorbar.x': 0.8, 'colorbar.y': 0.6},
-                {title: 'yep', 'legend.x': 1.1, 'legend.y': 0.9},
+                {'title.text': 'yep', 'legend.x': 1.1, 'legend.y': 0.9},
                 [2]
             );
         }
@@ -1653,7 +1653,7 @@ describe('Plotly.react and uirevision attributes', function() {
                 'colorbar.x': original ? [undefined, 1.02] : 0.8,
                 'colorbar.y': original ? [undefined, 0.5] : 0.6
             }], {
-                title: original ? [undefined, 'Click to enter Plot title'] : 'yep',
+                'title.text': original ? [undefined, 'Click to enter Plot title'] : 'yep',
                 'legend.x': original ? [undefined, 1.02] : 1.1,
                 'legend.y': original ? [undefined, 1] : 0.9
             });
@@ -1688,7 +1688,7 @@ describe('Plotly.react and uirevision attributes', function() {
             return {
                 'dimensions[0].constraintrange': original ? [[2.5, 3.5]] : [[[1.5, 2.5], [2.938, 3.979]]],
                 'dimensions[1].constraintrange': original ? undefined : [[6.937, 7.979]],
-                'line.colorbar.title': original ? [undefined, 'Click to enter Colorscale title'] : 'color',
+                'line.colorbar.title.text': original ? [undefined, 'Click to enter Colorscale title'] : 'color',
                 name: original ? [undefined, 'trace 0'] : 'name'
             };
         }
@@ -1700,7 +1700,7 @@ describe('Plotly.react and uirevision attributes', function() {
         function editTrace() {
             var _;
             return Registry.call('_guiRestyle', gd,
-                {'line.colorbar.title': 'color', name: 'name'},
+                {'line.colorbar.title.text': 'color', name: 'name'},
                 [0]
             )
             .then(function() {
@@ -1742,12 +1742,12 @@ describe('Plotly.react and uirevision attributes', function() {
 
         function attrs(original) {
             return {
-                'xaxis.title': original ? [undefined, 'Click to enter X axis title'] : 'XXX',
-                'yaxis.title': original ? [undefined, 'Click to enter Y axis title'] : 'YYY',
-                'ternary.aaxis.title': original ? [undefined, 'Component A'] : 'AAA',
-                'ternary.baxis.title': original ? [undefined, 'Component B'] : 'BBB',
-                'ternary.caxis.title': original ? [undefined, 'Component C'] : 'CCC',
-                'polar.radialaxis.title': original ? [undefined, ''] : 'RRR'
+                'xaxis.title.text': original ? [undefined, 'Click to enter X axis title'] : 'XXX',
+                'yaxis.title.text': original ? [undefined, 'Click to enter Y axis title'] : 'YYY',
+                'ternary.aaxis.title.text': original ? [undefined, 'Component A'] : 'AAA',
+                'ternary.baxis.title.text': original ? [undefined, 'Component B'] : 'BBB',
+                'ternary.caxis.title.text': original ? [undefined, 'Component C'] : 'CCC',
+                'polar.radialaxis.title.text': original ? [undefined, ''] : 'RRR'
             };
         }