diff --git a/glue_jupyter/bqplot/common/viewer.py b/glue_jupyter/bqplot/common/viewer.py
index 37c370a2..410555e5 100644
--- a/glue_jupyter/bqplot/common/viewer.py
+++ b/glue_jupyter/bqplot/common/viewer.py
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@
 
 from ...view import IPyWidgetView
 from ...link import on_change
-from ...utils import float_or_none, debounced, get_ioloop
+from ...utils import debounced, get_ioloop
 from .tools import ROIClickAndDrag
 
 __all__ = ['BqplotBaseView']
@@ -106,13 +106,15 @@ def _update_bqplot_limits(self, *args):
         # doesn't change this - at the end of the day, the two scales are
         # separate widgets so will result in two updates.
 
-        with self.scale_x.hold_sync():
-            self.scale_x.min = float_or_none(self.state.x_min)
-            self.scale_x.max = float_or_none(self.state.x_max)
+        if self.state.x_min is not None and self.state.x_max is not None:
+            with self.scale_x.hold_sync():
+                self.scale_x.min = float(self.state.x_min)
+                self.scale_x.max = float(self.state.x_max)
 
-        with self.scale_y.hold_sync():
-            self.scale_y.min = float_or_none(self.state.y_min)
-            self.scale_y.max = float_or_none(self.state.y_max)
+        if self.state.y_min is not None and self.state.y_max is not None:
+            with self.scale_y.hold_sync():
+                self.scale_y.min = float(self.state.y_min)
+                self.scale_y.max = float(self.state.y_max)
 
         self._last_limits = (self.state.x_min, self.state.x_max,
                              self.state.y_min, self.state.y_max)