diff --git a/src/core/core.config.js b/src/core/core.config.js
index b02cc750f..ce32047e0 100644
--- a/src/core/core.config.js
+++ b/src/core/core.config.js
@@ -51,8 +51,9 @@ function mergeScaleConfig(config, options) {
 		const scaleConf = configScales[id];
 		const axis = determineAxis(id, scaleConf);
 		const defaultId = getDefaultScaleIDFromAxis(axis, chartIndexAxis);
+		const defaultScaleOptions = chartDefaults.scales || {};
 		firstIDs[axis] = firstIDs[axis] || id;
-		scales[id] = mergeIf(Object.create(null), [{axis}, scaleConf, chartDefaults.scales[axis], chartDefaults.scales[defaultId]]);
+		scales[id] = mergeIf(Object.create(null), [{axis}, scaleConf, defaultScaleOptions[axis], defaultScaleOptions[defaultId]]);
 	});
 
 	// Backward compatibility
@@ -163,6 +164,10 @@ export default class Config {
 		return this._config.type;
 	}
 
+	set type(type) {
+		this._config.type = type;
+	}
+
 	get data() {
 		return this._config.data;
 	}