diff --git a/holoviews/plotting/bokeh/chart.py b/holoviews/plotting/bokeh/chart.py
index fd877759a4..80ed4fefcd 100644
--- a/holoviews/plotting/bokeh/chart.py
+++ b/holoviews/plotting/bokeh/chart.py
@@ -7,7 +7,8 @@
 except:
     BokehBoxPlot = None, None
 from bokeh.models import (GlyphRenderer, ColumnDataSource, DataRange1d,
-                          CategoricalColorMapper, CustomJS, HoverTool)
+                          Range1d, CategoricalColorMapper, CustomJS,
+                          HoverTool)
 from bokeh.models.tools import BoxSelectTool
 
 from ...core import Dataset, OrderedDict
@@ -653,7 +654,7 @@ def _update_chart(self, key, element, ranges):
 
     @property
     def current_handles(self):
-        return self.state.select(type=(ColumnDataSource, DataRange1d))
+        return self.state.select(type=(ColumnDataSource, DataRange1d, Range1d))
 
 
 class BoxPlot(ChartPlot):
@@ -719,6 +720,9 @@ class BarPlot(ColorbarPlot, LegendPlot):
 
     _plot_methods = dict(single=('vbar', 'hbar'), batched=('vbar', 'hbar'))
 
+    # Declare that y-range should auto-range if not bounded
+    _y_range_type = DataRange1d
+
     def get_extents(self, element, ranges):
         """
         Make adjustments to plot extents by computing
diff --git a/holoviews/plotting/bokeh/element.py b/holoviews/plotting/bokeh/element.py
index 0fb635aa43..7f4daa6c5d 100644
--- a/holoviews/plotting/bokeh/element.py
+++ b/holoviews/plotting/bokeh/element.py
@@ -167,6 +167,10 @@ class ElementPlot(BokehPlot, GenericElementPlot):
     _update_handles = ['source', 'glyph', 'glyph_renderer']
     _categorical = False
 
+    # Declares the default types for continuous x- and y-axes
+    _x_range_type = Range1d
+    _y_range_type = Range1d
+
     def __init__(self, element, plot=None, **params):
         self.current_ranges = None
         super(ElementPlot, self).__init__(element, **params)
@@ -341,13 +345,13 @@ def _axes_props(self, plots, subplots, element, ranges):
             x_axis_type = 'auto'
             plot_ranges['x_range'] = FactorRange()
         elif 'x_range' not in plot_ranges:
-            plot_ranges['x_range'] = DataRange1d()
+            plot_ranges['x_range'] = self._x_range_type()
 
         if categorical or categorical_y:
             y_axis_type = 'auto'
             plot_ranges['y_range'] = FactorRange()
         elif 'y_range' not in plot_ranges:
-            plot_ranges['y_range'] = DataRange1d()
+            plot_ranges['y_range'] = self._y_range_type()
 
         return (x_axis_type, y_axis_type), (xlabel, ylabel, zlabel), plot_ranges
 
@@ -523,7 +527,7 @@ def _update_ranges(self, element, ranges):
         y_range = self.handles['y_range']
 
         l, b, r, t = None, None, None, None
-        if any(isinstance(r, DataRange1d) for r in [x_range, y_range]):
+        if any(isinstance(r, (Range1d, DataRange1d)) for r in [x_range, y_range]):
             l, b, r, t = self.get_extents(element, ranges)
             if self.invert_axes:
                 l, b, r, t = b, l, t, r
@@ -539,7 +543,7 @@ def _update_ranges(self, element, ranges):
 
 
     def _update_range(self, axis_range, low, high, factors, invert, shared):
-        if isinstance(axis_range, DataRange1d) and self.apply_ranges:
+        if isinstance(axis_range, (Range1d, DataRange1d)) and self.apply_ranges:
             if (low == high and low is not None and
                 not isinstance(high, util.datetime_types)):
                 offset = abs(low*0.1 if low else 0.5)
diff --git a/holoviews/plotting/bokeh/util.py b/holoviews/plotting/bokeh/util.py
index f0c1025733..3e0b9dbab8 100644
--- a/holoviews/plotting/bokeh/util.py
+++ b/holoviews/plotting/bokeh/util.py
@@ -55,10 +55,9 @@
 IGNORED_ATTRIBUTES = ['data', 'palette', 'image', 'x', 'y', 'factors']
 
 # Model priority order to ensure some types are updated before others
-MODEL_PRIORITY = ['DataRange1d', 'Title', 'Image', 'LinearColorMapper',
-                  'Plot', 'Range1d', 'FactorRange', 'CategoricalAxis',
-                  'LinearAxis', 'ColumnDataSource']
-
+MODEL_PRIORITY = ['DataRange1d', 'Range1d', 'Title', 'Image', 'LinearColorMapper',
+                  'Plot', 'FactorRange', 'CategoricalAxis', 'LinearAxis',
+                  'ColumnDataSource']
 
 
 def rgba_tuple(rgba):