diff --git a/conda/js/src/components/plotter/PlotterEditor.jsx b/conda/js/src/components/plotter/PlotterEditor.jsx
index b5ba23f758a2fd771fe0890de95f8eca16c902a5..f551acbcb1bc3d27e25cc0229922e85415d6c052 100644
--- a/conda/js/src/components/plotter/PlotterEditor.jsx
+++ b/conda/js/src/components/plotter/PlotterEditor.jsx
@@ -257,6 +257,12 @@ const mapStateToProps = (state, ownProps) => {
 		plotDfNames: Selectors.dataformatGet(state).map(df => df.name).filter(df => df.startsWith('plot/')),
 		data: plotters[ownProps.index] || getValidObj(),
 	};
+
+	if(obj.data.contents.dataformat === "")
+	{
+		obj.plotDfNames.unshift("-- select an option --")
+	};
+
 	return obj;
 };