diff --git a/holoviews/plotting/mpl/chart.py b/holoviews/plotting/mpl/chart.py
index c762a57b85..65956f1d20 100644
--- a/holoviews/plotting/mpl/chart.py
+++ b/holoviews/plotting/mpl/chart.py
@@ -1,13 +1,18 @@
 from __future__ import unicode_literals
 
 from itertools import product
+from distutils.version import LooseVersion
 
 import numpy as np
+import matplotlib as mpl
 from matplotlib import cm
 from matplotlib import pyplot as plt
 from matplotlib.collections import LineCollection
+from matplotlib.path import Path as MPLPath
 from matplotlib.dates import date2num, DateFormatter
 
+mpl_version = LooseVersion(mpl.__version__)
+
 import param
 
 from ...core import OrderedDict, Dimension
@@ -75,7 +80,8 @@ def get_data(self, element, ranges, style):
         if xs.dtype.kind == 'M':
             dt_format = Dimension.type_formatters[np.datetime64]
             dims[0] = dims[0](value_format=DateFormatter(dt_format))
-        return (xs, ys), style, {'dimensions': dims}
+        coords = (ys, xs) if self.invert_axes else (xs, ys)
+        return coords, style, {'dimensions': dims}
 
     def init_artists(self, ax, plot_args, plot_kwargs):
         xs, ys = plot_args
@@ -111,7 +117,14 @@ class ErrorPlot(ChartPlot):
     _plot_methods = dict(single='errorbar')
 
     def init_artists(self, ax, plot_data, plot_kwargs):
-        _, (bottoms, tops), verts = ax.errorbar(*plot_data, **plot_kwargs)
+        handles = ax.errorbar(*plot_data, **plot_kwargs)
+        bottoms, tops = None, None
+        if mpl_version >= str('2.0'):
+            _, caps, verts = handles
+            if caps:
+                bottoms, tops = caps
+        else:
+            _, (bottoms, tops), verts = handles
         return {'bottoms': bottoms, 'tops': tops, 'verts': verts[0]}
 
 
@@ -120,8 +133,15 @@ def get_data(self, element, ranges, style):
         dims = element.dimensions()
         xs, ys = (element.dimension_values(i) for i in range(2))
         yerr = element.array(dimensions=dims[2:4])
-        style['yerr'] = yerr.T if len(dims) > 3 else yerr[:, 0]
-        return (xs, ys), style, {}
+
+        if self.invert_axes:
+            coords = (ys, xs)
+            err_key = 'xerr'
+        else:
+            coords = (xs, ys)
+            err_key = 'yerr'
+        style[err_key] = yerr.T if len(dims) > 3 else yerr[:, 0]
+        return coords, style, {}
 
 
     def update_handles(self, key, axis, element, ranges, style):
@@ -130,30 +150,37 @@ def update_handles(self, key, axis, element, ranges, style):
         verts = self.handles['verts']
         paths = verts.get_paths()
 
-        (xs, ys), style, axis_kwargs = self.get_data(element, ranges, style)
-
-        neg_error = element.dimension_values(2)
+        _, style, axis_kwargs = self.get_data(element, ranges, style)
+        xs, ys, neg_error = (element.dimension_values(i) for i in range(3))
+        samples = len(xs)
+        npaths = len(paths)
         pos_error = element.dimension_values(3) if len(element.dimensions()) > 3 else neg_error
         if self.invert_axes:
-            bdata = xs - neg_error
-            tdata = xs + pos_error
-            tops.set_xdata(bdata)
-            tops.set_ydata(ys)
-            bottoms.set_xdata(tdata)
-            bottoms.set_ydata(ys)
-            for i, path in enumerate(paths):
-                path.vertices = np.array([[bdata[i], ys[i]],
-                                          [tdata[i], ys[i]]])
+            bxs, bys = ys - neg_error, xs
+            txs, tys = ys + pos_error, xs
+            new_arrays = [np.array([[bxs[i], xs[i]], [txs[i], xs[i]]])
+                          for i in range(samples)]
         else:
-            bdata = ys - neg_error
-            tdata = ys + pos_error
-            bottoms.set_xdata(xs)
-            bottoms.set_ydata(bdata)
-            tops.set_xdata(xs)
-            tops.set_ydata(tdata)
-            for i, path in enumerate(paths):
-                path.vertices = np.array([[xs[i], bdata[i]],
-                                          [xs[i], tdata[i]]])
+            bxs, bys = xs, ys - neg_error
+            txs, tys = xs, ys + pos_error
+            new_arrays = [np.array([[xs[i], bys[i]], [xs[i], tys[i]]])
+                          for i in range(samples)]
+
+        new_paths = []
+        for i, arr in enumerate(new_arrays):
+            if i < npaths:
+                paths[i].vertices = arr
+                new_paths.append(paths[i])
+            else:
+                new_paths.append(MPLPath(arr))
+        verts.set_paths(new_paths)
+
+        if bottoms:
+            bottoms.set_xdata(bxs)
+            bottoms.set_ydata(bys)
+        if tops:
+            tops.set_xdata(txs)
+            tops.set_ydata(tys)
         return axis_kwargs