diff --git a/src/plots/polar/layout_attributes.js b/src/plots/polar/layout_attributes.js
index 18b0129a0c7..16adc779d5a 100644
--- a/src/plots/polar/layout_attributes.js
+++ b/src/plots/polar/layout_attributes.js
@@ -267,13 +267,15 @@ module.exports = {
     radialaxis: radialAxisAttrs,
     angularaxis: angularAxisAttrs,
 
-    usepolygons: {
-        valType: 'boolean',
+    gridshape: {
+        valType: 'enumerated',
+        values: ['circular', 'linear'],
+        dflt: 'circular',
         role: 'style',
         editType: 'plot',
-        dflt: false,
         description: [
-            '...',
+            'Determines if the radial axis grid lines and angular axis line are drawn',
+            'as *circular* sectors or as *linear* (polygon) sectors.',
             'Has an effect only when the angular axis has `type` *category*.',
             'Note that `radialaxis.angle` is snapped to the angle of the closest',
             'vertex (so that radial axis scale is the same as the data scale).'
diff --git a/src/plots/polar/layout_defaults.js b/src/plots/polar/layout_defaults.js
index ddfff41ac7e..19bf636326a 100644
--- a/src/plots/polar/layout_defaults.js
+++ b/src/plots/polar/layout_defaults.js
@@ -179,7 +179,7 @@ function handleDefaults(contIn, contOut, coerce, opts) {
     }
 
     if(contOut.angularaxis.type === 'category') {
-        coerce('usepolygons');
+        coerce('gridshape');
     }
 }
 
diff --git a/src/plots/polar/polar.js b/src/plots/polar/polar.js
index ebb32681efd..57330f91435 100644
--- a/src/plots/polar/polar.js
+++ b/src/plots/polar/polar.js
@@ -534,7 +534,9 @@ proto.updateAngularAxis = function(fullLayout, polarLayout) {
 
     // angle of polygon vertices in radians (null means circles)
     // TODO what to do when ax.period > ax._categories ??
-    _this.vangles = polarLayout.usepolygons ? ax._vals.map(c2rad) : null;
+    _this.vangles = polarLayout.gridshape === 'linear' ?
+        ax._vals.map(c2rad) :
+        null;
 
     updateElement(layers['angular-line'].select('path'), angularLayout.showline, {
         d: pathSectorClosed(radius, sector, _this.vangles),
@@ -1303,8 +1305,8 @@ function pathSector(r, sector, vangles) {
     return d;
 }
 
-function pathSectorClosed(r, sector, nside) {
-    return pathSector(r, sector, nside) +
+function pathSectorClosed(r, sector, vangles) {
+    return pathSector(r, sector, vangles) +
         (isFullCircle(sector) ? '' : 'L0,0Z');
 }
 
diff --git a/test/image/mocks/polar_polygon-grids.json b/test/image/mocks/polar_polygon-grids.json
index e260257176a..749794c17d7 100644
--- a/test/image/mocks/polar_polygon-grids.json
+++ b/test/image/mocks/polar_polygon-grids.json
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@
   ],
   "layout": {
     "polar": {
-      "usepolygons": true,
+      "gridshape": "linear",
       "domain": {
         "x": [0, 0.46],
         "y": [0.56, 1]
@@ -57,7 +57,7 @@
       }
     },
     "polar2": {
-      "usepolygons": true,
+      "gridshape": "linear",
       "domain": {
         "x": [0, 0.46],
         "y": [0, 0.44]
@@ -67,7 +67,7 @@
       }
     },
     "polar3": {
-      "usepolygons": true,
+      "gridshape": "linear",
       "domain": {
         "x": [0.54, 1],
         "y": [0.56, 1]
@@ -83,7 +83,7 @@
       }
     },
     "polar4": {
-      "usepolygons": true,
+      "gridshape": "linear",
       "bgcolor": "#d3d3d3",
       "domain": {
         "x": [0.54, 1],