diff --git a/Source/OxyPlot/PlotController/Manipulators/MouseManipulator.cs b/Source/OxyPlot/PlotController/Manipulators/MouseManipulator.cs
index db3627128..2d07f0f3a 100644
--- a/Source/OxyPlot/PlotController/Manipulators/MouseManipulator.cs
+++ b/Source/OxyPlot/PlotController/Manipulators/MouseManipulator.cs
@@ -34,9 +34,10 @@ protected MouseManipulator(IPlotView plotView)
         /// <param name="e">The <see cref="OxyInputEventArgs" /> instance containing the event data.</param>
         public override void Started(OxyMouseEventArgs e)
         {
-            this.AssignAxes(e.Position);
+            if (this.XAxis == null || this.YAxis == null)
+                this.AssignAxes(e.Position);
             base.Started(e);
             this.StartPosition = e.Position;
         }
     }
-}
\ No newline at end of file
+}
diff --git a/Source/OxyPlot/PlotController/Manipulators/PlotManipulator.cs b/Source/OxyPlot/PlotController/Manipulators/PlotManipulator.cs
index 5c22adaff..ac6dc062f 100644
--- a/Source/OxyPlot/PlotController/Manipulators/PlotManipulator.cs
+++ b/Source/OxyPlot/PlotController/Manipulators/PlotManipulator.cs
@@ -37,13 +37,13 @@ protected PlotManipulator(IPlotView view)
         /// Gets or sets the X axis.
         /// </summary>
         /// <value>The X axis.</value>
-        protected Axis XAxis { get; set; }
+        public Axis XAxis { get; set; }
 
         /// <summary>
         /// Gets or sets the Y axis.
         /// </summary>
         /// <value>The Y axis.</value>
-        protected Axis YAxis { get; set; }
+        public Axis YAxis { get; set; }
 
         /// <summary>
         /// Transforms a point from screen coordinates to data coordinates.
@@ -88,4 +88,4 @@ protected void AssignAxes(ScreenPoint position)
             this.YAxis = yaxis;
         }
     }
-}
\ No newline at end of file
+}