diff --git a/lisp/org-plot.el b/lisp/org-plot.el
index a23195d2a..87a415137 100644
--- a/lisp/org-plot.el
+++ b/lisp/org-plot.el
@@ -179,6 +179,28 @@ and dependent variables."
 	  (setf back-edge "") (setf front-edge ""))))
     row-vals))
 
+(defun org-plot/zip-deps-with (num-cols ind deps with)
+  "describe each column to be plotted as (col . with)"
+  ;; make 'deps explicit
+  (unless deps
+    (setf deps (let (r)
+		 (dotimes (i num-cols r)
+		   (unless (eq num-cols (+ ind i))
+		     (setq r (cons (- num-cols i) r)))))))
+  ;; make sure 'with matches 'deps
+  (unless with
+    (setf with "lines"))
+  (unless (listp with)
+    (setf with (mapcar (lambda (x) with) deps)))
+  ;; invoke zipping function on converted data
+  (org-plot/zip deps with))
+
+(defun org-plot/zip (xs ys)
+  (unless
+      (null xs)
+    (cons (cons (car xs) (or (car ys) "lines"))
+	  (org-plot/zip (cdr xs) (cdr ys)))))
+
 (defun org-plot/gnuplot-script (data-file num-cols params &optional preface)
   "Write a gnuplot script to DATA-FILE respecting the options set in PARAMS.
 NUM-COLS controls the number of columns plotted in a 2-d plot.
@@ -240,22 +262,22 @@ manner suitable for prepending to a user-specified script."
 			       "%Y-%m-%d-%H:%M:%S") "\"")))
     (unless preface
       (pcase type			; plot command
-	(`2d (dotimes (col num-cols)
-	       (unless (and (eq type '2d)
-			    (or (and ind (equal (1+ col) ind))
-				(and deps (not (member (1+ col) deps)))))
-		 (setf plot-lines
-		       (cons
-			(format plot-str data-file
-				(or (and ind (> ind 0)
-					 (not text-ind)
-					 (format "%d:" ind)) "")
-				(1+ col)
-				(if text-ind (format ":xticlabel(%d)" ind) "")
-				with
-				(or (nth col col-labels)
-				    (format "%d" (1+ col))))
-			plot-lines)))))
+	(`2d (dolist
+		 (col-with
+		  (org-plot/zip-deps-with num-cols ind deps with))
+	       (setf plot-lines
+		     (cons
+		      (format plot-str data-file
+			      (or (and ind (> ind 0)
+				       (not text-ind)
+				       (format "%d:" ind)) "")
+			      (car col-with)
+			      (if text-ind (format ":xticlabel(%d)" ind) "")
+			      (cdr col-with)
+			      (or (nth (1- (car col-with))
+				       col-labels)
+				  (format "%d" (car col-with))))
+		      plot-lines))))
 	(`3d
 	 (setq plot-lines (list (format "'%s' matrix with %s title ''"
 					data-file with))))
@@ -310,7 +332,8 @@ line directly before or after the table."
 				table data-file params)))
 		 (when y-labels (plist-put params :ylabels y-labels)))))
       ;; Check for timestamp ind column.
-      (let ((ind (1- (plist-get params :ind))))
+      (let ((ind (1- (plist-get params :ind)))
+	    (with (plist-get params :with)))
 	(when (and (>= ind 0) (eq '2d (plist-get params :plot-type)))
 	  (if (= (length
 		  (delq 0 (mapcar
@@ -320,7 +343,7 @@ line directly before or after the table."
 		 0)
 	      (plist-put params :timeind t)
 	    ;; Check for text ind column.
-	    (if (or (string= (plist-get params :with) "hist")
+	    (if (or (and (stringp with) (string= with "hist"))
 		    (> (length
 			(delq 0 (mapcar
 				 (lambda (el)