diff --git a/src/core/core.config.js b/src/core/core.config.js
index 4fda6e38b..9723aa264 100644
--- a/src/core/core.config.js
+++ b/src/core/core.config.js
@@ -101,25 +101,12 @@ function mergeConfig(...args/* config objects ... */) {
 	});
 }
 
-function includeDefaults(options, type) {
-	return mergeConfig(
+function includeDefaults(config, options) {
+	const scaleConfig = mergeScaleConfig(config, options);
+	options = mergeConfig(
 		defaults,
-		defaults.controllers[type],
+		defaults.controllers[config.type],
 		options || {});
-}
-
-function initConfig(config) {
-	config = config || {};
-
-	// Do NOT use mergeConfig for the data object because this method merges arrays
-	// and so would change references to labels and datasets, preventing data updates.
-	const data = config.data = config.data || {datasets: [], labels: []};
-	data.datasets = data.datasets || [];
-	data.labels = data.labels || [];
-
-	const scaleConfig = mergeScaleConfig(config, config.options);
-
-	const options = config.options = includeDefaults(config.options, config.type);
 
 	options.hover = merge(Object.create(null), [
 		defaults.interaction,
@@ -140,6 +127,19 @@ function initConfig(config) {
 		options.interaction,
 		options.tooltips
 	]);
+	return options;
+}
+
+function initConfig(config) {
+	config = config || {};
+
+	// Do NOT use mergeConfig for the data object because this method merges arrays
+	// and so would change references to labels and datasets, preventing data updates.
+	const data = config.data = config.data || {datasets: [], labels: []};
+	data.datasets = data.datasets || [];
+	data.labels = data.labels || [];
+
+	config.options = includeDefaults(config, config.options);
 
 	return config;
 }
@@ -171,11 +171,6 @@ export default class Config {
 
 	update(options) {
 		const config = this._config;
-		const scaleConfig = mergeScaleConfig(config, options);
-
-		options = includeDefaults(options, config.type);
-
-		options.scales = scaleConfig;
-		config.options = options;
+		config.options = includeDefaults(config, options);
 	}
 }
diff --git a/test/specs/core.controller.tests.js b/test/specs/core.controller.tests.js
index 60a1a4b0b..00d968810 100644
--- a/test/specs/core.controller.tests.js
+++ b/test/specs/core.controller.tests.js
@@ -355,6 +355,28 @@ describe('Chart', function() {
 		});
 	});
 
+	describe('Updating options', function() {
+		it('update should result to same set of options as construct', function() {
+			var chart = acquireChart({
+				type: 'line',
+				data: [],
+				options: {
+					animation: false,
+					locale: 'en-US',
+					responsive: false
+				}
+			});
+			const options = chart.options;
+			chart.options = {
+				animation: false,
+				locale: 'en-US',
+				responsive: false
+			};
+			chart.update();
+			expect(chart.options).toEqual(jasmine.objectContaining(options));
+		});
+	});
+
 	describe('config.options.responsive: true (maintainAspectRatio: false)', function() {
 		it('should fill parent width and height', function() {
 			var chart = acquireChart({
diff --git a/test/utils.js b/test/utils.js
index 4a8508de7..010971dde 100644
--- a/test/utils.js
+++ b/test/utils.js
@@ -58,7 +58,6 @@ function acquireChart(config, options) {
 	config.options = config.options || {};
 	config.options.animation = config.options.animation === undefined ? false : config.options.animation;
 	config.options.responsive = config.options.responsive === undefined ? false : config.options.responsive;
-	config.options.fontFamily = config.options.fontFamily || 'Arial';
 	config.options.locale = config.options.locale || 'en-US';
 
 	wrapper.appendChild(canvas);