diff --git a/docs/src/man/compositing.md b/docs/src/man/compositing.md
index d7ade8b35..c52461b06 100644
--- a/docs/src/man/compositing.md
+++ b/docs/src/man/compositing.md
@@ -57,9 +57,11 @@ iris = dataset("datasets", "iris")
 
 ```@example stacks
 set_default_plot_size(14cm, 16cm) # hide
-fig1a = plot(iris, x=:SepalLength, y=:SepalWidth, Geom.point)
-fig1b = plot(iris, x=:SepalLength, Geom.density,
-             Guide.ylabel("density"), Coord.cartesian(xmin=4, xmax=8))
+theme1 = Theme(key_position=:none)
+fig1a = plot(iris, x=:SepalLength, y=:SepalWidth, color=:Species, theme1,
+          alpha=[0.6], size=:PetalLength, Scale.size_area(maxvalue=7))
+fig1b = plot(iris, x=:SepalLength, color=:Species, Geom.density,
+          Guide.ylabel("density"), Coord.cartesian(xmin=4, xmax=8), theme1)
 vstack(fig1a,fig1b)
 ```
 
@@ -77,18 +79,24 @@ to use `gridstack`.
 gridstack([p1 p2; p3 p4])
 ```
 
-For each of these commands, you can leave a panel empty by passing in a
-`Compose.context()` object.
+For each of these commands, you can leave a panel blank by passing an empty `plot()`.
+Other elements, e.g. `Scales` and `Guides`, can be added to blank plots.  If the plot contains aesthetic mappings,
+use `Geom.blank`.
 
 ```@example stacks
-using Compose
+using Compose # for w, h relative units
 set_default_plot_size(21cm, 16cm) # hide
-fig1c = plot(iris, x=:SepalWidth, Geom.density,
-             Guide.ylabel("density"), Coord.cartesian(xmin=2, xmax=4.5))
-gridstack(Union{Plot,Compose.Context}[fig1a fig1c; fig1b Compose.context()])
+fig1c = plot(iris, x=:SepalWidth, color=:Species, Geom.density,
+          Guide.ylabel("density"), Coord.cartesian(xmin=2, xmax=4.5), theme1)
+fig1d = plot(iris, color=:Species, size=:PetalLength, Geom.blank,
+          Scale.size_area(maxvalue=7), Theme(key_swatch_color="silver"),
+          Guide.colorkey(title="Species", pos=[0.55w,-0.15h]),
+          Guide.sizekey(title="PetalLength (cm)", pos=[0.2w, -0.10h]))
+gridstack([fig1a fig1c; fig1b fig1d])
 ```
 
-Note that in this case the array must be explicitly typed.
+Note in this example, the Guide `pos` argument is in [width, height] relative units, which come from 
+[Compose](http://giovineitalia.github.io/Compose.jl/latest/tutorial/#Measures-can-be-a-combination-of-absolute-and-relative-units-1).
 
 Lastly, `title` can be used to add a descriptive string to the top of a stack.
 
diff --git a/src/Gadfly.jl b/src/Gadfly.jl
index bc61b4581..2f57623ba 100755
--- a/src/Gadfly.jl
+++ b/src/Gadfly.jl
@@ -378,7 +378,7 @@ end
 function render_prepare(plot::Plot)
     if isempty(plot.layers)
         layer = Layer()
-        layer.geom = Geom.point()
+        layer.geom = isempty(plot.mapping) ? Geom.blank() : Geom.point()
         push!(plot.layers, layer)
     end
 
diff --git a/src/guide/keys.jl b/src/guide/keys.jl
index 7f3edb02b..aff3624b9 100644
--- a/src/guide/keys.jl
+++ b/src/guide/keys.jl
@@ -303,7 +303,7 @@ end
 Manually define a discrete key with the legend `title` and `labels`, and swatch `color`, `shape` and `size`.
 The swatch aesthetics can be Vectors of specific types (as above), or integer ranges.
 Integer ranges refer to the order of items in the discrete Theme palettes [Discrete Scales](@ref).
-Set the key position inside using `pos` (see ([`Guide.sizekey`](@ref), [`Guide.shapekey`](@ref)).
+Set the key position inside using `pos` (see [`Guide.sizekey`](@ref), [`Guide.shapekey`](@ref)).
 """
 manual_discrete_key(title::AbstractString, labels::Vector{String}; kwargs...) =
     ManualDiscreteKey(title=title, labels=labels; kwargs...)