diff --git a/adminSiteClient/EditorCustomizeTab.tsx b/adminSiteClient/EditorCustomizeTab.tsx
index cdbc1cb260b..ae3cdf5bedc 100644
--- a/adminSiteClient/EditorCustomizeTab.tsx
+++ b/adminSiteClient/EditorCustomizeTab.tsx
@@ -577,9 +577,9 @@ export class EditorCustomizeTab<
                                         }
                                         resetButton={{
                                             onClick: () =>
-                                                (yAxisConfig.min = undefined),
+                                                (yAxisConfig.min = Infinity),
                                             disabled:
-                                                yAxisConfig.min === undefined,
+                                                yAxisConfig.min === Infinity,
                                         }}
                                         allowDecimal
                                         allowNegative
@@ -592,9 +592,9 @@ export class EditorCustomizeTab<
                                         }
                                         resetButton={{
                                             onClick: () =>
-                                                (yAxisConfig.max = undefined),
+                                                (yAxisConfig.max = -Infinity),
                                             disabled:
-                                                yAxisConfig.max === undefined,
+                                                yAxisConfig.max === -Infinity,
                                         }}
                                         allowDecimal
                                         allowNegative
diff --git a/packages/@ourworldindata/grapher/src/axis/AxisConfig.ts b/packages/@ourworldindata/grapher/src/axis/AxisConfig.ts
index 2226665d24c..676da96add0 100644
--- a/packages/@ourworldindata/grapher/src/axis/AxisConfig.ts
+++ b/packages/@ourworldindata/grapher/src/axis/AxisConfig.ts
@@ -45,10 +45,17 @@ class AxisConfigDefaults implements AxisConfigInterface {
     @observable.ref domainValues?: number[] = undefined
 }
 
-function parseAutoOrNumberFromJSON(
+function parseMinFromJSON(
     value: AxisMinMaxValueStr.auto | number | undefined
 ): number | undefined {
-    if (value === AxisMinMaxValueStr.auto) return undefined
+    if (value === AxisMinMaxValueStr.auto) return Infinity
+    return value
+}
+
+function parseMaxFromJSON(
+    value: AxisMinMaxValueStr.auto | number | undefined
+): number | undefined {
+    if (value === AxisMinMaxValueStr.auto) return -Infinity
     return value
 }
 
@@ -67,8 +74,8 @@ export class AxisConfig
     // todo: test/refactor
     updateFromObject(props?: AxisConfigInterface): void {
         if (props) extend(this, props)
-        if (props?.min) this.min = parseAutoOrNumberFromJSON(props?.min)
-        if (props?.max) this.max = parseAutoOrNumberFromJSON(props?.max)
+        if (props?.min) this.min = parseMinFromJSON(props?.min)
+        if (props?.max) this.max = parseMaxFromJSON(props?.max)
     }
 
     toObject(): AxisConfigInterface {
@@ -96,8 +103,8 @@ export class AxisConfig
 
         deleteRuntimeAndUnchangedProps(obj, new AxisConfigDefaults())
 
-        if (obj.min === undefined) obj.min = AxisMinMaxValueStr.auto
-        if (obj.max === undefined) obj.max = AxisMinMaxValueStr.auto
+        if (obj.min === Infinity) obj.min = AxisMinMaxValueStr.auto
+        if (obj.max === -Infinity) obj.max = AxisMinMaxValueStr.auto
 
         return obj
     }
diff --git a/packages/@ourworldindata/grapher/src/lineCharts/LineChart.tsx b/packages/@ourworldindata/grapher/src/lineCharts/LineChart.tsx
index 6b6e2b64ce4..37d5c4f16e7 100644
--- a/packages/@ourworldindata/grapher/src/lineCharts/LineChart.tsx
+++ b/packages/@ourworldindata/grapher/src/lineCharts/LineChart.tsx
@@ -1342,6 +1342,8 @@ export class LineChart
                 // horizontal axis to be at the bottom of the chart.
                 // see https://github.com/owid/owid-grapher/pull/975#issuecomment-890798547
                 singleValueAxisPointAlign: AxisAlign.start,
+                // default to 0 if not set
+                min: 0,
                 ...this.manager.yAxisConfig,
             },
             this
diff --git a/packages/@ourworldindata/grapher/src/schema/defaultGrapherConfig.ts b/packages/@ourworldindata/grapher/src/schema/defaultGrapherConfig.ts
index 6497d08f13c..dd0f68334e2 100644
--- a/packages/@ourworldindata/grapher/src/schema/defaultGrapherConfig.ts
+++ b/packages/@ourworldindata/grapher/src/schema/defaultGrapherConfig.ts
@@ -26,7 +26,6 @@ export const defaultGrapherConfig = {
     maxTime: "latest",
     yAxis: {
         removePointsOutsideDomain: false,
-        min: "auto",
         scaleType: "linear",
         max: "auto",
         canChangeScaleType: false,
@@ -66,7 +65,6 @@ export const defaultGrapherConfig = {
     },
     xAxis: {
         removePointsOutsideDomain: false,
-        min: "auto",
         scaleType: "linear",
         max: "auto",
         canChangeScaleType: false,
diff --git a/packages/@ourworldindata/grapher/src/schema/grapher-schema.005.yaml b/packages/@ourworldindata/grapher/src/schema/grapher-schema.005.yaml
index 79ca82b4122..4465a68f6c0 100644
--- a/packages/@ourworldindata/grapher/src/schema/grapher-schema.005.yaml
+++ b/packages/@ourworldindata/grapher/src/schema/grapher-schema.005.yaml
@@ -514,8 +514,9 @@ $defs:
                 type: string
                 description: Axis label
             min:
-                description: Minimum domain value of the axis. Inferred from data if set to "auto".
-                default: auto
+                description: |
+                    Minimum domain value of the axis. Inferred from data if set to "auto".
+                    Usually defaults to "auto", but defaults to 0 for line charts on the y-axis.
                 oneOf:
                     - type: number
                     - type: string