diff --git a/psy_view/ds_widget.py b/psy_view/ds_widget.py
index a295d4e..e235ce9 100644
--- a/psy_view/ds_widget.py
+++ b/psy_view/ds_widget.py
@@ -34,7 +34,6 @@ def get_dims_to_iterate(arr):
             if size > 1 and arr[dim].ndim == 0]
 
 
-
 class DatasetWidget(QtWidgets.QSplitter):
     """A widget to control the visualization of the variables in a dataset"""
 
@@ -150,6 +149,8 @@ def __init__(self, ds=None, *args, **kwargs):
         self.addWidget(self.dimension_table)
 
         self.disable_navigation()
+        if self.ds is not None:
+            self.refresh()
 
         self.cids = {}
 
@@ -385,8 +386,9 @@ def disable_variables(self):
             btn.setEnabled(False)
 
     def enable_variables(self):
-        for btn in self.variable_buttons.values():
-            btn.setEnabled(True)
+        valid_variables = self.plotmethod_widget.valid_variables(self.ds)
+        for v, btn in self.variable_buttons.items():
+            btn.setEnabled(v in valid_variables)
 
     def start_animation(self):
         self._animating = True
@@ -724,6 +726,7 @@ def show_fig(self):
 
     def switch_tab(self):
         with self.silence_variable_buttons():
+            ds = self.ds
             if self.sp:
                 name = self.data.name
             else:
@@ -917,7 +920,15 @@ def get_slice(self, x, y):
         return None
 
     def valid_variables(self, ds):
-        return list(ds)
+        ret = []
+        plotmethod = getattr(ds.psy.plot, self.plotmethod)
+        for v in list(ds):
+            init_kws = self.init_dims(ds[v])
+            dims = init_kws.get('dims', {})
+            decoder = init_kws.get('decoder')
+            if plotmethod.check_data(ds, v, dims, decoder)[0][0]:
+                ret.append(v)
+        return ret
 
 
 class MapPlotWidget(PlotMethodWidget):
@@ -1039,7 +1050,7 @@ def init_dims(self, var):
             missing = [dim for dim in var.dims if dim not in dims]
             for dim in missing:
                 dims[dim] = 0
-            if len(dims) == 1:
+            if len(dims) == 1 and xdim != ydim:
                 if xdim is None:
                     xdim = missing[-1]
                 else:
@@ -1056,7 +1067,8 @@ def init_dims(self, var):
             ret.setdefault('decoder', {})
             ret['decoder']['y'] = {ycoord}
 
-        if xdim is not None and xdim in var.dims:
+        if (xdim is not None and xdim in var.dims and
+                ydim is not None and ydim in var.dims):
             ret['transpose'] = var.dims.index(xdim) < var.dims.index(ydim)
 
         return ret
@@ -1502,7 +1514,7 @@ def block_combos(self):
         self.combo_lines.blockSignals(False)
 
     def valid_variables(self, ds):
-        valid = super().valid_variables(ds)
+        valid = list(ds)
         if not self.sp or len(self.sp[0]) < 2:
             return valid
         else:
diff --git a/tests/test_ds_widget.py b/tests/test_ds_widget.py
index 49c61c4..18f5c16 100644
--- a/tests/test_ds_widget.py
+++ b/tests/test_ds_widget.py
@@ -49,7 +49,7 @@ def test_plot2d(qtbot, ds_widget):
     assert not ds_widget.sp
 
 
-def test_plot2d_dim_switch(qtbot, ds_widget, test_ds):
+def test_plot2d_dim_switch(qtbot, ds_widget, test_ds, test_file):
     arr = test_ds['t2m']
 
     ds_widget.plotmethod = 'plot2d'
@@ -258,3 +258,26 @@ def animation_finished():
     # stop animation
     qtbot.mouseClick(btn, Qt.LeftButton)
     assert not ds_widget._animating
+
+
+def test_enable_disable_variables(test_ds, qtbot):
+    from psy_view.ds_widget import DatasetWidget
+    import numpy as np
+    test_ds['line'] = ('xtest', np.zeros(7))
+    test_ds['xtest'] = ('xtest', np.arange(7))
+
+    ds_widget = DatasetWidget(test_ds)
+    qtbot.addWidget(ds_widget)
+
+    assert ds_widget.variable_buttons['t2m'].isEnabled()
+    assert not ds_widget.variable_buttons['line'].isEnabled()
+
+    ds_widget.plotmethod = 'lineplot'
+
+    assert ds_widget.variable_buttons['t2m'].isEnabled()
+    assert ds_widget.variable_buttons['line'].isEnabled()
+
+    ds_widget.plotmethod = 'plot2d'
+
+    assert ds_widget.variable_buttons['t2m'].isEnabled()
+    assert not ds_widget.variable_buttons['line'].isEnabled()