diff --git a/docs/src/whatsnew/dev.rst b/docs/src/whatsnew/dev.rst
index 857264f43f..c91f65717a 100644
--- a/docs/src/whatsnew/dev.rst
+++ b/docs/src/whatsnew/dev.rst
@@ -37,7 +37,9 @@ This document explains the changes made to Iris for this release
 🐛 Bugs Fixed
 =============
 
-#. N/A
+#. `@rcomer`_ reverted part of the change from :pull:`3906` so that
+   :func:`iris.plot.plot` no longer defaults to placing a "Y" coordinate (e.g.
+   latitude) on the y-axis of the plot. (:issue:`4493`, :pull:`4601`)
 
 
 💣 Incompatible Changes
diff --git a/lib/iris/plot.py b/lib/iris/plot.py
index 3cd54ef08f..aefca889cf 100644
--- a/lib/iris/plot.py
+++ b/lib/iris/plot.py
@@ -673,7 +673,7 @@ def _get_plot_objects(args):
         if (
             isinstance(v_object, iris.cube.Cube)
             and isinstance(u_object, iris.coords.Coord)
-            and iris.util.guess_coord_axis(u_object) in ["Y", "Z"]
+            and iris.util.guess_coord_axis(u_object) == "Z"
         ):
             u_object, v_object = v_object, u_object
             u, v = v, u
diff --git a/lib/iris/tests/results/imagerepo.json b/lib/iris/tests/results/imagerepo.json
index 79560a5365..6a997c38b4 100644
--- a/lib/iris/tests/results/imagerepo.json
+++ b/lib/iris/tests/results/imagerepo.json
@@ -684,7 +684,10 @@
         "https://scitools.github.io/test-iris-imagehash/images/v4/8bfe956b7c01c2f26300929dfc1e3c6690736f91817e3b0c84be6be5d1603ed1.png"
     ],
     "iris.tests.test_plot.TestPlot.test_y.0": [
-        "https://scitools.github.io/test-iris-imagehash/images/v4/8ff99c067e01e7166101c9c6b04396b5cd4e2f0993163de9c4fe7b79207e36a1.png"
+        "https://scitools.github.io/test-iris-imagehash/images/v4/8fe896266f068d873b83cb71e435725cd07c607ad07e70fcd0007a7881fe7ab8.png",
+        "https://scitools.github.io/test-iris-imagehash/images/v4/8fe896066f068d873b83cb71e435725cd07c607ad07c70fcd0007af881fe7bb8.png",
+        "https://scitools.github.io/test-iris-imagehash/images/v4/8fe896366f0f8d93398bcb71e435f24ed074646ed07670acf010726d81f2798c.png",
+        "https://scitools.github.io/test-iris-imagehash/images/v4/aff8946c7a14c99fb193d263e42432d8d00c2d27944a3f8dc5223ef703ff6b90.png"
     ],
     "iris.tests.test_plot.TestPlot.test_z.0": [
         "https://scitools.github.io/test-iris-imagehash/images/v4/8fffc1dc7e019c70f001b70ee4386de1814e7938837b6a7f84d07c9f15b02f21.png"
@@ -874,7 +877,10 @@
         "https://scitools.github.io/test-iris-imagehash/images/v4/82ff950b7f81c0d6620199bcfc5e986695734da1816e1b2c85be2b65d96276d1.png"
     ],
     "iris.tests.test_plot.TestQuickplotPlot.test_y.0": [
-        "https://scitools.github.io/test-iris-imagehash/images/v4/a3f9bc067e01c6166009c9c6b5439ee5cd4e0d2993361de9ccf65b79887636a9.png"
+        "https://scitools.github.io/test-iris-imagehash/images/v4/a7ffb6067f008d87339bc973e435d86ef034c87ad07c586cd001da69897e5838.png",
+        "https://scitools.github.io/test-iris-imagehash/images/v4/a7ffb6067f008d87339bc973e435d86ef034c87ad07cd86cd001da68897e58a8.png",
+        "https://scitools.github.io/test-iris-imagehash/images/v4/a7efb6367f008d97338fc973e435d86ef030c86ed070d86cd030d86d89f0d82c.png",
+        "https://scitools.github.io/test-iris-imagehash/images/v4/a2fbb46e7f10c99f2013d863e46498dcd06c0d2798421fa5dd221e7789ff6f10.png"
     ],
     "iris.tests.test_plot.TestQuickplotPlot.test_z.0": [
         "https://scitools.github.io/test-iris-imagehash/images/v4/a3ffc1de7e009c7030019786f438cde3810fd93c9b734a778ce47c9799b02731.png"