diff --git a/packages/perspective-viewer-highcharts/src/js/config.js b/packages/perspective-viewer-highcharts/src/js/config.js
index 613e8f4fe0..b7aa5e5e8c 100644
--- a/packages/perspective-viewer-highcharts/src/js/config.js
+++ b/packages/perspective-viewer-highcharts/src/js/config.js
@@ -87,25 +87,34 @@ export function set_category_axis(config, axis, type, top) {
 
 export function default_config(aggregates, mode) {
     let type = "scatter";
+    let hover_type = "xy";
     if (mode === "y_line") {
+        hover_type = "y";
         type = "line";
     } else if (mode === "y_area") {
+        hover_type = "y";
         type = "area";
     } else if (mode === "y_scatter") {
+        hover_type = "y";
         type = "scatter";
     } else if (mode.indexOf("bar") > -1) {
+        hover_type = "y";
         type = "column";
     } else if (mode == "treemap") {
+        hover_type = "hierarchy";
         type = "treemap";
     } else if (mode == "sunburst") {
+        hover_type = "hierarchy";
         type = "sunburst";
     } else if (mode === "scatter") {
+        hover_type = "xy";
         if (aggregates.length <= 3) {
             type = "scatter";
         } else {
             type = "bubble";
         }
     } else if (mode === "heatmap") {
+        hover_type = "xyz";
         type = "heatmap";
     }
 
@@ -217,7 +226,7 @@ export function default_config(aggregates, mode) {
                 that._view
                     .schema()
                     .then(schema => {
-                        let tooltip_text = tooltip.format_tooltip(this, type, schema, axis_titles, pivot_titles);
+                        let tooltip_text = tooltip.format_tooltip(this, hover_type, schema, axis_titles, pivot_titles);
                         highcharts_tooltip.label.attr({
                             text: tooltip_text
                         });
diff --git a/packages/perspective-viewer-highcharts/src/js/tooltip.js b/packages/perspective-viewer-highcharts/src/js/tooltip.js
index 7a7041efc5..cd48b65549 100644
--- a/packages/perspective-viewer-highcharts/src/js/tooltip.js
+++ b/packages/perspective-viewer-highcharts/src/js/tooltip.js
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ export function format_tooltip(context, type, schema, axis_titles, pivot_titles)
     const has_row_pivot = row_pivot_titles.length > 0,
         has_column_pivot = column_pivot_titles.length > 0;
 
-    if (type === "area" || type === "line" || type === "column") {
+    if (type === "y") {
         // pivots cannot be type-mapped
         let row_pivot_text = "",
             column_pivot_text = "";
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ export function format_tooltip(context, type, schema, axis_titles, pivot_titles)
         return `${row_pivot_text}
                 ${column_pivot_text}
                 <span>${axis_title}: </span><b>${format_value(context.y, axis_type)}</b>`;
-    } else if (type === "scatter" || type === "bubble") {
+    } else if (type === "xy") {
         const has_x_values = value_exists(axis_titles[0]),
             has_y_values = value_exists(axis_titles[1]),
             has_z_values = value_exists(axis_titles[2]),
@@ -86,9 +86,9 @@ export function format_tooltip(context, type, schema, axis_titles, pivot_titles)
 
         const tooltip_text = [row_pivot_text, column_pivot_text, x_text, y_text, z_text, w_text];
         return tooltip_text.join("");
-    } else if (type === "heatmap") {
+    } else if (type === "xyz") {
         return `<span>${format_value(context.point.value)}</span>`;
-    } else if (type === "treemap" || type === "sunburst") {
+    } else if (type === "hierarchy") {
         return `<span>${context.point.id}: </span><b>${format_value(context.x)}</b>`;
     }