diff --git a/R/guide-.R b/R/guide-.R
index daf026e88a..f3047a450a 100644
--- a/R/guide-.R
+++ b/R/guide-.R
@@ -25,13 +25,8 @@ new_guide <- function(..., available_aes = "any", super) {
   params <- intersect(names(args), param_names)
   params <- defaults(args[params], super$params)
 
-  # Set elements
-  elems_names <- names(super$elements)
-  elems  <- intersect(names(args), elems_names)
-  elems  <- defaults(args[elems], super$elements)
-
   # Warn about extra arguments
-  extra_args <- setdiff(names(args), union(param_names, elems_names))
+  extra_args <- setdiff(names(args), param_names)
   if (length(extra_args) > 0) {
     cli::cli_warn(paste0(
       "Ignoring unknown {cli::qty(extra_args)} argument{?s} to ",
@@ -56,8 +51,7 @@ new_guide <- function(..., available_aes = "any", super) {
 
   ggproto(
     NULL, super,
-    params   = params,
-    elements = elems,
+    params = params,
     available_aes = available_aes
   )
 }
@@ -128,6 +122,11 @@ new_guide <- function(..., available_aes = "any", super) {
 #'   It can be used to overrule user-supplied parameters or perform checks on
 #'   the `params` property.
 #'
+#' - `setup_elements()` Used to extract elements from the theme. The base
+#'   `Guide` uses this method to merge a potential `internal_theme` with the
+#'   global theme and to calculate the elements declared in `Guide$elements`.
+#'   For other guides, this is a good place to intervene in theme inheritance.
+#'
 #' - `override_elements()` Take populated theme elements derived from the
 #'   `elements` property and allows overriding these theme settings.
 #'
@@ -274,6 +273,7 @@ Guide <- ggproto(
   # Converts the `elements` field to proper elements to be accepted by
   # `element_grob()`. String-interpolates aesthetic/position dependent elements.
   setup_elements = function(params, elements, theme) {
+    theme <- merge_internal_theme(theme, params$internal_theme)
     is_char  <- vapply(elements, is.character, logical(1))
     elements[is_char] <- lapply(elements[is_char], calc_element, theme = theme)
     elements
@@ -457,3 +457,53 @@ validate_labels <- function(labels) {
     unlist(labels)
   }
 }
+
+# This logic is similar to `add_theme()` with the following exceptions:
+#
+# 1. Elements in `new` that have `inherit.blank = TRUE` and are blank in `old`
+#    will remain blank.
+# 2. `NULL` elements in `new` are ignored.
+# 3. When an `old` element is a subclass of the `new` element, that subclass
+#    is preserved.
+merge_internal_theme <- function(old, new, new_name = caller_arg(new)) {
+  if (length(new) == 0) {
+    return(old)
+  }
+  # Get non empty names of new theme
+  nms <- names(new)[!vapply(new, is.null, logical(1))]
+
+  # Does any of the new theme elements carry over blank elements?
+  inherit_blank <- vapply(
+    new[nms], FUN.VALUE = logical(1),
+    function(x) is.list(x) && isTRUE(x$inherit.blank)
+  )
+  # Are their equivalents in the old theme blank?
+  is_blank <- vapply(old[nms], inherits, logical(1), what = "element_blank")
+
+  # Only merge in elements that shouldn't become blank
+  keep <- nms[!(inherit_blank & is_blank)]
+
+  try_fetch(
+    for (item in keep) {
+      x <- merge_subclass(new[[item]], old[[item]])
+      old[item] <- list(x)
+    },
+    error = function(cnd) {
+      cli::cli_abort(
+        "Problem merging the {.var {item}} theme element.",
+        parent = cnd
+      )
+    }
+  )
+  old
+}
+
+merge_subclass <- function(new, old) {
+  if (!is.subclass(old, new)) {
+    return(merge_element(new, old))
+  }
+  idx <- !vapply(new, is.null, logical(1))
+  idx <- names(new)[idx]
+  old[idx] <- new[idx]
+  old
+}
diff --git a/R/guide-bins.R b/R/guide-bins.R
index 1f2228c8c3..71a938cf8e 100644
--- a/R/guide-bins.R
+++ b/R/guide-bins.R
@@ -108,16 +108,6 @@ guide_bins <- function(
   show.limits  = NULL,
   ...
 ) {
-
-  if (!(is.null(keywidth) || is.unit(keywidth))) {
-    keywidth <- unit(keywidth, default.unit)
-  }
-  if (!(is.null(keyheight) || is.unit(keyheight))) {
-    keyheight <- unit(keyheight, default.unit)
-  }
-  if (!is.unit(ticks.length)) {
-    ticks.length <- unit(ticks.length, default.unit)
-  }
   if (!is.null(title.position)) {
     title.position <- arg_match0(title.position, .trbl)
   }
@@ -127,13 +117,12 @@ guide_bins <- function(
   if (!is.null(label.position)) {
     label.position <- arg_match0(label.position, .trbl)
   }
-
   if (is.logical(axis)) {
-    axis <- if (axis) element_line() else element_rect()
+    axis <- if (!isFALSE(axis)) element_line() else element_blank()
   }
   if (inherits(axis, "element_line")) {
-    axis$colour    <- axis.colour    %||% axis$colour      %||% "black"
-    axis$linewidth <- axis.linewidth %||% axis$linewidth   %||% (0.5 / .pt)
+    axis$colour    <- axis.colour    %||% axis$colour    %||% "black"
+    axis$linewidth <- axis.linewidth %||% axis$linewidth %||% (0.5 / .pt)
     axis$arrow     <- axis.arrow     %||% axis$arrow
   } else {
     axis <- element_blank()
@@ -144,29 +133,34 @@ guide_bins <- function(
     ticks$arrow <- NULL
   }
 
+  label.theme <- if (!isFALSE(label)) label.theme else element_blank()
+  label.theme <- combine_elements(
+    label.theme,
+    element_text(hjust = label.hjust, vjust = label.vjust, inherit.blank = TRUE)
+  )
+  title.theme <- combine_elements(
+    title.theme,
+    element_text(hjust = title.hjust, vjust = title.vjust, inherit.blank = TRUE)
+  )
+
+  internal_theme <- theme(
+    legend.text       = label.theme,
+    legend.title      = title.theme,
+    legend.key.width  = set_default_unit(keywidth,  default.unit),
+    legend.key.height = set_default_unit(keyheight, default.unit),
+    axis_line         = axis,
+    ticks             = ticks,
+    ticks_length      = set_default_unit(ticks.length, default.unit)
+  )
+
   new_guide(
     # title
     title = title,
     title.position = title.position,
-    title.theme = title.theme,
-    title.hjust = title.hjust,
-    title.vjust = title.vjust,
-
-    # label
-    label = label,
     label.position = label.position,
-    label.theme = label.theme,
-    label.hjust = label.hjust,
-    label.vjust = label.vjust,
 
-    # key
-    keywidth  = keywidth,
-    keyheight = keyheight,
-
-    # ticks
-    line  = axis,
-    ticks = ticks,
-    ticks_length = ticks.length,
+    # theme
+    internal_theme = internal_theme,
 
     # general
     direction = direction,
@@ -193,20 +187,10 @@ GuideBins <- ggproto(
   params = list(
     title = waiver(),
     title.position = NULL,
-    title.theme = NULL,
-    title.hjust = NULL,
-    title.vjust = NULL,
-
-    label = TRUE,
     label.position = NULL,
-    label.theme = NULL,
-    label.hjust = NULL,
-    label.vjust = NULL,
-
-    keywidth  = NULL,
-    keyheight = NULL,
+    internal_theme = NULL,
 
-    direction = NULL,
+    # direction = NULL,
     override.aes = list(),
     reverse = FALSE,
     order = 0,
@@ -221,8 +205,8 @@ GuideBins <- ggproto(
   elements = c(
     GuideLegend$elements,
     list(
-      line  = "line",
-      ticks = "line",
+      axis_line = "line",
+      ticks     = "line",
       ticks_length = unit(0.2, "npc")
     )
   ),
@@ -329,8 +313,9 @@ GuideBins <- ggproto(
   },
 
   override_elements = function(params, elements, theme) {
-    elements$ticks <- combine_elements(elements$ticks, theme$line)
-    elements$line  <- combine_elements(elements$line,  theme$line)
+    itheme <- params$internal_theme
+    elements$ticks <- combine_elements(itheme$ticks, elements$ticks)
+    elements$line  <- combine_elements(itheme$axis_line, elements$axis_line)
     GuideLegend$override_elements(params, elements, theme)
   },
 
diff --git a/R/guide-colorbar.R b/R/guide-colorbar.R
index 265d6bec61..0f6a7f89aa 100644
--- a/R/guide-colorbar.R
+++ b/R/guide-colorbar.R
@@ -158,16 +158,6 @@ guide_colourbar <- function(
   available_aes = c("colour", "color", "fill"),
   ...
 ) {
-  if (!(is.null(barwidth) || is.unit(barwidth))) {
-    barwidth <- unit(barwidth, default.unit)
-  }
-  if (!(is.null(barheight) || is.unit(barheight))) {
-    barheight <- unit(barheight, default.unit)
-  }
-  if (!is.unit(ticks.length)) {
-    ticks.length <- unit(ticks.length, default.unit)
-  }
-
   if (!is.null(title.position)) {
     title.position <- arg_match0(title.position, .trbl)
   }
@@ -205,6 +195,26 @@ guide_colourbar <- function(
     ticks$linewidth <- ticks.linewidth %||% ticks$linewidth %||% (0.5 / .pt)
   }
 
+  label.theme <- if (!isFALSE(label)) label.theme else element_blank()
+  label.theme <- combine_elements(
+    label.theme,
+    element_text(hjust = label.hjust, vjust = label.vjust)
+  )
+  title.theme <- combine_elements(
+    title.theme,
+    element_text(hjust = title.hjust, vjust = title.vjust)
+  )
+
+  internal_theme <- theme(
+    legend.text       = label.theme,
+    legend.title      = title.theme,
+    legend.key.width  = set_default_unit(barwidth,  default.unit),
+    legend.key.height = set_default_unit(barheight, default.unit),
+    frame             = frame,
+    ticks             = ticks,
+    ticks.length      = set_default_unit(ticks.length, default.unit)
+  )
+
   # Trick to re-use this constructor in `guide_coloursteps()`.
   args  <- list2(...)
   super <- args$super %||% GuideColourbar
@@ -214,29 +224,14 @@ guide_colourbar <- function(
     # title
     title = title,
     title.position = title.position,
-    title.theme = title.theme,
-    title.hjust = title.hjust,
-    title.vjust = title.vjust,
-
-    # label
-    label = label,
     label.position = label.position,
-    label.theme = label.theme,
-    label.hjust = label.hjust,
-    label.vjust = label.vjust,
+
+    # theme
+    internal_theme = internal_theme,
 
     # bar
-    keywidth = barwidth,
-    keyheight = barheight,
     nbin = nbin,
     raster = raster,
-
-    # frame
-    frame = frame,
-
-    # ticks
-    ticks = ticks,
-    ticks_length = ticks.length,
     draw_lim = c(isTRUE(draw.llim), isTRUE(draw.ulim)),
 
     # general
@@ -267,20 +262,10 @@ GuideColourbar <- ggproto(
     # title
     title = waiver(),
     title.position = NULL,
-    title.theme = NULL,
-    title.hjust = NULL,
-    title.vjust = NULL,
-
-    # label
-    label = TRUE,
     label.position = NULL,
-    label.theme = NULL,
-    label.hjust = NULL,
-    label.vjust = NULL,
 
     # bar
-    keywidth  = NULL,
-    keyheight = NULL,
+    internal_theme = NULL,
     nbin = 300,
     raster = TRUE,
 
@@ -311,7 +296,7 @@ GuideColourbar <- ggproto(
     key.height  = "legend.key.height",
     key.width   = "legend.key.width",
     text        = "legend.text",
-    theme.title = "legend.title"
+    title       = "legend.title"
   ),
 
   extract_key = function(scale, aesthetic, ...) {
@@ -392,15 +377,20 @@ GuideColourbar <- ggproto(
     params
   },
 
-  override_elements = function(params, elements, theme) {
-    # These key sizes are the defaults, the GuideLegend method may overrule this
+  setup_elements = function(params, elements, theme) {
+    # Key sizes are already calculated before `Guides$draw()`
     if (params$direction == "horizontal") {
-      elements$key.width <- elements$key.width * 5
+      theme$legend.key.width  <- theme$legend.key.width * 5
     } else {
-      elements$key.height <- elements$key.height * 5
+      theme$legend.key.height <- theme$legend.key.height * 5
     }
-    elements$ticks <- combine_elements(elements$ticks, theme$line)
-    elements$frame <- combine_elements(elements$frame, theme$rect)
+    GuideLegend$setup_elements(params, elements, theme)
+  },
+
+  override_elements = function(params, elements, theme) {
+    itheme <- params$internal_theme
+    elements$ticks <- combine_elements(itheme$ticks, elements$ticks)
+    elements$frame <- combine_elements(itheme$frame, elements$frame)
     GuideLegend$override_elements(params, elements, theme)
   },
 
diff --git a/R/guide-legend.R b/R/guide-legend.R
index 3a0d2bb8a7..65f0e380f8 100644
--- a/R/guide-legend.R
+++ b/R/guide-legend.R
@@ -32,8 +32,7 @@
 #'   object of [element_text()] is expected. By default, the theme is
 #'   specified by `legend.text` in [theme()].
 #' @param label.hjust A numeric specifying horizontal justification of the
-#'   label text. The default for standard text is 0 (left-aligned) and 1
-#'   (right-aligned) for expressions.
+#'   label text.
 #' @param label.vjust A numeric specifying vertical justification of the label
 #'   text.
 #' @param keywidth A numeric or a [grid::unit()] object specifying
@@ -163,49 +162,43 @@ guide_legend <- function(
   ...
 ) {
   # Resolve key sizes
-  if (!(is.null(keywidth) || is.unit(keywidth))) {
-    keywidth <- unit(keywidth, default.unit)
-  }
-  if (!(is.null(keyheight) || is.unit(keyheight))) {
-    keyheight <- unit(keyheight, default.unit)
-  }
-
-  # Resolve spacing
-  key.spacing.x <- key.spacing.x %||% key.spacing
-  if (!is.null(key.spacing.x) || is.unit(key.spacing.x)) {
-    key.spacing.x <- unit(key.spacing.x, default.unit)
-  }
-  key.spacing.y <- key.spacing.y %||% key.spacing
-  if (!is.null(key.spacing.y) || is.unit(key.spacing.y)) {
-    key.spacing.y <- unit(key.spacing.y, default.unit)
-  }
-
-
   if (!is.null(title.position)) {
     title.position <- arg_match0(title.position, .trbl)
   }
   if (!is.null(label.position)) {
     label.position <- arg_match0(label.position, .trbl)
   }
+  label.theme <- if (!isFALSE(label)) label.theme else element_blank()
+  label.theme <- combine_elements(
+    label.theme,
+    element_text(hjust = label.hjust, vjust = label.vjust, inherit.blank = TRUE)
+  )
+  title.theme <- combine_elements(
+    title.theme,
+    element_text(hjust = title.hjust, vjust = label.vjust, inherit.blank = TRUE)
+  )
+
+  internal_theme <- theme(
+    legend.text       = label.theme,
+    legend.title      = title.theme,
+    legend.key.width  = set_default_unit(keywidth,  default.unit),
+    legend.key.height = set_default_unit(keyheight, default.unit),
+  )
+
+  # Resolve spacing
+  key.spacing.x <- set_default_unit(key.spacing.x %||% key.spacing, default.unit)
+  key.spacing.y <- set_default_unit(key.spacing.y %||% key.spacing, default.unit)
 
   new_guide(
     # Title
     title = title,
     title.position = title.position,
-    title.theme = title.theme,
-    title.hjust = title.hjust,
-    title.vjust = title.vjust,
 
     # Label
-    label = label,
     label.position = label.position,
-    label.theme = label.theme,
-    label.hjust = label.hjust,
-    label.vjust = label.vjust,
 
-    # Key size
-    keywidth  = keywidth,
-    keyheight = keyheight,
+    # Theme
+    internal_theme = internal_theme,
     key.spacing.x = key.spacing.x,
     key.spacing.y = key.spacing.y,
 
@@ -235,18 +228,8 @@ GuideLegend <- ggproto(
   params = list(
     title = waiver(),
     title.position = NULL,
-    title.theme = NULL,
-    title.hjust = NULL,
-    title.vjust = NULL,
-
-    label = TRUE,
     label.position = NULL,
-    label.theme = NULL,
-    label.hjust = NULL,
-    label.vjust = NULL,
-
-    keywidth  = NULL,
-    keyheight = NULL,
+    internal_theme = NULL,
     key.spacing.x = NULL,
     key.spacing.y = NULL,
 
@@ -275,7 +258,7 @@ GuideLegend <- ggproto(
     key.height  = "legend.key.height",
     key.width   = "legend.key.width",
     text        = "legend.text",
-    theme.title = "legend.title"
+    title       = "legend.title"
   ),
 
   extract_params = function(scale, params,
@@ -410,52 +393,31 @@ GuideLegend <- ggproto(
     params
   },
 
-  override_elements = function(params, elements, theme) {
+  setup_elements = function(params, elements, theme) {
 
-    # Title
-    title <- combine_elements(params$title.theme, elements$theme.title)
-    title$hjust <- params$title.hjust %||% title$hjust %||% 0
-    title$vjust <- params$title.vjust %||% title$vjust %||% 0.5
-    elements$title <- title
-
-    # Labels
-    if (!is.null(elements$text)) {
-      label <- combine_elements(params$label.theme, elements$text)
-      if (!params$label || is.null(params$key$.label)) {
-        label <- element_blank()
-      } else {
-        hjust <- unname(label_hjust_defaults[params$label.position])
-        vjust <- unname(label_vjust_defaults[params$label.position])
-        # Expressions default to right-justified
-        if (hjust == 0 && any(is.expression(params$key$.label))) {
-          hjust <- 1
-        }
-        # Breaking justification inheritance for intuition purposes.
-        if (is.null(params$label.theme$hjust) &&
-            is.null(theme$legend.text$hjust)) {
-          label$hjust <- NULL
-        }
-        if (is.null(params$label.theme$vjust) &&
-            is.null(theme$legend.text$vjust)) {
-          label$vjust <- NULL
-        }
-        label$hjust <- params$label.hjust %||% label$hjust %||% hjust
-        label$vjust <- params$label.vjust %||% label$vjust %||% vjust
-      }
-      elements$text <- label
-    }
+    # We break inheritance of text justification for intuition purposes
+    default_just <- legend_label_just(params$label.position)
+    theme$legend.text$hjust <- theme$legend.text$hjust %||% default_just[1]
+    theme$legend.text$vjust <- theme$legend.text$vjust %||% default_just[2]
 
-    # Keys
-    if (any(c("key.width", "key.height") %in% names(elements))) {
-      elements$key.width  <- width_cm( params$keywidth  %||% elements$key.width)
-      elements$key.height <- height_cm(params$keyheight %||% elements$key.height)
-    }
+    # We break inheritance of the text margins to add small spacings between
+    # labels and keys.
+    # We set the global text's margin to NULL here, so that a NULL in the
+    # computed elements indicates that no explicit margin has been set in
+    # neither the guide nor the theme's legend.text/legend.title.
+    theme$text$margin <- NULL
+
+    Guide$setup_elements(params, elements, theme)
+  },
+
+  override_elements = function(params, elements, theme) {
+
+    elements$key.width  <- width_cm(elements$key.width)
+    elements$key.height <- height_cm(elements$key.height)
 
     # Spacing
-    gap <- title$size %||% elements$theme.title$size %||%
-      elements$text$size %||% 11
+    gap <- elements$title$size %||% elements$text$size %||% 11
     gap <- unit(gap * 0.5, "pt")
-    # Should maybe be elements$spacing.{x/y} instead of the theme's spacing?
 
     if (params$direction == "vertical") {
       # For backward compatibility, vertical default is no spacing
@@ -471,18 +433,16 @@ GuideLegend <- ggproto(
       "cm", valueOnly = TRUE
     )
 
-    # When no explicit margin has been set, either in this guide or in the
-    # theme, we set a default text margin to leave a small gap in between
-    # the label and the key.
-    if (is.null(params$label.theme$margin %||% theme$legend.text$margin) &&
-        !inherits(elements$text, "element_blank")) {
-      i <- match(params$label.position, .trbl[c(3, 4, 1, 2)])
-      elements$text$margin[i] <- elements$text$margin[i] + gap
+    # When no explicit margin has been set, we set a default text margin
+    # to leave a small gap in between the label and the key.
+    margin <- theme$text$margin %||% margin()
+    if (is.null(elements$text$margin)) {
+      i <- match(opposite_position(params$label.position), .trbl) # match opposite
+      elements$text$margin <- replace(margin, i, margin[i] + gap)
     }
-    if (is.null(params$title.theme$margin %||% theme$legend.title$margin) &&
-        !inherits(elements$title, "element_blank")) {
-      i <- match(params$title.position, .trbl[c(3, 4, 1, 2)])
-      elements$title$margin[i] <- elements$title$margin[i] + gap
+    if (is.null(elements$title$margin)) {
+      i <- match(opposite_position(params$title.position), .trbl)
+      elements$title$margin <- replace(margin, i, margin[i] + gap)
     }
 
     # Evaluate backgrounds early
@@ -773,8 +733,16 @@ GuideLegend <- ggproto(
   }
 )
 
-label_hjust_defaults <- c(top = 0.5, bottom = 0.5, left = 1,   right = 0)
-label_vjust_defaults <- c(top = 0,   bottom = 1,   left = 0.5, right = 0.5)
+legend_label_just <- function(position) {
+  default_just <- switch(
+    position,
+    top    = c(0.5, 0),
+    bottom = c(0.5, 1),
+    left   = c(1, 0.5),
+    right  = c(0, 0.5),
+    arg_match0(position, .trbl, arg = "label.position")
+  )
+}
 
 measure_legend_keys <- function(decor, n, dim, byrow = FALSE,
                                 default_width = 1, default_height = 1) {
diff --git a/R/theme.R b/R/theme.R
index e07fd29214..1b36401dc7 100644
--- a/R/theme.R
+++ b/R/theme.R
@@ -560,7 +560,6 @@ add_theme <- function(t1, t2, t2name, call = caller_env()) {
   t1
 }
 
-
 #' Calculate the element properties, by inheriting properties from its parents
 #'
 #' @param element The name of the theme element to calculate
@@ -775,12 +774,12 @@ combine_elements <- function(e1, e2) {
 
   # Calculate relative sizes
   if (is.rel(e1$size)) {
-    e1$size <- e2$size * unclass(e1$size)
+    e1$size <- (e2$size %||% rel(1)) * unclass(e1$size)
   }
 
   # Calculate relative linewidth
   if (is.rel(e1$linewidth)) {
-    e1$linewidth <- e2$linewidth * unclass(e1$linewidth)
+    e1$linewidth <- (e2$linewidth %||% rel(1)) * unclass(e1$linewidth)
   }
 
   # If e2 is 'richer' than e1, fill e2 with e1 parameters
diff --git a/R/utilities-grid.R b/R/utilities-grid.R
index 389dad3eea..72ccfddf33 100644
--- a/R/utilities-grid.R
+++ b/R/utilities-grid.R
@@ -35,3 +35,10 @@ height_cm <- function(x) {
     cli::cli_abort("Don't know how to get height of {.cls {class(x)}} object")
   }
 }
+
+set_default_unit <- function(x, default.unit) {
+  if (is.null(x) || is.unit(x)) {
+    return(x)
+  }
+  unit(x, default.unit)
+}
diff --git a/man/ggplot2-ggproto.Rd b/man/ggplot2-ggproto.Rd
index 04e9780bfe..82fbf21dd0 100644
--- a/man/ggplot2-ggproto.Rd
+++ b/man/ggplot2-ggproto.Rd
@@ -423,12 +423,18 @@ range.
 \item \code{merge()} Combines information from multiple guides with the same
 \code{params$hash}. This ensures that e.g. \code{guide_legend()} can display both
 \code{shape} and \code{colour} in the same guide.
-\item \code{get_layer_key()} Extract information from layers. This can be used to
-check that the guide's aesthetic is actually in use, or to gather
-information about how legend keys should be displayed.
+\item \code{process_layers()} Extract information from layers. This acts mostly
+as a filter for which layers to include and these are then (typically)
+forwarded to \code{get_layer_key()}.
+\item \code{get_layer_key()} This can be used to gather information about how legend
+keys should be displayed.
 \item \code{setup_params()} Set up parameters at the beginning of drawing stages.
 It can be used to overrule user-supplied parameters or perform checks on
 the \code{params} property.
+\item \code{setup_elements()} Used to extract elements from the theme. The base
+\code{Guide} uses this method to merge a potential \code{internal_theme} with the
+global theme and to calculate the elements declared in \code{Guide$elements}.
+For other guides, this is a good place to intervene in theme inheritance.
 \item \code{override_elements()} Take populated theme elements derived from the
 \code{elements} property and allows overriding these theme settings.
 \item \code{build_title()} Render the guide's title.
diff --git a/man/guide_bins.Rd b/man/guide_bins.Rd
index 6eeada9598..dcca3c5a33 100644
--- a/man/guide_bins.Rd
+++ b/man/guide_bins.Rd
@@ -64,8 +64,7 @@ object of \code{\link[=element_text]{element_text()}} is expected. By default, t
 specified by \code{legend.text} in \code{\link[=theme]{theme()}}.}
 
 \item{label.hjust}{A numeric specifying horizontal justification of the
-label text. The default for standard text is 0 (left-aligned) and 1
-(right-aligned) for expressions.}
+label text.}
 
 \item{label.vjust}{A numeric specifying vertical justification of the label
 text.}
diff --git a/man/guide_colourbar.Rd b/man/guide_colourbar.Rd
index 7813c12b1c..3ae922e0dc 100644
--- a/man/guide_colourbar.Rd
+++ b/man/guide_colourbar.Rd
@@ -103,8 +103,7 @@ object of \code{\link[=element_text]{element_text()}} is expected. By default, t
 specified by \code{legend.text} in \code{\link[=theme]{theme()}}.}
 
 \item{label.hjust}{A numeric specifying horizontal justification of the
-label text. The default for standard text is 0 (left-aligned) and 1
-(right-aligned) for expressions.}
+label text.}
 
 \item{label.vjust}{A numeric specifying vertical justification of the label
 text.}
diff --git a/man/guide_coloursteps.Rd b/man/guide_coloursteps.Rd
index e97230b6f4..76f611ca79 100644
--- a/man/guide_coloursteps.Rd
+++ b/man/guide_coloursteps.Rd
@@ -92,8 +92,7 @@ label. One of "top", "bottom" (default for horizontal guide), "left", or
 object of \code{\link[=element_text]{element_text()}} is expected. By default, the theme is
 specified by \code{legend.text} in \code{\link[=theme]{theme()}}.}
     \item{\code{label.hjust}}{A numeric specifying horizontal justification of the
-label text. The default for standard text is 0 (left-aligned) and 1
-(right-aligned) for expressions.}
+label text.}
     \item{\code{label.vjust}}{A numeric specifying vertical justification of the label
 text.}
     \item{\code{order}}{positive integer less than 99 that specifies the order of
diff --git a/man/guide_legend.Rd b/man/guide_legend.Rd
index 224de5587a..c41e42ab27 100644
--- a/man/guide_legend.Rd
+++ b/man/guide_legend.Rd
@@ -63,8 +63,7 @@ object of \code{\link[=element_text]{element_text()}} is expected. By default, t
 specified by \code{legend.text} in \code{\link[=theme]{theme()}}.}
 
 \item{label.hjust}{A numeric specifying horizontal justification of the
-label text. The default for standard text is 0 (left-aligned) and 1
-(right-aligned) for expressions.}
+label text.}
 
 \item{label.vjust}{A numeric specifying vertical justification of the label
 text.}