diff --git a/draftlogs/8161_fix.md b/draftlogs/8161_fix.md
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..40b61659622
--- /dev/null
+++ b/draftlogs/8161_fix.md
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+- Do not leak internal `_template` property into input `layout` rangeslider opposing axis containers [[#8161](https://github.com/plotly/plotly.js/pull/8161)]
diff --git a/src/plots/cartesian/autorange.js b/src/plots/cartesian/autorange.js
index 9113cd855d4..ca337ee0bc0 100644
--- a/src/plots/cartesian/autorange.js
+++ b/src/plots/cartesian/autorange.js
@@ -402,7 +402,9 @@ function doAutoRange(gd, ax, presetRange) {
                 axeRangeOpts.range = getAutoRange(gd, ax);
             }
         }
-        anchorAx._input.rangeslider[ax._name] = Lib.extendFlat({}, axeRangeOpts);
+        var inOpts = Lib.extendFlat({}, axeRangeOpts);
+        delete inOpts._template;
+        anchorAx._input.rangeslider[ax._name] = inOpts;
     }
 }
 
diff --git a/test/jasmine/tests/range_slider_test.js b/test/jasmine/tests/range_slider_test.js
index fed44189d9a..02bdc34d7ce 100644
--- a/test/jasmine/tests/range_slider_test.js
+++ b/test/jasmine/tests/range_slider_test.js
@@ -946,6 +946,32 @@ describe('rangesliders in general', function() {
         .then(done, done.fail);
     });
 
+    it('should not leak _template into input layout rangeslider opp-axis container', function(done) {
+        Plotly.newPlot(gd, [{ x: [1, 2, 3], y: [1, 2, 3] }], { xaxis: { rangeslider: {} }})
+        .then(function() {
+            expect(gd.layout.xaxis.rangeslider.yaxis).toBeDefined();
+            expect(gd.layout.xaxis.rangeslider.yaxis._template).toBeUndefined();
+            expect(gd._fullLayout.xaxis.rangeslider.yaxis._template).toBeDefined();
+        })
+        .then(done, done.fail);
+    });
+
+    it('should not leak _template into input layout when a template is used', function(done) {
+        Plotly.newPlot(gd, [{ x: [1, 2, 3], y: [1, 2, 3] }], {
+            template: {
+                layout: {
+                    xaxis: { rangeslider: { yaxis: { rangemode: 'auto' } } }
+                }
+            },
+            xaxis: { rangeslider: {} }
+        })
+        .then(function() {
+            expect(gd.layout.xaxis.rangeslider.yaxis).toBeDefined();
+            expect(gd.layout.xaxis.rangeslider.yaxis._template).toBeUndefined();
+        })
+        .then(done, done.fail);
+    });
+
     it('should plot when only y data is provided', function(done) {
         Plotly.newPlot(gd, [{ y: [1, 2, 3] }], { xaxis: { rangeslider: {} }})
         .then(function() {