diff --git a/pygmt/helpers/testing.py b/pygmt/helpers/testing.py
index 2b57b8e37e1..a398f3c30d5 100644
--- a/pygmt/helpers/testing.py
+++ b/pygmt/helpers/testing.py
@@ -172,6 +172,10 @@ def download_test_data():
         # Other cache files
         "@EGM96_to_36.txt",
         "@MaunaLoa_CO2.txt",
+        "@RidgeTest.shp",
+        "@RidgeTest.shx",
+        "@RidgeTest.dbf",
+        "@RidgeTest.prj",
         "@Table_5_11.txt",
         "@Table_5_11_mean.xyz",
         "@fractures_06.txt",
diff --git a/pygmt/src/plot.py b/pygmt/src/plot.py
index 5f627383517..8345c065916 100644
--- a/pygmt/src/plot.py
+++ b/pygmt/src/plot.py
@@ -229,15 +229,13 @@ def plot(self, data=None, x=None, y=None, size=None, direction=None, **kwargs):
         and data.geom_type.isin(["Point", "MultiPoint"]).all()
     ):  # checking if the geometry of a geoDataFrame is Point or MultiPoint
         kwargs["S"] = "s0.2c"
-    elif (
-        "S" not in kwargs and kind == "file"
-    ):  # checking that the data is a file path to set default style
+    elif "S" not in kwargs and kind == "file" and data.endswith(".gmt"):
+        # checking that the data is a file path to set default style
         try:
             with open(which(data), mode="r", encoding="utf8") as file:
                 line = file.readline()
-            if (
-                "@GMULTIPOINT" in line or "@GPOINT" in line
-            ):  # if the file is gmt style and geometry is set to Point
+            if "@GMULTIPOINT" in line or "@GPOINT" in line:
+                # if the file is gmt style and geometry is set to Point
                 kwargs["S"] = "s0.2c"
         except FileNotFoundError:
             pass
diff --git a/pygmt/src/plot3d.py b/pygmt/src/plot3d.py
index 27164eda470..42fc2faf143 100644
--- a/pygmt/src/plot3d.py
+++ b/pygmt/src/plot3d.py
@@ -199,15 +199,13 @@ def plot3d(
         and data.geom_type.isin(["Point", "MultiPoint"]).all()
     ):  # checking if the geometry of a geoDataFrame is Point or MultiPoint
         kwargs["S"] = "u0.2c"
-    elif (
-        "S" not in kwargs and kind == "file"
-    ):  # checking that the data is a file path to set default style
+    elif "S" not in kwargs and kind == "file" and data.endswith(".gmt"):
+        # checking that the data is a file path to set default style
         try:
             with open(which(data), mode="r", encoding="utf8") as file:
                 line = file.readline()
-            if (
-                "@GMULTIPOINT" in line or "@GPOINT" in line
-            ):  # if the file is gmt style and geometry is set to Point
+            if "@GMULTIPOINT" in line or "@GPOINT" in line:
+                # if the file is gmt style and geometry is set to Point
                 kwargs["S"] = "u0.2c"
         except FileNotFoundError:
             pass
diff --git a/pygmt/tests/baseline/test_plot_shapefile.png.dvc b/pygmt/tests/baseline/test_plot_shapefile.png.dvc
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..c2a13316351
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pygmt/tests/baseline/test_plot_shapefile.png.dvc
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+outs:
+- md5: 75277741d098cf7a0bad7869b574afc9
+  size: 24178
+  path: test_plot_shapefile.png
diff --git a/pygmt/tests/test_plot.py b/pygmt/tests/test_plot.py
index fb46a872c0b..629935a047f 100644
--- a/pygmt/tests/test_plot.py
+++ b/pygmt/tests/test_plot.py
@@ -543,6 +543,17 @@ def test_plot_ogrgmt_file_multipoint_non_default_style():
 
 
 @pytest.mark.mpl_image_compare
+def test_plot_shapefile():
+    """
+    Make sure that plot works for shapefile.
+
+    See https://github.com/GenericMappingTools/pygmt/issues/1616.
+    """
+    fig = Figure()
+    fig.plot(data="@RidgeTest.shp", pen="1p")
+    return fig
+
+
 def test_plot_dataframe_incols():
     """
     Make sure that the incols parameter works for pandas.DataFrame.