diff --git a/api/src/opentrons/protocols/__init__.py b/api/src/opentrons/protocols/__init__.py
index 7bfd2da924d..1b594411e2a 100644
--- a/api/src/opentrons/protocols/__init__.py
+++ b/api/src/opentrons/protocols/__init__.py
@@ -77,6 +77,15 @@ def _get_location(loaded_labware, command_type, params, default_values):
 
     if offset_from_bottom is None:
         # not all commands use offsets
+
+        # touch-tip uses offset from top, not bottom, as default
+        # when offsetFromBottomMm command-specific value is unset
+        if command_type == 'touch-tip':
+            # TODO: Ian 2018-10-29 remove this `-1` when
+            # touch-tip-mm-from-top is a required field
+            return labware.wells(well).top(
+                z=default_values.get('touch-tip-mm-from-top', -1))
+
         return labware.wells(well)
 
     return labware.wells(well).bottom(offset_from_bottom)
@@ -178,7 +187,18 @@ def dispatch_commands(protocol_data, loaded_pipettes, loaded_labware):  # noqa:
             pipette.dispense(volume, location)
 
         elif command_type == 'touch-tip':
-            pipette.touch_tip(location)
+            # NOTE: if touch_tip can take a location tuple,
+            # this can be much simpler
+            (well_object, loc_tuple) = location
+
+            # Use the offset baked into the well_object.
+            # Do not allow API to apply its v_offset kwarg default value,
+            # and do not apply the JSON protocol's default offset.
+            z_from_bottom = loc_tuple[2]
+            offset_from_top = (
+                well_object.properties['depth'] - z_from_bottom) * -1
+
+            pipette.touch_tip(well_object, v_offset=offset_from_top)
 
 
 def execute_protocol(protocol):
diff --git a/protocol-designer/src/constants.js b/protocol-designer/src/constants.js
index 206bd99a3b9..233d1aef22a 100644
--- a/protocol-designer/src/constants.js
+++ b/protocol-designer/src/constants.js
@@ -51,6 +51,10 @@ export const END_TERMINAL_TITLE = 'FINAL DECK STATE'
 export const DEFAULT_CHANGE_TIP_OPTION: 'always' = 'always'
 export const DEFAULT_MM_FROM_BOTTOM_ASPIRATE = 1
 export const DEFAULT_MM_FROM_BOTTOM_DISPENSE = 0.5
+
+// NOTE: in the negative Z direction, to go down from top
+export const DEFAULT_MM_TOUCH_TIP_OFFSET_FROM_TOP = -1
+
 export const DEFAULT_WELL_ORDER_FIRST_OPTION: 't2b' = 't2b'
 export const DEFAULT_WELL_ORDER_SECOND_OPTION: 'l2r' = 'l2r'
 
diff --git a/protocol-designer/src/file-data/selectors/fileCreator.js b/protocol-designer/src/file-data/selectors/fileCreator.js
index 140db626faa..8d3d5a53419 100644
--- a/protocol-designer/src/file-data/selectors/fileCreator.js
+++ b/protocol-designer/src/file-data/selectors/fileCreator.js
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ import {selectors as steplistSelectors} from '../../steplist'
 import {
   DEFAULT_MM_FROM_BOTTOM_ASPIRATE,
   DEFAULT_MM_FROM_BOTTOM_DISPENSE,
+  DEFAULT_MM_TOUCH_TIP_OFFSET_FROM_TOP,
 } from '../../constants'
 import type {BaseState} from '../../types'
 import type {ProtocolFile, FilePipette, FileLabware} from '../../file-types'
@@ -29,6 +30,7 @@ const executionDefaults = {
   'dispense-flow-rate': getPropertyAllPipettes('dispenseFlowRate'),
   'aspirate-mm-from-bottom': DEFAULT_MM_FROM_BOTTOM_ASPIRATE,
   'dispense-mm-from-bottom': DEFAULT_MM_FROM_BOTTOM_DISPENSE,
+  'touch-tip-mm-from-top': DEFAULT_MM_TOUCH_TIP_OFFSET_FROM_TOP,
 }
 
 export const createFile: BaseState => ProtocolFile = createSelector(
diff --git a/protocol-designer/src/step-generation/test-with-flow/touchTip.test.js b/protocol-designer/src/step-generation/test-with-flow/touchTip.test.js
index 3395c2a2b75..c66fb2dc483 100644
--- a/protocol-designer/src/step-generation/test-with-flow/touchTip.test.js
+++ b/protocol-designer/src/step-generation/test-with-flow/touchTip.test.js
@@ -39,6 +39,27 @@ describe('touchTip', () => {
     expect(result.robotState).toEqual(robotStateWithTip)
   })
 
+  test('touchTip with tip, specifying offsetFromBottomMm', () => {
+    const result = touchTip({
+      pipette: 'p300SingleId',
+      labware: 'sourcePlateId',
+      well: 'A1',
+      offsetFromBottomMm: 10,
+    })(robotStateWithTip)
+
+    expect(result.commands).toEqual([{
+      command: 'touch-tip',
+      params: {
+        pipette: 'p300SingleId',
+        labware: 'sourcePlateId',
+        well: 'A1',
+        offsetFromBottomMm: 10,
+      },
+    }])
+
+    expect(result.robotState).toEqual(robotStateWithTip)
+  })
+
   test('touchTip with invalid pipette ID should throw error', () => {
     const result = touchTipWithErrors({
       pipette: 'badPipette',
diff --git a/protocol-designer/src/step-generation/touchTip.js b/protocol-designer/src/step-generation/touchTip.js
index 212ab26839e..2b7131e99a0 100644
--- a/protocol-designer/src/step-generation/touchTip.js
+++ b/protocol-designer/src/step-generation/touchTip.js
@@ -1,12 +1,12 @@
 // @flow
 // import cloneDeep from 'lodash/cloneDeep'
 import {noTipOnPipette, pipetteDoesNotExist} from './errorCreators'
-import type {RobotState, CommandCreator, CommandCreatorError, PipetteLabwareFields} from './'
+import type {RobotState, CommandCreator, CommandCreatorError, TouchTipArgs} from './'
 
-const touchTip = (args: PipetteLabwareFields): CommandCreator => (prevRobotState: RobotState) => {
+const touchTip = (args: TouchTipArgs): CommandCreator => (prevRobotState: RobotState) => {
   /** touchTip with given args. Requires tip. */
   const actionName = 'touchTip'
-  const {pipette, labware, well} = args
+  const {pipette, labware, well, offsetFromBottomMm} = args
 
   const pipetteData = prevRobotState.instruments[pipette]
 
@@ -30,6 +30,9 @@ const touchTip = (args: PipetteLabwareFields): CommandCreator => (prevRobotState
       pipette,
       labware,
       well,
+      offsetFromBottomMm: offsetFromBottomMm == null
+        ? undefined
+        : offsetFromBottomMm,
     },
   }]
 
diff --git a/protocol-designer/src/step-generation/types.js b/protocol-designer/src/step-generation/types.js
index a3f42dd5c24..1b6adff996f 100644
--- a/protocol-designer/src/step-generation/types.js
+++ b/protocol-designer/src/step-generation/types.js
@@ -207,6 +207,11 @@ export type PipetteLabwareFields = {|
   /* TODO optional uL/sec (or uL/minute???) speed here */
 |}
 
+export type TouchTipArgs = {|
+  ...PipetteLabwareFields,
+  offsetFromBottomMm?: ?number,
+|}
+
 export type AspirateDispenseArgs = {|
   ...PipetteLabwareFields,
   volume: number,
@@ -217,10 +222,10 @@ export type Command = {|
   command: 'aspirate' | 'dispense',
   params: AspirateDispenseArgs,
 |} | {|
-  command: 'pick-up-tip' | 'drop-tip' | 'touch-tip',
+  command: 'pick-up-tip' | 'drop-tip' | 'blowout',
   params: PipetteLabwareFields,
 |} | {|
-  command: 'blowout',
+  command: 'touch-tip',
   params: {|
     ...PipetteLabwareFields,
     offsetFromBottomMm?: ?number,
diff --git a/shared-data/protocol-json-schema/protocol-schema.json b/shared-data/protocol-json-schema/protocol-schema.json
index 9f90b7ba9d6..595c8e96555 100644
--- a/shared-data/protocol-json-schema/protocol-schema.json
+++ b/shared-data/protocol-json-schema/protocol-schema.json
@@ -143,6 +143,7 @@
     "default-values": {
       "description": "Default values required for protocol execution",
       "type": "object",
+      "$note": "TODO: Ian 2018-10-29 make touch-tip-mm-from-top required (breaking change)",
       "required": [
         "aspirate-flow-rate",
         "dispense-flow-rate",
@@ -153,7 +154,8 @@
         "aspirate-flow-rate": {"$ref": "#/definitions/flow-rate-for-pipettes"},
         "dispense-flow-rate": {"$ref": "#/definitions/flow-rate-for-pipettes"},
         "aspirate-mm-from-bottom": {"$ref": "#/definitions/mm-offset"},
-        "dispense-mm-from-bottom": {"$ref": "#/definitions/mm-offset"}
+        "dispense-mm-from-bottom": {"$ref": "#/definitions/mm-offset"},
+        "touch-tip-mm-from-top": {"$ref": "#/definitions/mm-offset"}
       }
     },
 
@@ -282,13 +284,32 @@
                 },
 
                 {
-                  "description": "Pick up tip / drop tip / touch tip / blowout commands",
+                  "description": "Touch tip commands",
                   "type": "object",
                   "required": ["command", "params"],
                   "additionalProperties": false,
                   "properties": {
                     "command": {
-                      "enum": ["pick-up-tip", "drop-tip", "touch-tip", "blowout"]
+                      "enum": ["touch-tip"]
+                    },
+                    "params": {
+                      "allOf": [
+                        {"$ref": "#/definitions/pipette-access-params"},
+                        {"$ref": "#/definitions/offsetFromBottomMm"}
+                      ]
+                    }
+                  }
+                },
+
+
+                {
+                  "description": "Pick up tip / drop tip / blowout commands",
+                  "type": "object",
+                  "required": ["command", "params"],
+                  "additionalProperties": false,
+                  "properties": {
+                    "command": {
+                      "enum": ["pick-up-tip", "drop-tip", "blowout"]
                     },
                     "params": {
                       "allOf": [