diff --git a/src/ticks.js b/src/ticks.js
index 6ce6977..5868d8d 100644
--- a/src/ticks.js
+++ b/src/ticks.js
@@ -1,54 +1,55 @@
-var e10 = Math.sqrt(50),
+const e10 = Math.sqrt(50),
     e5 = Math.sqrt(10),
     e2 = Math.sqrt(2);
 
-export default function ticks(start, stop, count) {
-  var reverse,
-      i = -1,
-      n,
-      ticks,
-      step;
+function tickSpec(start, stop, count) {
+  const step = (stop - start) / Math.max(0, count),
+      power = Math.floor(Math.log10(step)),
+      error = step / Math.pow(10, power),
+      factor = error >= e10 ? 10 : error >= e5 ? 5 : error >= e2 ? 2 : 1;
+  let i1, i2, inc;
+  if (power < 0) {
+    inc = Math.pow(10, -power) / factor;
+    i1 = Math.round(start * inc);
+    i2 = Math.round(stop * inc);
+    if (i1 / inc < start) ++i1;
+    if (i2 / inc > stop) --i2;
+    inc = -inc;
+  } else {
+    inc = Math.pow(10, power) * factor;
+    i1 = Math.round(start / inc);
+    i2 = Math.round(stop / inc);
+    if (i1 * inc < start) ++i1;
+    if (i2 * inc > stop) --i2;
+  }
+  if (i2 < i1 && 0.5 <= count && count < 2) return tickSpec(start, stop, count * 2);
+  return [i1, i2, inc];
+}
 
+export default function ticks(start, stop, count) {
   stop = +stop, start = +start, count = +count;
-  if (start === stop && count > 0) return [start];
-  if (reverse = stop < start) n = start, start = stop, stop = n;
-  if ((step = tickIncrement(start, stop, count)) === 0 || !isFinite(step)) return [];
-
-  if (step > 0) {
-    let r0 = Math.round(start / step), r1 = Math.round(stop / step);
-    if (r0 * step < start) ++r0;
-    if (r1 * step > stop) --r1;
-    ticks = new Array(n = r1 - r0 + 1);
-    while (++i < n) ticks[i] = (r0 + i) * step;
+  if (!(count > 0)) return [];
+  if (start === stop) return [start];
+  const reverse = stop < start, [i1, i2, inc] = reverse ? tickSpec(stop, start, count) : tickSpec(start, stop, count);
+  if (!(i2 >= i1)) return [];
+  const n = i2 - i1 + 1, ticks = new Array(n);
+  if (reverse) {
+    if (inc < 0) for (let i = 0; i < n; ++i) ticks[i] = (i2 - i) / -inc;
+    else for (let i = 0; i < n; ++i) ticks[i] = (i2 - i) * inc;
   } else {
-    step = -step;
-    let r0 = Math.round(start * step), r1 = Math.round(stop * step);
-    if (r0 / step < start) ++r0;
-    if (r1 / step > stop) --r1;
-    ticks = new Array(n = r1 - r0 + 1);
-    while (++i < n) ticks[i] = (r0 + i) / step;
+    if (inc < 0) for (let i = 0; i < n; ++i) ticks[i] = (i1 + i) / -inc;
+    else for (let i = 0; i < n; ++i) ticks[i] = (i1 + i) * inc;
   }
-
-  if (reverse) ticks.reverse();
-
   return ticks;
 }
 
 export function tickIncrement(start, stop, count) {
-  var step = (stop - start) / Math.max(0, count),
-      power = Math.floor(Math.log(step) / Math.LN10),
-      error = step / Math.pow(10, power);
-  return power >= 0
-      ? (error >= e10 ? 10 : error >= e5 ? 5 : error >= e2 ? 2 : 1) * Math.pow(10, power)
-      : -Math.pow(10, -power) / (error >= e10 ? 10 : error >= e5 ? 5 : error >= e2 ? 2 : 1);
+  stop = +stop, start = +start, count = +count;
+  return tickSpec(start, stop, count)[2];
 }
 
 export function tickStep(start, stop, count) {
-  var step0 = Math.abs(stop - start) / Math.max(0, count),
-      step1 = Math.pow(10, Math.floor(Math.log(step0) / Math.LN10)),
-      error = step0 / step1;
-  if (error >= e10) step1 *= 10;
-  else if (error >= e5) step1 *= 5;
-  else if (error >= e2) step1 *= 2;
-  return stop < start ? -step1 : step1;
+  stop = +stop, start = +start, count = +count;
+  const reverse = stop < start, inc = reverse ? tickIncrement(stop, start, count) : tickIncrement(start, stop, count);
+  return (reverse ? -1 : 1) * (inc < 0 ? 1 / -inc : inc);
 }
diff --git a/test/ticks-test.js b/test/ticks-test.js
index 3b4fd98..4793e65 100644
--- a/test/ticks-test.js
+++ b/test/ticks-test.js
@@ -109,3 +109,19 @@ it("ticks(start, stop, count) returns the reverse of ticks(stop, start, count)",
 it("ticks(start, stop, count) handles precision problems", () => {
   assert.deepStrictEqual(ticks(0.98, 1.14, 10), [0.98, 1, 1.02, 1.04, 1.06, 1.08, 1.1, 1.12, 1.14]);
 });
+
+it("ticks(start, stop, count) tries to return at least one tick if count >= 0.5", () => {
+  assert.deepStrictEqual(ticks(1, 364, 0.1), []);
+  assert.deepStrictEqual(ticks(1, 364, 0.499), []);
+  assert.deepStrictEqual(ticks(1, 364, 0.5), [200]);
+  assert.deepStrictEqual(ticks(1, 364, 1), [200]);
+  assert.deepStrictEqual(ticks(1, 364, 1.5), [200]);
+  assert.deepStrictEqual(ticks(1, 499, 1), [200, 400]);
+  assert.deepStrictEqual(ticks(364, 1, 0.5), [200]);
+  assert.deepStrictEqual(ticks(0.001, 0.364, 0.5), [0.2]);
+  assert.deepStrictEqual(ticks(0.364, 0.001, 0.5), [0.2]);
+  assert.deepStrictEqual(ticks(-1, -364, 0.5), [-200]);
+  assert.deepStrictEqual(ticks(-364, -1, 0.5), [-200]);
+  assert.deepStrictEqual(ticks(-0.001, -0.364, 0.5), [-0.2]);
+  assert.deepStrictEqual(ticks(-0.364, -0.001, 0.5), [-0.2]);
+});