diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 38032051f4..aecd223652 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -8,6 +8,9 @@ and this project adheres to [Semantic Versioning](https://semver.org/spec/v2.0.0
 ## [Unreleased]
 
 
+### Fixed
+- Minor gradient direction and normalization fixes for polyslab, field monitors, and diffraction monitors in autograd.
+
 ## [2.7.5] - 2024-10-16
 
 ### Added
diff --git a/docs/notebooks b/docs/notebooks
index dbfc67aed5..e24f0c4d19 160000
--- a/docs/notebooks
+++ b/docs/notebooks
@@ -1 +1 @@
-Subproject commit dbfc67aed533cb656ab2eeb3c1fad2e54e7ca906
+Subproject commit e24f0c4d191c8636345a1deb9f8651fe5033c5ca
diff --git a/tidy3d/components/data/monitor_data.py b/tidy3d/components/data/monitor_data.py
index 361d448036..bfa6ce0e1c 100644
--- a/tidy3d/components/data/monitor_data.py
+++ b/tidy3d/components/data/monitor_data.py
@@ -1037,7 +1037,7 @@ def to_adjoint_point_sources(self, fwidth: float) -> List[PointDipole]:
 
             for freq0 in field_component.coords["f"]:
                 omega0 = 2 * np.pi * freq0
-                scaling_factor = 1 / (MU_0 * omega0)
+                scaling_factor = 33 / (MU_0 * omega0)
 
                 forward_amp = self.get_amplitude(field_component.sel(f=freq0))
 
@@ -1076,7 +1076,7 @@ def to_adjoint_field_sources(self, fwidth: float) -> List[CustomCurrentSource]:
             for name, field_component in self.field_components.items():
                 # get the VJP values at frequency and apply adjoint phase
                 field_component = field_component.sel(f=freq0)
-                values = -1j * field_component.values
+                values = 2 * -1j * field_component.values
 
                 # make source go backwards
                 if "H" in name:
@@ -2974,7 +2974,7 @@ def adjoint_source_amp(self, amp: DataArray, fwidth: float) -> PlaneWave:
         theta_data, phi_data = self.angles
         angle_sel_kwargs = dict(orders_x=int(order_x), orders_y=int(order_y), f=float(freq0))
         angle_theta = float(theta_data.sel(**angle_sel_kwargs))
-        angle_phi = np.pi + float(phi_data.sel(**angle_sel_kwargs))
+        angle_phi = float(phi_data.sel(**angle_sel_kwargs))
 
         # if the angle is nan, this amplitude is set to 0 in the fwd pass, so should skip adj
         if np.isnan(angle_theta):
@@ -3000,7 +3000,7 @@ def adjoint_source_amp(self, amp: DataArray, fwidth: float) -> PlaneWave:
             center=self.monitor.center,
             source_time=GaussianPulse(
                 amplitude=abs(src_amp),
-                phase=np.pi + np.angle(src_amp),
+                phase=np.angle(src_amp),
                 freq0=freq0,
                 fwidth=fwidth,
             ),
diff --git a/tidy3d/components/geometry/base.py b/tidy3d/components/geometry/base.py
index 45a6453cbe..4f0f30a704 100644
--- a/tidy3d/components/geometry/base.py
+++ b/tidy3d/components/geometry/base.py
@@ -2433,7 +2433,7 @@ def derivative_face(
         eps_xyz = [derivative_info.eps_data[f"eps_{dim}{dim}"] for dim in "xyz"]
 
         # number of cells from the edge of data to register "inside" (index = num_cells_in - 1)
-        num_cells_in = 3
+        num_cells_in = 4
 
         # if not enough data, just use best guess using eps in medium and simulation
         needs_eps_approx = any(len(eps.coords[dim_normal]) <= num_cells_in for eps in eps_xyz)
diff --git a/tidy3d/components/geometry/polyslab.py b/tidy3d/components/geometry/polyslab.py
index c085faca0c..7a3c7ba98b 100644
--- a/tidy3d/components/geometry/polyslab.py
+++ b/tidy3d/components/geometry/polyslab.py
@@ -1425,7 +1425,7 @@ def compute_derivative_vertices(self, derivative_info: DerivativeInfo) -> Traced
         vjps_edges = 0.0
 
         # perform D-normal integral
-        contrib_D = delta_eps_inv * D_der_norm
+        contrib_D = -delta_eps_inv * D_der_norm
         vjps_edges += contrib_D
 
         # perform E-perpendicular integrals
@@ -1438,12 +1438,9 @@ def compute_derivative_vertices(self, derivative_info: DerivativeInfo) -> Traced
         edge_areas = edge_lengths
 
         # correction to edge area based on sidewall distance along slab axis
-        dim_axis = "xyz"[self.axis]
-        field_coords_axis = derivative_info.E_der_map[f"E{dim_axis}"].coords[dim_axis]
-        if len(field_coords_axis) > 1:
-            slab_height = abs(float(np.squeeze(np.diff(self.slab_bounds))))
-            if not np.isinf(slab_height):
-                edge_areas *= slab_height
+        slab_height = abs(float(np.squeeze(np.diff(self.slab_bounds))))
+        if not np.isinf(slab_height):
+            edge_areas *= slab_height
 
         vjps_edges *= edge_areas
 
@@ -1452,6 +1449,7 @@ def compute_derivative_vertices(self, derivative_info: DerivativeInfo) -> Traced
         vjps_edges_in_plane = vjps_edges.values.reshape((num_vertices, 1)) * normal_vectors_in_plane
 
         vjps_vertices = vjps_edges_in_plane + np.roll(vjps_edges_in_plane, axis=0, shift=-1)
+        vjps_vertices /= 2.0  # each vertex is effected only 1/2 by each edge
 
         # sign change if counter clockwise, because normal direction is flipped
         if self.is_ccw: