diff --git a/mne/beamformer/tests/test_lcmv.py b/mne/beamformer/tests/test_lcmv.py
index d92c60a111d..56cb2d86203 100644
--- a/mne/beamformer/tests/test_lcmv.py
+++ b/mne/beamformer/tests/test_lcmv.py
@@ -83,7 +83,7 @@ def _get_data(tmin=-0.1, tmax=0.15, all_forward=True, epochs=True,
                                    eeg=0.1, proj=True)
     if data_cov:
         with warnings.catch_warnings(record=True):
-            data_cov = mne.compute_covariance(epochs, tmin=0.04, tmax=0.15)
+            data_cov = mne.compute_covariance(epochs, tmin=0.04, tmax=0.145)
     else:
         data_cov = None
 
diff --git a/mne/cov.py b/mne/cov.py
index cb80013b7d1..d2d6e7e1c06 100644
--- a/mne/cov.py
+++ b/mne/cov.py
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@ def _check_covs_algebra(cov1, cov2):
 
 def _get_tslice(epochs, tmin, tmax):
     """get the slice."""
-    mask = _time_mask(epochs.times, tmin, tmax, strict=True)
+    mask = _time_mask(epochs.times, tmin, tmax, sfreq=epochs.info['sfreq'])
     tstart = np.where(mask)[0][0] if tmin is not None else None
     tend = np.where(mask)[0][-1] + 1 if tmax is not None else None
     tslice = slice(tstart, tend, None)
diff --git a/mne/source_estimate.py b/mne/source_estimate.py
index 2051d72a923..cab78d88295 100644
--- a/mne/source_estimate.py
+++ b/mne/source_estimate.py
@@ -494,8 +494,7 @@ def crop(self, tmin=None, tmax=None):
         tmax : float | None
             The last time point in seconds. If None the last present is used.
         """
-        mask = _time_mask(self.times, tmin, tmax, strict=True,
-                          sfreq=self.sfreq)
+        mask = _time_mask(self.times, tmin, tmax, sfreq=self.sfreq)
         self.tmin = self.times[np.where(mask)[0][0]]
         if self._kernel is not None and self._sens_data is not None:
             self._sens_data = self._sens_data[:, mask]
diff --git a/mne/utils.py b/mne/utils.py
index 5155257bc40..884b3406960 100644
--- a/mne/utils.py
+++ b/mne/utils.py
@@ -1884,9 +1884,9 @@ def _time_mask(times, tmin=None, tmax=None, strict=False, sfreq=None):
             else:
                 tmax = times[-1]
         deltas = np.abs(times - tmax)  # Find nearest times
-        tmax = times.flat[np.where(deltas == deltas.min())[0]][-1]
+        tmax = times[np.where(deltas == deltas.min())[0]][-1]
         deltas = np.abs(times - tmin)
-        tmin = times.flat[np.where(deltas == deltas.min())[0]][-1]
+        tmin = times[np.where(deltas == deltas.min())[0]][-1]
     mask = (times >= tmin)
     mask &= (times <= tmax)
     return mask
diff --git a/mne/viz/tests/test_topomap.py b/mne/viz/tests/test_topomap.py
index 6c2bdece21e..c11808b274a 100644
--- a/mne/viz/tests/test_topomap.py
+++ b/mne/viz/tests/test_topomap.py
@@ -68,7 +68,7 @@ def test_plot_topomap():
 
     ev_bad = evoked.pick_types(meg=False, eeg=True, copy=True)
     ev_bad.pick_channels(ev_bad.ch_names[:2])
-    ev_bad.plot_topomap(times=ev_bad.times[1:3] - 1e-6)  # auto, plots EEG
+    ev_bad.plot_topomap(times=ev_bad.times[:2] - 1e-6)  # auto, plots EEG
     assert_raises(ValueError, ev_bad.plot_topomap, ch_type='mag')
     assert_raises(TypeError, ev_bad.plot_topomap, head_pos='foo')
     assert_raises(KeyError, ev_bad.plot_topomap, head_pos=dict(foo='bar'))
diff --git a/mne/viz/topomap.py b/mne/viz/topomap.py
index 247873c8c38..d73771de4f4 100644
--- a/mne/viz/topomap.py
+++ b/mne/viz/topomap.py
@@ -1126,7 +1126,9 @@ def plot_evoked_topomap(evoked, times="auto", ch_type=None, layout=None,
         times = _process_times(evoked, times, n_peaks=len(axes))
     else:
         times = _process_times(evoked, times, n_peaks=None)
-    if max(times) > evoked.times[-1] or min(times) < evoked.times[0]:
+    space = 1 / (2. * evoked.info['sfreq'])
+    if (max(times) > max(evoked.times) + space or
+            min(times) < min(evoked.times) - space):
         raise ValueError('Times should be between {0:0.3f} and '
                          '{1:0.3f}.'.format(evoked.times[0], evoked.times[-1]))
     n_times = len(times)
@@ -1147,7 +1149,6 @@ def plot_evoked_topomap(evoked, times="auto", ch_type=None, layout=None,
                        'or turn it off with colorbar=False.')
     if len(axes) != n_times:
         raise RuntimeError('Axes and times must be equal in sizes.')
-    tmin, tmax = evoked.times[[0, -1]]
 
     picks, pos, merge_grads, names, ch_type = _prepare_topo_plot(
         evoked, ch_type, layout)