diff --git a/collects/plot/common/draw.rkt b/collects/plot/common/draw.rkt
index 8f9d0421f1..7d1af15fe8 100644
--- a/collects/plot/common/draw.rkt
+++ b/collects/plot/common/draw.rkt
@@ -306,6 +306,15 @@
       (define new-top (round (+ top (- y-min param-y-min))))
       (define new-bottom (round (- bottom (- (sub1 y-max) param-y-max))))
       
+      ;; Not enough space?
+      (define area-x-min (+ x-min new-left))
+      (define area-x-max (- x-max new-right))
+      (define area-y-min (+ y-min new-top))
+      (define area-y-max (- y-max new-bottom))
+      (when (or (area-x-min . > . area-x-max)
+                (area-y-min . > . area-y-max))
+        (return init-left init-right init-top init-bottom))
+      
       ;; Early out: if the margins haven't changed much, another iteration won't change them more
       ;; (hopefully)
       (when (and (= left new-left) (= right new-right)
diff --git a/collects/plot/common/gui.rkt b/collects/plot/common/gui.rkt
index cb7085ab91..6a57a8491b 100644
--- a/collects/plot/common/gui.rkt
+++ b/collects/plot/common/gui.rkt
@@ -18,12 +18,10 @@
     ))
 
 (define (make-snip-frame snip width height label)
-  (define (make-snip w h)
-    (send snip resize w h)
-    snip)
+  (define (make-snip w h) snip)
   
   (define frame
-    (new snip-frame% [label label] [width (+ 10 width)] [height (+ 10 height)]))
+    (new snip-frame% [label label] [width (+ 20 width)] [height (+ 20 height)]))
   
   (new snip-canvas%
        [parent frame]