diff --git a/collects/plot/common/ticks.rkt b/collects/plot/common/ticks.rkt
index c6d8b6634b..b5ed92e69e 100644
--- a/collects/plot/common/ticks.rkt
+++ b/collects/plot/common/ticks.rkt
@@ -29,9 +29,9 @@
     (define e (floor-log10 (- x-max x-min)))
     (define mag (expt 10 e))
     (define step (let ([y  (/ (- x-max x-min) mag)])
-                   (cond [(y . < . 2)   (* 1/5 mag)]
-                         [(y . < . 5)   (* 1/2 mag)]
-                         [(y . < . 10)  mag])))
+                   (cond [(y . < . 2)  (* 1/5 mag)]
+                         [(y . < . 5)  (* 1/2 mag)]
+                         [else         mag])))
     (define start (* (ceiling (/ x-min step)) step))
     (define stop (* (floor (/ x-max step)) step))
     (define num (+ 1 (round (/ (- stop start) step))))
diff --git a/collects/plot/tests/plot2d-tests.rkt b/collects/plot/tests/plot2d-tests.rkt
index 14a6ee42a9..000531b9bc 100644
--- a/collects/plot/tests/plot2d-tests.rkt
+++ b/collects/plot/tests/plot2d-tests.rkt
@@ -11,6 +11,8 @@
 
 (plot empty #:x-min -1 #:x-max 1 #:y-min -1 #:y-max 1)
 
+(time (plot (function values 0 1000)))
+
 (parameterize ([plot-background  "black"]
                [plot-foreground  "white"]
                [plot-background-alpha  1/2]