diff --git a/appveyor.yml b/appveyor.yml
index 21481951..c0464e36 100644
--- a/appveyor.yml
+++ b/appveyor.yml
@@ -1,9 +1,9 @@
 environment:
   matrix:
-  - JULIAVERSION: "julialang/bin/winnt/x86/0.5/julia-0.5-latest-win32.exe"
-  - JULIAVERSION: "julialang/bin/winnt/x64/0.5/julia-0.5-latest-win64.exe"
-  - JULIAVERSION: "julianightlies/bin/winnt/x86/julia-latest-win32.exe"
-  - JULIAVERSION: "julianightlies/bin/winnt/x64/julia-latest-win64.exe"
+  - JULIA_URL: "https://julialang-s3.julialang.org/bin/winnt/x86/0.5/julia-0.5-latest-win32.exe"
+  - JULIA_URL: "https://julialang-s3.julialang.org/bin/winnt/x64/0.5/julia-0.5-latest-win64.exe"
+  - JULIA_URL: "https://julialangnightlies-s3.julialang.org/bin/winnt/x86/julia-latest-win32.exe"
+  - JULIA_URL: "https://julialangnightlies-s3.julialang.org/bin/winnt/x64/julia-latest-win64.exe"
 
 notifications:
   - provider: Email
@@ -12,13 +12,14 @@ notifications:
     on_build_status_changed: false
 
 install:
+  - ps: "[System.Net.ServicePointManager]::SecurityProtocol = [System.Net.SecurityProtocolType]::Tls12"
 # If there's a newer build queued for the same PR, cancel this one
   - ps: if ($env:APPVEYOR_PULL_REQUEST_NUMBER -and $env:APPVEYOR_BUILD_NUMBER -ne ((Invoke-RestMethod `
         https://ci.appveyor.com/api/projects/$env:APPVEYOR_ACCOUNT_NAME/$env:APPVEYOR_PROJECT_SLUG/history?recordsNumber=50).builds | `
         Where-Object pullRequestId -eq $env:APPVEYOR_PULL_REQUEST_NUMBER)[0].buildNumber) { `
         throw "There are newer queued builds for this pull request, failing early." }
 # Download most recent Julia Windows binary
-  - ps: (new-object net.webclient).DownloadFile($("http://s3.amazonaws.com/"+$env:JULIAVERSION), "C:\projects\julia-binary.exe")
+  - ps: (new-object net.webclient).DownloadFile($env:JULIA_URL, "C:\projects\julia-binary.exe")
 # Run installer silently, output to C:\projects\julia
   - C:\projects\julia-binary.exe /S /D=C:\projects\julia
 
diff --git a/src/backends/gr.jl b/src/backends/gr.jl
index d1060f84..60f2af78 100644
--- a/src/backends/gr.jl
+++ b/src/backends/gr.jl
@@ -277,10 +277,11 @@ function gr_draw_marker(xi, yi, msize, shape::Shape)
     sx, sy = coords(shape)
     # convert to ndc coords (percentages of window)
     GR.selntran(0)
+    w, h = gr_plot_size
+    f = msize / (w + h)
     xi, yi = GR.wctondc(xi, yi)
-    ms_ndc_x, ms_ndc_y = gr_pixels_to_ndc(msize, msize)
-    GR.fillarea(xi .+ sx .* ms_ndc_x,
-                yi .+ sy .* ms_ndc_y)
+    GR.fillarea(xi .+ sx .* f,
+                yi .+ sy .* f)
     GR.selntran(1)
 end
 
@@ -442,15 +443,6 @@ end
 
 gr_view_xcenter() = 0.5 * (viewport_plotarea[1] + viewport_plotarea[2])
 gr_view_ycenter() = 0.5 * (viewport_plotarea[3] + viewport_plotarea[4])
-gr_view_xdiff() = viewport_plotarea[2] - viewport_plotarea[1]
-gr_view_ydiff() = viewport_plotarea[4] - viewport_plotarea[3]
-
-function gr_pixels_to_ndc(x_pixels, y_pixels)
-    w,h = gr_plot_size
-    totx = w * gr_view_xdiff()
-    toty = h * gr_view_ydiff()
-    x_pixels / totx, y_pixels / toty
-end
 
 
 # --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
@@ -512,6 +504,11 @@ function gr_display(plt::Plot)
 end
 
 
+function _update_min_padding!(sp::Subplot{GRBackend})
+    sp.minpad = (10mm,2mm,2mm,8mm)
+end
+
+
 function gr_display(sp::Subplot{GRBackend}, w, h, viewport_canvas)
     # the viewports for this subplot
     viewport_subplot = gr_viewport_from_bbox(sp, bbox(sp), w, h, viewport_canvas)
@@ -664,7 +661,9 @@ function gr_display(sp::Subplot{GRBackend}, w, h, viewport_canvas)
 
         # spine (border) and tick marks
         gr_set_line(1, :solid, sp[:xaxis][:foreground_color_axis])
+        GR.setclip(0)
         gr_polyline(coords(spine_segs)...)
+        GR.setclip(1)
 
         if !(xticks in (nothing, false))
             # x labels
@@ -679,7 +678,7 @@ function gr_display(sp::Subplot{GRBackend}, w, h, viewport_canvas)
                 # use xor ($) to get the right y coords
                 xi, yi = GR.wctondc(cv, (flip $ mirror) ? ymax : ymin)
                 # @show cv dv ymin xi yi flip mirror (flip $ mirror)
-                gr_text(xi, yi + (mirror ? 1 : -1) * 2e-3, string(dv))
+                gr_text(xi, yi + (mirror ? 1 : -1) * 1e-2, string(dv))
             end
         end
 
@@ -696,22 +695,9 @@ function gr_display(sp::Subplot{GRBackend}, w, h, viewport_canvas)
                 # use xor ($) to get the right y coords
                 xi, yi = GR.wctondc((flip $ mirror) ? xmax : xmin, cv)
                 # @show cv dv xmin xi yi
-                gr_text(xi + (mirror ? 1 : -1) * 2e-3, yi, string(dv))
+                gr_text(xi + (mirror ? 1 : -1) * 1e-2, yi, string(dv))
             end
         end
-
-        # window_diag = sqrt(gr_view_xdiff()^2 + gr_view_ydiff()^2)
-        # ticksize = 0.0075 * window_diag
-        # if outside_ticks
-        #     ticksize = -ticksize
-        # end
-        # # TODO: this should be done for each axis separately
-        # gr_set_linecolor(xaxis[:foreground_color_axis])
-
-        # x1, x2 = xaxis[:flip] ? (xmax,xmin) : (xmin,xmax)
-        # y1, y2 = yaxis[:flip] ? (ymax,ymin) : (ymin,ymax)
-        # GR.axes(xtick, ytick, x1, y1, 1, 1, ticksize)
-        # GR.axes(xtick, ytick, x2, y2, -1, -1, -ticksize)
     end
     # end