diff --git a/src/recipes.jl b/src/recipes.jl
index 37210363..ef37f184 100644
--- a/src/recipes.jl
+++ b/src/recipes.jl
@@ -323,7 +323,7 @@ end
 
 # create a bar plot as a filled step function
 @recipe function f(::Type{Val{:bar}}, x, y, z)
-    procx, procy, xscale, yscale, baseline = _preprocess_binlike(d, x, y)
+    procx, procy, xscale, yscale, baseline, wautolims = _preprocess_barlike(d, x, y)
     nx, ny = length(procx), length(procy)
     axis = d[:subplot][isvertical(d) ? :xaxis : :yaxis]
     cv = [discrete_value!(axis, xi)[1] for xi=procx]
@@ -380,6 +380,7 @@ end
     x := xseg.pts
     y := yseg.pts
     seriestype := :shape
+    ylims --> wautolims
     ()
 end
 @deps bar shape
@@ -402,39 +403,64 @@ function _scale_adjusted_values{T<:AbstractFloat}(::Type{T}, V::AbstractVector,
     end
 end
 
-function _hist_ylim_lo{T<:Real}(ymin::T, yscale::Symbol)
-    if (yscale in _logScales)
-        ymin / T(_logScaleBases[yscale]^log10(2))
+
+function _binbarlike_baseline{T<:Real}(min_value::T, scale::Symbol)
+    if (scale in _logScales)
+        !isnan(min_value) ? min_value / T(_logScaleBases[scale]^log10(2)) : T(1E-3)
     else
         zero(T)
     end
 end
 
-function _hist_ylim_hi{T<:Real}(ymax::T, yscale::Symbol)
-    if (yscale in _logScales)
-        ymax * T(_logScaleBases[yscale]^log10(2))
+function _binbarlike_autolims{T<:Real}(min_value::T, max_value::T, scale::Symbol)
+    lo = if (scale in _logScales)
+        _binbarlike_baseline(min_value, scale)
     else
-        ymax * T(1.1)
-    end
+        min(min_value * T(1.1), zero(T))
+    end::T
+
+    hi = if !isnan(max_value)
+        if (scale in _logScales)
+            max_value * T(_logScaleBases[scale]^log10(2))
+        else
+            max(max_value * T(1.1), zero(T))
+        end
+    else
+        one(T)
+    end::T
+
+    (lo, hi)
 end
 
 
+function _preprocess_binbarlike_weights{T<:AbstractFloat}(::Type{T}, w, wscale::Symbol)
+    w_adj = _scale_adjusted_values(T, w, wscale)
+    w_min = minimum(w_adj)
+    w_max = maximum(w_adj)
+    baseline = _binbarlike_baseline(w_min, wscale)
+    autolims = _binbarlike_autolims(w_min, w_max,wscale)
+    w_adj, baseline, autolims
+end
+
+function _preprocess_barlike(d, x, y)
+    xscale = get(d, :xscale, :identity)
+    yscale = get(d, :yscale, :identity)
+    weights, baseline, wautolims = _preprocess_binbarlike_weights(float(eltype(y)), y, yscale)
+    x, weights, xscale, yscale, baseline, wautolims
+end
+
 function _preprocess_binlike(d, x, y)
     xscale = get(d, :xscale, :identity)
     yscale = get(d, :yscale, :identity)
-
     T = float(promote_type(eltype(x), eltype(y)))
-    edge = map(T, x)
-    weights = _scale_adjusted_values(T, y, yscale)
-    w_min = minimum(weights)
-    baseline = _hist_ylim_lo(isnan(w_min) ? one(T) : w_min, yscale)
-    edge, weights, xscale, yscale, baseline
+    edge = T.(x)
+    weights, baseline, wautolims = _preprocess_binbarlike_weights(T, y, yscale)
+    edge, weights, xscale, yscale, baseline, wautolims
 end
 
 
-
 @recipe function f(::Type{Val{:barbins}}, x, y, z)
-    edge, weights, xscale, yscale, baseline = _preprocess_binlike(d, x, y)
+    edge, weights, xscale, yscale, baseline, wautolims = _preprocess_binlike(d, x, y)
     if (d[:bar_width] == nothing)
         bar_width := diff(edge)
     end
@@ -447,7 +473,7 @@ end
 
 
 @recipe function f(::Type{Val{:scatterbins}}, x, y, z)
-    edge, weights, xscale, yscale, baseline = _preprocess_binlike(d, x, y)
+    edge, weights, xscale, yscale, baseline, wautolims = _preprocess_binlike(d, x, y)
     xerror := diff(edge)/2
     x := _bin_centers(edge)
     y := weights
@@ -512,7 +538,7 @@ end
 @recipe function f(::Type{Val{:stepbins}}, x, y, z)
     axis = d[:subplot][Plots.isvertical(d) ? :xaxis : :yaxis]
 
-    edge, weights, xscale, yscale, baseline = _preprocess_binlike(d, x, y)
+    edge, weights, xscale, yscale, baseline, wautolims = _preprocess_binlike(d, x, y)
 
     xpts, ypts = _stepbins_path(edge, weights, baseline, xscale, yscale)
     if !isvertical(d)
@@ -539,7 +565,7 @@ end
     y := ypts
     seriestype := :path
 
-    ylims --> [baseline, _hist_ylim_hi(maximum(weights), yscale)]
+    ylims --> wautolims
     ()
 end
 Plots.@deps stepbins path
@@ -639,7 +665,7 @@ end
 
     if d[:seriestype] == :scatterbins
         # Workaround, error bars currently not set correctly by scatterbins
-        edge, weights, xscale, yscale, baseline = _preprocess_binlike(d, h.edges[1], h.weights)
+        edge, weights, xscale, yscale, baseline, wautolims = _preprocess_binlike(d, h.edges[1], h.weights)
         xerror --> diff(h.edges[1])/2
         seriestype := :scatter
         (Plots._bin_centers(edge), weights)