diff --git a/src/backends/pyplot.jl b/src/backends/pyplot.jl
index 04d64fe5..4a21eeb8 100644
--- a/src/backends/pyplot.jl
+++ b/src/backends/pyplot.jl
@@ -436,7 +436,8 @@ function py_add_series(plt::Plot{PyPlotBackend}, series::Series)
             else
                 # multicolored line segments
                 n = length(x) - 1
-                segments = Array(Any,n)
+                # segments = Array(Any,n)
+                segments = []
                 kw = KW(
                     :label => series[:label],
                     :zorder => plt.n,
@@ -445,17 +446,23 @@ function py_add_series(plt::Plot{PyPlotBackend}, series::Series)
                     :linestyle => py_linestyle(st, series[:linestyle])
                 )
                 handle = if is3d(st)
-                    for i=1:n
-                        segments[i] = [(cycle(x,i), cycle(y,i), cycle(z,i)), (cycle(x,i+1), cycle(y,i+1), cycle(z,i+1))]
+                    for rng in iter_segments(x, y, z)
+                        push!(segments, [(cycle(x,i),cycle(y,i),cycle(z,i)) for i in rng])
                     end
+                    # for i=1:n
+                    #     segments[i] = [(cycle(x,i), cycle(y,i), cycle(z,i)), (cycle(x,i+1), cycle(y,i+1), cycle(z,i+1))]
+                    # end
                     lc = pyart3d.Line3DCollection(segments; kw...)
                     lc[:set_array](series[:line_z])
                     ax[:add_collection3d](lc, zs=z) #, zdir='y')
                     lc
                 else
-                    for i=1:n
-                        segments[i] = [(cycle(x,i), cycle(y,i)), (cycle(x,i+1), cycle(y,i+1))]
+                    for rng in iter_segments(x, y)
+                        push!(segments, [(cycle(x,i),cycle(y,i)) for i in rng])
                     end
+                    # for i=1:n
+                    #     segments[i] = [(cycle(x,i), cycle(y,i)), (cycle(x,i+1), cycle(y,i+1))]
+                    # end
                     lc = pycollections.LineCollection(segments; kw...)
                     lc[:set_array](series[:line_z])
                     ax[:add_collection](lc)
diff --git a/src/recipes.jl b/src/recipes.jl
index 2bfb36cc..cc96fdc6 100644
--- a/src/recipes.jl
+++ b/src/recipes.jl
@@ -394,18 +394,20 @@ end
 # create a bar plot as a filled step function
 @recipe function f(::Type{Val{:bar}}, x, y, z)
     nx, ny = length(x), length(y)
+    axis = d[:subplot][isvertical(d) ? :xaxis : :yaxis]
+    cv = [discrete_value!(axis, xi)[1] for xi=x]
     x = if nx == ny
-        x
+        cv
     elseif nx == ny + 1
-        diff(x) + x[1:end-1]
+        0.5diff(cv) + cv[1:end-1]
     else
         error("bar recipe: x must be same length as y (centers), or one more than y (edges).\n\t\tlength(x)=$(length(x)), length(y)=$(length(y))")
     end
 
-    axis = d[:subplot][isvertical(d) ? :xaxis : :yaxis]
+    # compute half-width of bars
     bw = d[:bar_width]
     hw = if bw == nothing
-        0.5mean(diff([discrete_value!(axis, xi)[1] for xi=x]))
+        0.5mean(diff(x))
     else
         Float64[0.5cycle(bw,i) for i=1:length(x)]
     end
@@ -419,7 +421,7 @@ end
     # create the bar shapes by adding x/y segments
     xseg, yseg = Segments(), Segments()
     for i=1:ny
-        center = discrete_value!(axis, x[i])[1]
+        center = x[i]
         hwi = cycle(hw,i)
         yi = y[i]
         fi = cycle(fillto,i)