diff --git a/src/plot.jl b/src/plot.jl
index 6eba9dec..5c53111f 100644
--- a/src/plot.jl
+++ b/src/plot.jl
@@ -227,6 +227,7 @@ function setTicksFromStringVector(plt::Plot, d::KW, di::KW, letter)
 
     # do we really want to do this?
     typeof(v) <: AbstractArray || return
+    isempty(v) && return
     trueOrAllTrue(_ -> typeof(_) <: AbstractString, v) || return
 
     # compute the ticks and labels
@@ -234,7 +235,12 @@ function setTicksFromStringVector(plt::Plot, d::KW, di::KW, letter)
         # extend the existing ticks and labels. only add to labels if they're new!
         ticks, labels = pargs[ticksym]
         newlabels = filter(_ -> !(_ in labels), unique(v))
-        ticks = vcat(ticks, maximum(ticks) + (1:length(newlabels)))
+        newticks = if isempty(ticks)
+            collect(1:length(newlabels))
+        else
+            maximum(ticks) + collect(1:length(newlabels))
+        end
+        ticks = vcat(ticks, newticks)
         labels = vcat(labels, newlabels)
         ticks, labels
     else
diff --git a/src/subplot.jl b/src/subplot.jl
index 14c2f69b..34e2035c 100644
--- a/src/subplot.jl
+++ b/src/subplot.jl
@@ -232,8 +232,11 @@ end
 
 # given a fully processed KW, add the series to the Plot
 function _add_series_subplot(plt::Plot, d::KW)
-  setTicksFromStringVector(d, d, :x, :xticks)
-  setTicksFromStringVector(d, d, :y, :yticks)
+  # setTicksFromStringVector(d, d, :x, :xticks)
+  # setTicksFromStringVector(d, d, :y, :yticks)
+  setTicksFromStringVector(plt, d, d, "x")
+  setTicksFromStringVector(plt, d, d, "y")
+  setTicksFromStringVector(plt, d, d, "z")
 
   # this is the actual call to the backend
   _add_series(plt.backend, plt, d)
diff --git a/test/travis_commands.jl b/test/travis_commands.jl
index 6ee79fc5..d0b774d7 100644
--- a/test/travis_commands.jl
+++ b/test/travis_commands.jl
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ Pkg.build("ImageMagick")
 Pkg.clone("GR")
 Pkg.build("GR")
 
-Pkg.clone("https://github.com/JuliaPlots/RecipesBase.jl.git")
+# Pkg.clone("https://github.com/JuliaPlots/RecipesBase.jl.git")
 Pkg.clone("https://github.com/tbreloff/ExamplePlots.jl.git");
 
 # Pkg.clone("https://github.com/JunoLab/Blink.jl.git")